How worried do I need to be about potter’s lung?
March 8, 2025 5:35 AM Subscribe
I am a high school art teacher, and I’ve recently moved to an inner-city school. I’m stationed in a ceramics classroom that has not been properly cleaned in many, many years. How do I get and keep this space cleaned?
The building is over 100 years old. The previous day teacher was there for 25 years and every surface, nook, and cranny was packed with junk. The evening pottery teacher has been there for 30 years and also has the area just jammed with stuff. There is a thick layer of dust over everything, and pottery wheels, as well as the walls and floor around them, are CAKED with clay splatters.
I’m genuinely concerned about developing potter’s lung, but it’s not feasible or comfortable to teach with a mask on, especially the kind that filters fine silica dust. Some of the students are really into wheel throwing, and they come to the room every day to practice, some of them for all five years of their high school life, so I’m also concerned about their exposure. They have not been taught proper safety and cleaning practices, and being inner-city school kids, they’re resistant to change, especially change that involves cleaning.
How concerned should I be about this? Should I contact the school board? If so, what should I be asking for?
I feel that maybe I should ask for the room to be professionally cleaned by a company that has a dust vacuum designed for ceramics studios; however, I have no control over the evening teacher and her classes, who will likely continue to leave a mess.
I can also ask for the custodians to clean the room at least weekly, but they are overburdened by the demands of their job, as they are also responsible for the community centre and library, so I don’t know if it’s even possible for them to clean it on an ongoing basis. Currently the room is never cleaned unless I clean it.
What to do?
The building is over 100 years old. The previous day teacher was there for 25 years and every surface, nook, and cranny was packed with junk. The evening pottery teacher has been there for 30 years and also has the area just jammed with stuff. There is a thick layer of dust over everything, and pottery wheels, as well as the walls and floor around them, are CAKED with clay splatters.
I’m genuinely concerned about developing potter’s lung, but it’s not feasible or comfortable to teach with a mask on, especially the kind that filters fine silica dust. Some of the students are really into wheel throwing, and they come to the room every day to practice, some of them for all five years of their high school life, so I’m also concerned about their exposure. They have not been taught proper safety and cleaning practices, and being inner-city school kids, they’re resistant to change, especially change that involves cleaning.
How concerned should I be about this? Should I contact the school board? If so, what should I be asking for?
I feel that maybe I should ask for the room to be professionally cleaned by a company that has a dust vacuum designed for ceramics studios; however, I have no control over the evening teacher and her classes, who will likely continue to leave a mess.
I can also ask for the custodians to clean the room at least weekly, but they are overburdened by the demands of their job, as they are also responsible for the community centre and library, so I don’t know if it’s even possible for them to clean it on an ongoing basis. Currently the room is never cleaned unless I clean it.
What to do?
I'm a teacher who has also inherited some filthy and unsafe spaces. As a new employee it's critical to not come out of the gate complaining about anything.
What can work is asking the admin onsite to come to your room and have a look with you. Go through things and ask questions like, "If this has not been used in 5 or more years, how would you like the school to best organize this? Does it make sense to have maintenance clear this out?"
Always have one possible solution because admins have enough to do, and teachers who come to them with safety concerns as well as a possible solution generally get their needs met.
Follow up with an "as we discussed" email.
And not that you would, but most definitely do not openly complain about this to any other staff.
posted by berkshiredogs at 6:03 AM on March 8 [12 favorites]
What can work is asking the admin onsite to come to your room and have a look with you. Go through things and ask questions like, "If this has not been used in 5 or more years, how would you like the school to best organize this? Does it make sense to have maintenance clear this out?"
Always have one possible solution because admins have enough to do, and teachers who come to them with safety concerns as well as a possible solution generally get their needs met.
Follow up with an "as we discussed" email.
And not that you would, but most definitely do not openly complain about this to any other staff.
posted by berkshiredogs at 6:03 AM on March 8 [12 favorites]
OK I think you have three separate problems here, and I'm putting them in descending order of difficulty:
1) The evening teacher
2) The current state of the room
3) Your students
It's going to be really hard to do this without getting the evening teacher to change their habits and move out their stuff (at least some of it presumably needs to be moved out permanently). From what I understand there are LOTS of potters who just do not take silicosis risk seriously, but maybe this teacher was willing to put up with the risk/mess since the day students and day teacher were making a mess but they would also be willing to go along with a new, cleaner regime. Basically it's worth talking with them if you haven't already.
I don't know whether the evening teacher is an employee of the school or someone who uses the studio. Who is officially in charge of the clay studio space? Is it you? Is authority shared between you and the other teacher? Are you officially in charge but because they've been there 30 years they effectively have a lot of clout?
Getting the room to a sane and clean state will be a lot of work and/or expense but it's not particularly complicated if you can get the other teacher to move their stuff OR get permission from the principal or whoever's ultimately in charge to move the other teacher's stuff.
I'm sure your students don't want to spend more time cleaning up but the nice thing about that is that they're students and, presumably, you have authority over them. You have a wonderful, delicious carrot in the form of studio access and you can withdraw access to students who don't clean up after themselves. It's going to be rough with the seniors but the new kids coming in are ready to be molded (ha) into responsible clay users.
I think it's really important to teach your students responsible/safe clay use! You will have to figure things out with the evening teacher first (possibly recruiting the principal or school administration) but it's hard to know exactly how you should go about that without knowing how much hard and soft power you have.
posted by mskyle at 6:37 AM on March 8 [3 favorites]
1) The evening teacher
2) The current state of the room
3) Your students
It's going to be really hard to do this without getting the evening teacher to change their habits and move out their stuff (at least some of it presumably needs to be moved out permanently). From what I understand there are LOTS of potters who just do not take silicosis risk seriously, but maybe this teacher was willing to put up with the risk/mess since the day students and day teacher were making a mess but they would also be willing to go along with a new, cleaner regime. Basically it's worth talking with them if you haven't already.
I don't know whether the evening teacher is an employee of the school or someone who uses the studio. Who is officially in charge of the clay studio space? Is it you? Is authority shared between you and the other teacher? Are you officially in charge but because they've been there 30 years they effectively have a lot of clout?
Getting the room to a sane and clean state will be a lot of work and/or expense but it's not particularly complicated if you can get the other teacher to move their stuff OR get permission from the principal or whoever's ultimately in charge to move the other teacher's stuff.
I'm sure your students don't want to spend more time cleaning up but the nice thing about that is that they're students and, presumably, you have authority over them. You have a wonderful, delicious carrot in the form of studio access and you can withdraw access to students who don't clean up after themselves. It's going to be rough with the seniors but the new kids coming in are ready to be molded (ha) into responsible clay users.
I think it's really important to teach your students responsible/safe clay use! You will have to figure things out with the evening teacher first (possibly recruiting the principal or school administration) but it's hard to know exactly how you should go about that without knowing how much hard and soft power you have.
posted by mskyle at 6:37 AM on March 8 [3 favorites]
Are you union represented? First stop there if you are.
If you're based in the US, reach out to OSHA or your state labor department. If you're in Canada, reach out to CCOHS or CanOSH. If you're somewhere else, I would try to find an agency similar to those. These agencies might give you concrete 'oh shit your organization is breaking Laws, let's get this sorted out ASAP' to 'here are resources and tools to help you deal with this situation.' Regardless of what they say, they will likely give you information and ammunition to take to your school board (and again, union if you have one).
posted by furnace.heart at 7:32 AM on March 8 [4 favorites]
If you're based in the US, reach out to OSHA or your state labor department. If you're in Canada, reach out to CCOHS or CanOSH. If you're somewhere else, I would try to find an agency similar to those. These agencies might give you concrete 'oh shit your organization is breaking Laws, let's get this sorted out ASAP' to 'here are resources and tools to help you deal with this situation.' Regardless of what they say, they will likely give you information and ammunition to take to your school board (and again, union if you have one).
posted by furnace.heart at 7:32 AM on March 8 [4 favorites]
Having air filters and ventilation can go a long way to reducing exposure to hazardous dusts. The simple box fan 4x furnace filter (The Corsi-Rosenthal Box) (previously) is fairly effective on a low budget.
If you have money available the ceiling mounted air cleaners used by hobbiest woodworkers would be better.
Ventilating the room, even just by opening windows when possible, also helps.
posted by Mitheral at 7:33 AM on March 8 [5 favorites]
If you have money available the ceiling mounted air cleaners used by hobbiest woodworkers would be better.
Ventilating the room, even just by opening windows when possible, also helps.
posted by Mitheral at 7:33 AM on March 8 [5 favorites]
I have experience as a potter. Studios need to be clean! Clay dries into dust and can be inhaled. I agree that showing the condition of the room to your administrator is your next step, (take photos!) with the message from you that you want to remedy the situation, organize the room, and keep it that way.
For dealing with the mess I would definitely wear a kn95 mask or respirator (the kind that fits over your head and has round set-in filters. I use these when I spray glaze or slip on ware inside a ventilated hood to prevent inhalation of the minerals in these substances.) For the dried gunk, spray down with water to prevent aerosolizing dried clay or glaze and then use straight-edge tools to scrape off the more substantial piles of clay/glaze and then wipe clean. Drop clay into a slops bucket if you want to reclaim.
If there is a mountain of dust/dried stuff you could also first use a vacuum fitted with HEPA filters so the air blown out the back is filtered. Wear a filter yourself and leave it on until the air clears. Throw out old work, especially work that is not fired and will disintegrate and leave clay dust. Wash down any wedging tables or replace the canvas stretched over the top - every time you slam clay onto it a puff of dried clay emerges. Replacing the canvas should be a regular task, depending on how many students you and the evening teacher have. The wedging tables should be scraped and then washed down with sponges every evening. Your goal is to prevent excess clay from drying and then aerosolizing when someone wedges their clay. For a start, every student should scrape and wash the area they used every class.
If you have wheels it is the student's responsibility to clean their wheel thoroughly after each use and dispose of slip and the washing water appropriately. Everyone deserves a clean wheel when they sit down to throw. For future upkeep, we have always had a custodial team or an intern mop the floor with water and wipe down the sinks each evening so the next day has less dust and clean sinks.
I am guessing you will be supervising this task even if a custodial person performs the heavier tasks - that person needs the same respiratory protection. Then I would enlist your supervisor to inform the night teacher and students that the studio practices have changed. I would also post a list for students to read detailing your new rules.
posted by citygirl at 7:56 AM on March 8 [8 favorites]
For dealing with the mess I would definitely wear a kn95 mask or respirator (the kind that fits over your head and has round set-in filters. I use these when I spray glaze or slip on ware inside a ventilated hood to prevent inhalation of the minerals in these substances.) For the dried gunk, spray down with water to prevent aerosolizing dried clay or glaze and then use straight-edge tools to scrape off the more substantial piles of clay/glaze and then wipe clean. Drop clay into a slops bucket if you want to reclaim.
If there is a mountain of dust/dried stuff you could also first use a vacuum fitted with HEPA filters so the air blown out the back is filtered. Wear a filter yourself and leave it on until the air clears. Throw out old work, especially work that is not fired and will disintegrate and leave clay dust. Wash down any wedging tables or replace the canvas stretched over the top - every time you slam clay onto it a puff of dried clay emerges. Replacing the canvas should be a regular task, depending on how many students you and the evening teacher have. The wedging tables should be scraped and then washed down with sponges every evening. Your goal is to prevent excess clay from drying and then aerosolizing when someone wedges their clay. For a start, every student should scrape and wash the area they used every class.
If you have wheels it is the student's responsibility to clean their wheel thoroughly after each use and dispose of slip and the washing water appropriately. Everyone deserves a clean wheel when they sit down to throw. For future upkeep, we have always had a custodial team or an intern mop the floor with water and wipe down the sinks each evening so the next day has less dust and clean sinks.
I am guessing you will be supervising this task even if a custodial person performs the heavier tasks - that person needs the same respiratory protection. Then I would enlist your supervisor to inform the night teacher and students that the studio practices have changed. I would also post a list for students to read detailing your new rules.
posted by citygirl at 7:56 AM on March 8 [8 favorites]
Agreeing that there are two distinct issues here, and they need separate approaches: first, the initial cleanup, and second, studio policies to keep you and the students safe and the studio clean during ongoing use.
My semi-informed opinion (my mother is a professional potter and is very safety-conscious) is that the primary risk for exposure will be during the initial cleanup of dry clay and dust, and, yes, you and anyone else working on this should be wearing PPE and using best practices for cleaning clay, so you may need to meet with admin and any cleaning staff to discuss (e.g. wet mopping instead of sweeping or dusting, sponge-cleaning and wetting clay on surfaces before scraping, using a HEPA vacuum when necessary--you probably know well what needs to be done). Some of these practices should be ongoing, and you may need to make arrangements to keep cleaning staff up to date, especially if there is turnover or if it's handled by contractors.
Longer term, building appropriate studio management (which includes X minutes of cleaning for every y minutes of studio time) into all activities with students is the way to go, and I think you can be explicit with them that cleaning and safety-consciousness is part of being a potter and also basic consideration for other people using the space. I also agree that air filtration and maybe even monitoring PM2.5 in the space (there's a discussion here) are reasonable asks. I don't think you or the students need to wear N95 respirators unless they're doing something that raises dust/creates particulates; it's not necessary for routine activities like wedging, throwing, using the pug mill or slab roller, etc., but you should offer them and encourage students who want to wear one. And, IMO, when you do need them, they should be N95s, and even 3M elastomeric respirators with P100 cartridges. This is no different than requiring a SawStop for wood shop and insisting that you teach (and students observe) the safety practices that would prevent them from losing a finger or eye while using power tools. Like, as in, "I can kick you out if you aren't compliant." This wouldn't even be a question if a student was acting cavalier with, say, a miter saw. If admin pushes back this is the comparison I'd make, by the way.
posted by pullayup at 9:43 AM on March 8 [7 favorites]
My semi-informed opinion (my mother is a professional potter and is very safety-conscious) is that the primary risk for exposure will be during the initial cleanup of dry clay and dust, and, yes, you and anyone else working on this should be wearing PPE and using best practices for cleaning clay, so you may need to meet with admin and any cleaning staff to discuss (e.g. wet mopping instead of sweeping or dusting, sponge-cleaning and wetting clay on surfaces before scraping, using a HEPA vacuum when necessary--you probably know well what needs to be done). Some of these practices should be ongoing, and you may need to make arrangements to keep cleaning staff up to date, especially if there is turnover or if it's handled by contractors.
Longer term, building appropriate studio management (which includes X minutes of cleaning for every y minutes of studio time) into all activities with students is the way to go, and I think you can be explicit with them that cleaning and safety-consciousness is part of being a potter and also basic consideration for other people using the space. I also agree that air filtration and maybe even monitoring PM2.5 in the space (there's a discussion here) are reasonable asks. I don't think you or the students need to wear N95 respirators unless they're doing something that raises dust/creates particulates; it's not necessary for routine activities like wedging, throwing, using the pug mill or slab roller, etc., but you should offer them and encourage students who want to wear one. And, IMO, when you do need them, they should be N95s, and even 3M elastomeric respirators with P100 cartridges. This is no different than requiring a SawStop for wood shop and insisting that you teach (and students observe) the safety practices that would prevent them from losing a finger or eye while using power tools. Like, as in, "I can kick you out if you aren't compliant." This wouldn't even be a question if a student was acting cavalier with, say, a miter saw. If admin pushes back this is the comparison I'd make, by the way.
posted by pullayup at 9:43 AM on March 8 [7 favorites]
I'd also ask how your rapport is with the afternoon teacher. Can you get them on board? If you're not sure, work on cultivating a relationship with them. If nothing else, I think they'd appreciate it (and probably reciprocate) if you run a tight ship and leave a clean studio for them every day.
posted by pullayup at 9:57 AM on March 8
posted by pullayup at 9:57 AM on March 8
I don't have pottery experience, but I do have inner-city school experience, as well as inherited filthy/dangerous space and equipment experience.
Weirdly, my situation inheriting a massive classroom with a lab storage room and tons of old, poorly stored chemicals, echoes yours. I too had a second teacher who shared the space in the evenings, where he taught adult GED courses and frequently used the supplies...irresponsibly.
Here's what I did and how I handled the other teacher.
1. I organized a volunteer cleanup of the classroom and lab area. I recruited a local service group that frequently did garbage collection along highways, etc. and got about 5 people to assist through that. I also approached a local community college chemistry professor who gave students in her courses extra credit for volunteering. These volunteers were also the most likely to follow safety guidelines, so I assigned them to the lab storage cleanup, while the service group tackled the main classroom.
We ended up with quite a bit of toxic stuff to dispose of, but I worked with the college to figure out a way to do this on the cheap. (I recall that it cost us nearly nothing.) You probably won't have this problem.
2. I involved the GED teacher. I asked if he wanted to find volunteers as well--knowing he wouldn't want to do that. But the gesture went a long way, and it meant he was actively opting out of the cleanup.
This worked to my advantage. I said it was 100% OK that he didn't want to get involved, so instead I asked him to come up with a system by which we'd be able to keep the classroom clean.
That *seemed* like the easier task, but really, it was much more important. And he did a pretty good job of figuring out ways to create "dirty" stations for glassware and other equipment. Together, we also came up with a plan to get students to tidy up after themselves during lab work. Basically, we shaved 10 minutes off of the end of each lab period and dedicated that time to getting things back in order. It sounds like nothing, but 20 students x 10 minutes is nothing to sneeze at (forgive the pun).
3. I "lent out" the classroom/lab to other teachers without the same access to equipment and space a few times every term. The only stipulation for doing this was that they leave everything cleaner than they found it. This worked out nicely.
For your situation, perhaps you could have an open studio where parents or adults from the local community come in to do some introductory pottery, and in exchange, you ask that they spend the last 15 minutes (or first 15 minutes if you're worried about people leaving early) cleaning. You can even make it part of your instruction on silicosis and safety.
posted by yellowcandy at 11:09 AM on March 8 [9 favorites]
Weirdly, my situation inheriting a massive classroom with a lab storage room and tons of old, poorly stored chemicals, echoes yours. I too had a second teacher who shared the space in the evenings, where he taught adult GED courses and frequently used the supplies...irresponsibly.
Here's what I did and how I handled the other teacher.
1. I organized a volunteer cleanup of the classroom and lab area. I recruited a local service group that frequently did garbage collection along highways, etc. and got about 5 people to assist through that. I also approached a local community college chemistry professor who gave students in her courses extra credit for volunteering. These volunteers were also the most likely to follow safety guidelines, so I assigned them to the lab storage cleanup, while the service group tackled the main classroom.
We ended up with quite a bit of toxic stuff to dispose of, but I worked with the college to figure out a way to do this on the cheap. (I recall that it cost us nearly nothing.) You probably won't have this problem.
2. I involved the GED teacher. I asked if he wanted to find volunteers as well--knowing he wouldn't want to do that. But the gesture went a long way, and it meant he was actively opting out of the cleanup.
This worked to my advantage. I said it was 100% OK that he didn't want to get involved, so instead I asked him to come up with a system by which we'd be able to keep the classroom clean.
That *seemed* like the easier task, but really, it was much more important. And he did a pretty good job of figuring out ways to create "dirty" stations for glassware and other equipment. Together, we also came up with a plan to get students to tidy up after themselves during lab work. Basically, we shaved 10 minutes off of the end of each lab period and dedicated that time to getting things back in order. It sounds like nothing, but 20 students x 10 minutes is nothing to sneeze at (forgive the pun).
3. I "lent out" the classroom/lab to other teachers without the same access to equipment and space a few times every term. The only stipulation for doing this was that they leave everything cleaner than they found it. This worked out nicely.
For your situation, perhaps you could have an open studio where parents or adults from the local community come in to do some introductory pottery, and in exchange, you ask that they spend the last 15 minutes (or first 15 minutes if you're worried about people leaving early) cleaning. You can even make it part of your instruction on silicosis and safety.
posted by yellowcandy at 11:09 AM on March 8 [9 favorites]
Good for you wanting to do the right thing!
As suggested above, if you have a Union, choice #1
If not OSHA, choice #2, (but with what's going on right now, maybe not going to do anything)
Choice #3 would be to get your classes to spend a day cleaning up. But that would require a lot of masks for the students.
Choice #4 would be to go to the administration. Point out that if someone does get potter's lung, and dies an agonizing death, the district will get sued for more than it will cost to remedy the situation. As a new hire, I can see the discomfort. But showing your professionalism in wanting everyone to be safe, might get you fired, but might get you hired somewhere else.
Then get assurances that the evening teacher cleans up.
posted by Windopaene at 11:58 AM on March 8 [1 favorite]
As suggested above, if you have a Union, choice #1
If not OSHA, choice #2, (but with what's going on right now, maybe not going to do anything)
Choice #3 would be to get your classes to spend a day cleaning up. But that would require a lot of masks for the students.
Choice #4 would be to go to the administration. Point out that if someone does get potter's lung, and dies an agonizing death, the district will get sued for more than it will cost to remedy the situation. As a new hire, I can see the discomfort. But showing your professionalism in wanting everyone to be safe, might get you fired, but might get you hired somewhere else.
Then get assurances that the evening teacher cleans up.
posted by Windopaene at 11:58 AM on March 8 [1 favorite]
What an ask!
I think I would always wear an KN95 mask. (Not sure if that would help, but)
I would explain to the students why I was doing that.
I would point out to the students my concern for their health.
I would point out how unclean the room is.
Some of those kids are going to go home and mention it to their parents.
Some of those parents may get mad and contact the school.
I think I would do that before I talked to the Principal.
posted by Windopaene at 12:03 PM on March 8
I think I would always wear an KN95 mask. (Not sure if that would help, but)
I would explain to the students why I was doing that.
I would point out to the students my concern for their health.
I would point out how unclean the room is.
Some of those kids are going to go home and mention it to their parents.
Some of those parents may get mad and contact the school.
I think I would do that before I talked to the Principal.
posted by Windopaene at 12:03 PM on March 8
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posted by mrgoldenbrown at 5:51 AM on March 8