It's often important to follow proper safety techniques when operating a kiln due to the extreme heat that it involves.

Common-sense cleanup and maintenance of the work area is a must for people working with ceramics. It is strongly recommended that the following rules be observed:

Keep working surfaces and shelves clean by wiping down with a wet cloth/sponge/whatever, rinsing it often.

Keep dust under control.

Personal Hygiene: Ceramic products and materials can be handled very safely if we keep in mind that materials should not be ingested or dust inhaled. Besides being poor hygiene, such practices can leave substances such as salt and oil on the work surface and thus ruin your glazes, and possibly upsetting the future owner.

Always wash your hands thoroughly when you are through and be sure to put away materials where brats can't reach them. Do not use any utensils that will later be used in the kitchen. If there is an accidental ingestion, contact a healer.

Materials used to produce ceramics should not be handled when you have any cuts or open wounds.

Protective Equipment: For some areas of ceramics, simple forms of personal protective equipment are recommended. Gloves should be worn when handling a kiln after the venting period, as the handle will be hot. Never touch the outside of a kiln when it is turned on as the kiln surface temperature may be very hot.

A smock or apron should be worn when working with ceramic materials.

Kiln Safety:

Kilns are used to heat the pieces to a very high temperature. It's possible to be burned if the kiln is misused or abused.

Do not leave papers/hides or combustibles around the kiln, or place objects on the kiln while firing.

Do not try to unload the kiln until the outside of the kiln is cool to the touch and the pieces can be easily touched by the bare hand.

When unloading a kiln, be careful of the stilt marks on glazed ceramic pieces. They can be sharp and should be smoothed as soon as possible with a grinding wheel or stone. Be sure to wear safety spectacles while grinding off stilt marks.

Food-Safe Glazes: Many glazes are formulated to be safely used on surfaces that come into contact with food or drink. Do not mix food-safe glazes, as the balance of ingredients in each glaze will be disrupted.

Proper firing of food-safe glazes is critical. If crazed or underfired, these glazes may not be food safe.

Proper glaze thickness: If too heavy an application, the glaze will not have matured properly.

Sprays and overglazes: These products are easy to use safely and will present no problems as long as these three important rules are observed: keep out of reach of brats, use in a well-ventilated area, and clean up after use.

These products should not be used near a heat source or open flame, or close to the kiln. Containers are to be kept closed when not in use. Rags and towels or tissues used with these products should be disposed of.

As with any finely ground substance, dust control is the primary safety factor to be remembered by those who customarily mix slip. Ceramic bodies consist of clay minerals and porcelain slip contains quartz dust. When mixing slip a mask for dust should be used. The work area should be well ventilated. It is best if the area can easily be washed down to clean the dust from the surfaces. The slip-mixing area should be away from the glazing area to prevent contamination of the ware by exposure to dust.

Adequate ventilation is a necessary precaution when spraying glazes. Ideally, spraying of water-based glazes should be done in a spray booth. However, if a spray booth is not practical, spraying should be done near an open window.

Credits:

http://www.ceramichrome.com/safety/safety.htm