The Pottery (Health and Welfare) Special Regulations 1950

Exhaust Draught

17.—(1) The following processes shall not be carried on without the use of an efficient exhaust draught:—

(i) the manipulation of calcined flint at the mouth of the calcining kiln, unless the material has been made and remains so wet that no dust is given off;

(ii) the sieving of material drawn from the calcining kiln after the calcining of flint, unless the material has been made and remains so wet that no dust is given off;

(iii) the crushing or grinding of flint or quartz, unless the material has been made and remains so wet, or the process is carried on in a machine or plant which is so enclosed, as effectually to prevent the escape of dust into the air of any place where any person works;

(iv) the dry grinding of any material other than flint or quartz for a pottery body, unless the process is carried on in a machine or plant which is so enclosed as effectually to prevent the escape of dust into the air of any place where any person works;

(v) the sifting of clay dust for making tiles or other pottery articles by pressure, unless the material is so damp that no dust is given off;

(vi) the loading or unloading of calcined flint or of quartz or clay dust into or from any container or machine, unless the material is so damp that no dust is given off;

(vii) fettling other than damp fettling;

(viii) damp fettling, unless suitable arrangements are made for collecting scraps from the fettling and, except in the case of sanitary fireclay ware, for preventing them from falling onto the floor;

(ix) the pressing of tiles or (unless the material is so damp that no dust is given off) of other articles from clay dust; and in any such case the exhaust draught shall be applied to the dies of each press and to the stock-boxes containing the dust;

(x) the brushing of earthenware biscuit, including earthenware tile biscuit and sanitary earthenware biscuit, unless the process is carried on in a room provided with a system of general ventilation effected with the aid of mechanical means, being a system which is certified by the Inspector for the District as being adequate in the circumstances of the case if properly maintained and which is in fact properly maintained;

(xi) the placing of china for the biscuit fire if alumina or other powdered material is used;

(xii) the emptying of china biscuit flat-ware from saggars after firing in alumina or other powdered material;

(xiii) flat-knocking;

(xiv) the scouring of china biscuit by brushing or rumbling, if alumina or other powdered substance has been used as a placing material;

(xv) the sieving of alumina or other powdered placing material;

(xvi) the spraying-on of an engobe or slip which contains flint or quartz;

(xvii) ware-cleaning, except where this is done:—

(a) entirely with the use of wet materials, or

(b) while the article is so damp that no dust is given off;

(xviii) the preparation or weighing out of flow material;

(xix) the lawning of dry colours, except where not more than one ounce at a time is lawned for use in painting;

(xx) glaze spraying or glaze blowing;

(xxi) colour blowing or the wiping off of colour after that process;

(xxii) ground laying or colour dusting, or the wiping off of colour after either of those processes;

(xxiii) lithographic transfer making with dry colours;

(xxiv) the polishing of ware;

(xxv) the grinding of ware on a dry sandstone wheel;

(xxvi) the sorting of glost ware with a power-driven tool;

(xxvii) the grinding of tiles on a power-driven wheel in connection with tile-slabbing, unless an efficient water spray is used on the wheel.

(2) Every process for which an exhaust draught is required by this Regulation shall be carried on inside a suitable hood:

provided that where this is impracticable it shall be sufficient if the work is done within the effective range of an exhaust opening.

(3) All screens and sieves and all chutes, conveyors, elevators and mixers used for manipulating materials containing flint or quartz so dry as to produce dust shall be enclosed and be provided with an efficient exhaust draught.

(4) In connection with ware-cleaning, suitable arrangements shall be made for any glaze dust or glaze scraps not removed by exhaust draught to fall into water.

(5) Every hood in which glaze spraying or glaze blowing or colour blowing is carried on shall be thoroughly cleaned daily by a wet method.

(6) Dust removed by exhaust ventilating plant used in connection with any of the processes specified in paragraph (1) of this Regulation shall be collected in suitable apparatus and shall not be allowed to escape into the air of any workroom:

Provided that, except in cases where the Inspector for the District certifies that dust collecting apparatus is in his opinion called for, having regard to the amount of dust involved or to the position at which this is discharged from the ventilating plant, such apparatus shall not be required in the case of ventilating plant used solely in connection with any of the following processes:—

(i) the brushing of earthenware biscuit;

(ii) ware-cleaning;

(iii) ground laying or colour dusting;

(iv) the polishing of ware;

(v) the sorting of glost ware with a power-driven tool;

(vi) the grinding of tiles on a power-driven wheel.

(7) Air discharged from exhaust ventilating plant used in connection with any of the processes specified in paragraph (1) of this Regulation shall, whether or not it has passed through dust collecting apparatus, be discharged directly into the open air where it is not liable to be drawn into the air of any workroom.

(8) All ventilating plant and dust collecting apparatus required by this Regulation shall be properly maintained and shall at least once in every period of fourteen months be thoroughly examined and tested by a competent person; and a report of the result of every such examination and test signed by the person making the examination and test and including particulars as to the state of the plant and any defects found shall forthwith be entered in a register which shall be kept at the factory in a form approved by the Chief Inspector.

(9) The requirements of this Regulation shall be without prejudice to the provisions of Section 47 of the principal Act (which relates to the removal of dust or fumes).