However, they are generally inattentive to matters of safety, the risks of which are not readily apparent to them. They may not take seriously warnings about the relative toxicity of glazes. Most clays, including school clay, are safe for them, provided dust is controlled. Of glazes, commercial or not, only the most non-toxic ones are truly safe, and only after they understand that glazes are not to be ingested or soaked in. Safety equipment must be provided when appropriate.
Personal hygiene is important, as is good supervision.
This may be the time to instill good work habits that will remain with them when they begin to handle more toxic materials. Post-adolescents are more able to control their own behaviors, to comprehend rational and graded discussions of relative risk, and to apply the knowledge to their own benefit. To the extent that they can absorb the information, more materials can be entrusted to their handling. They should be taught that glazes, and glaze materials in particular, are concentrated chemicals of the sort that they use in the chem lab, and that they must understand the appropriate precautions in order to handle any given material with safety. The specific precautions for each material available to them must be provided positively and overtly, not just after waiting for it to come up.