Kiln Hire at National Glass Centre

All hirers must be inducted into each piece of equipment that they intend to use before commencing work. Inductions must be pre-booked. Induction forms must be signed off before the use of any equipment. Please contact the Studio to arrange induction sessions.

Hirers may only use equipment/facilities they have been inducted on.

If Studio staff are not completely satisfied that a hirer/assistants or participants are able to work in a safe and competent manner, they may terminate any hire session without refund.

Hirers must provide a suitable public liability insurance policy for themselves and any assistants relevant to their hire.

National Glass Centre and University of Sunderland accept no liability for damage to work howsoever it was caused. Including mechanical failure, power failure etc.

All work must be removed by the end of the working day as there are no storage facilities on site.

Any work left in a kiln after the arranged hire time will be removed by University/Studio staff and the hirer will be charged hire per day whilst work remains in the kiln.

National Glass Centre and University of Sunderland accept no responsibility for the safety of tools, equipment, materials or work left on the premises.

Hirers will be liable for the repair or replacement cost of damaged equipment. Replacement will be arranged new for old.

All equipment, work areas and benches must be properly cleaned and tidied at the end of each hire session, unless agreed with by a member of the Studio Team.

If any cleaning is left to a Studio Team member, a £10 + VAT surcharge will be invoiced to the hirer.

Obvious problems or faults should be reported to a Studio Team member straight away.

When using Studio facilities, hirers must use the correct Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and tie long hair back. This includes safety glasses, respirators (P3 minimum), ear protection and work gloves.

We provide a selection of ear defenders, safety glasses and aprons. All borrowed safety equipment must be cleaned and returned at the end of the session.

Hirers may use their own so long as it meets the minimum standard requirement.

For any use of sandblasters, hirers must supply their own dust mask.

Hirers are advised to seek professional health and safety advice if they have any doubt around their own practice.

Food must not be consumed in the studios or the hot shop at any time.

Working hours are 9:30am – 4:30pm. Access to the studios, hot shop and cold shop is by arrangement only during these hours.

Upon arrival, hirers must let a Studio Team member know they have arrived and when they intend to finish. Hirers must also sign in and out of all work areas.

Specific schedule terms are applicable to hot shop [link to hot shop] and cold working [link to cold working].

All hire is to be arranged by Tim Betterton or Christine Keers.

Use of specialist equipment may be negotiated separately.

All hire is payable in advance unless otherwise agreed.

Any charges incurred during the hire session must be paid in full at National Glass Centre reception at the end of each working day unless alternative arrangements have been agreed.

Reasonable usage limits apply.

Blowing times are strictly 10am – 4:30pm with a compulsory 30-minute lunch break. Studios are available from 9:30am to set up.

Additional glass charges will be added to the bill and invoiced accordingly.

Special requirements i.e. extended lehr use, top-loader hire, large propane torch or large glory holes must be requested in advance. Additional fees may apply.

Hirers are not allowed to turn any equipment on or off. This will be facilitated by the Studio Team.

Only Studio Team members may light, adjust or extinguish glory holes.

Mobile phones may not be used in the hot shop.

Hire of the cold workshop is available in 1 hour increments between the hours 9:30am – 4:30pm. A full day rate is available, payable in advance at National Glass Centre reception.

Workshop access ends 30 minutes prior to the end of the working day.

Hirers are expected to provide their own consumables i.e. grits, plaster of paris, clay etc.

Wherever possible, hirers must avoid contamination of University materials.

National Glass Centre/ student materials may only be borrowed with prior agreement with Studio or University of Sunderland staff.

Wherever possible, cold working will be done in the National Glass Centre commercial cold shop.

Hirers must provide the material to be cut.

The process also requires 6mm plywood sheet to support your material. We can provide this for an additional charge, or you can supply your own.

For the programming, hirers must provide one of the following to illustrate your design and scale measurements:

• • DWG;
  • DXF;
  • Black and white JPEG;
  • Or a black and white hand drawing

We expect new customers to visit in the first instance to gain an understanding of the process, provide materials and explain the project to the technician. For repeat projects or if distance makes presence difficult, we can arrange the work without a visit.

If the hirer is present, all necessary safety equipment will be provided.

We ask for at least 4-6 weeks’ notice for projects. During quieter periods, projects may be completed quicker – this can be discussed when booking.