Your work. Your records.
Manufacturing Potters: Workplace Records
A test-fire sample explores a color or texture; a shape check and a finished-ware inspection answer different production questions. If a workplace concern involves pottery that did not match an expected appearance or size, identify which comparison was requested and which piece or sample was used. One successful sample does not establish the condition of every finished item.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Test purpose
Identify the appearance question and feedback associated with a sample.
Shape reference
Keep the template or dimensions linked to the stage actually checked.
Finished issue
Distinguish appearance feedback from dimensional feedback.
Production approval
Do not treat an exploratory sample as authorization without a supporting record.
Start with the work you actually do
Operate production machines such as pug mill, jigger machine, or potter's wheel to process clay in manufacture of ceramic, pottery and stoneware products.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Potters, Manufacturing (51-9195.05). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Perform test-fires of pottery to determine how to achieve specific colors and textures.Source task 15125 · updated 08/2020
- Verify accuracy of shapes and sizes of objects, using calipers and templates.Source task 15127 · updated 08/2020
- Examine finished ware for defects and measure dimensions, using rule and thickness gauge.Source task 15124 · updated 08/2020
Identify the test sample and intended appearance
Record the permitted sample reference and the color or texture question it was intended to address. Note the feedback received and whether a particular result was selected or further trials were requested. Keep an exploratory test separate from approval for production when the record does not show that approval. Do not infer a firing method or repeat a test to recreate an employment event.
Keep the shape reference with its check
Identify the object, template or specified dimensions used in a recorded shape or size comparison. State the production stage identified in the record, rather than assuming an earlier check describes the finished ware. If the template or size requirement changed, note when that instruction reached you. Preserve your question about an unclear comparison without substituting a remembered measurement or creating a new inspection entry.
Separate finished appearance from dimensional feedback
Identify the finished item or permitted batch reference and whether the reported issue concerns a visible defect, a dimension or both. Connect the feedback to the sample or specification actually cited. Do not use a color result to establish dimensional conformity, or a size check to establish an acceptable surface. Keep the employer’s explanation and your own response without exporting customer designs or altering the ware.
Historical source and limits
The selected O*NET 31.0 tasks describe test-firing for colors and textures, checking shapes and sizes, and inspecting finished ware for defects and dimensions. They are dated August 2020. They provide occupational context rather than glaze recipes, firing schedules or equipment instructions. This guide does not determine product quality, an acceptable tolerance or whether an employment action was justified.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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