Forge work is one of the oldest trades in Britain, and the basics of doing it safely have not changed much. Fire, hot metal, heavy tools and a lot of noise: that is the reality of a working smithy. Get the setup right from day one, though, and you can concentrate on the craft rather than on worrying about whether the workshop is going to bite you.

Start With the Space Itself

Before you buy a single hammer, think about where you are going to work. A garage, a brick outbuilding or a dedicated shed all work well, provided you treat them as a workshop rather than a storage room. Concrete or stone floors are ideal: they will not smoulder if a hot offcut lands on them, and they give you a stable surface for an anvil and a vice.

Allow at least a couple of metres of clear floor around the forge and anvil. You need room to swing a hammer without catching your knuckles on a shelf, and room to step back quickly if something shifts. Keep the floor swept and free of offcuts, swarf and trailing cables, because tripping while holding a pair of tongs with hot steel in them is how most minor smithy accidents actually happen.

If you can, arrange the shop in a rough triangle: forge, anvil, vice. That way you are never carrying glowing metal further than you need to, and your body learns the route within a week.

Ventilation and Fume Control

This is the part new smiths most often underestimate. A solid fuel forge produces carbon monoxide, smoke and fine ash; a gas forge produces less smoke but still burns oxygen and generates significant heat. Carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless, so you cannot rely on your nose to warn you.

• Fit a carbon monoxide alarm in the workshop and test it monthly. This is not optional.
• Position the forge under or beside a proper flue or extraction hood, ideally with a chimney that draws fumes up and away. A side wall vent alone is rarely enough.
• Keep a door or window open to provide make-up air. Extraction only works if fresh air can get in to replace what leaves.
• Never run a forge in a sealed, unventilated space, even for a quick job.
• Be aware that galvanised steel, painted metal and anything plated can release toxic fumes when heated. Strip or avoid it, and work outside or under strong extraction if you must handle it.

A good test is to light the forge, close the doors and watch the smoke. If it lingers near the ceiling instead of disappearing up the flue, your draw is poor and needs fixing before your next session.

Fire Safety That Actually Works

You are, quite literally, running a small fire indoors. Plan for it. Keep a dry powder or CO2 extinguisher within arm's reach of the forge, and a second one near the door. Check the gauge every few months and replace anything past its date.

• Clear a perimeter of at least a metre around the forge, with no wood, paper, cloth or fuel cans inside it.
• Store propane cylinders outside the building, upright, secured, and away from the forge itself. Never keep spare cylinders under the bench.
• Keep a metal bucket of water and a bucket of dry sand nearby for quenching and for smothering small flare-ups.
• Quench or lay hot offcuts on a metal tray, never on the floor or in a bin. Steel stays hot far longer than it looks.
• Have a clear exit route and know where your stopcock or isolator is.

Hot scale and sparks travel further than you think. A leather apron and a tidy bench will do more for you than any amount of firefighting kit.

Protective Clothing and Personal Kit

Dress as though you expect to be hit by sparks, because occasionally you will be. Natural fibres are essential: cotton, wool and leather. Synthetics melt onto skin and turn a minor burn into a serious injury.

• Leather apron – a proper split-leg or full-length forge apron, not a DIY store welding bib.
• Safety glasses or goggles – worn at all times, even for a "quick tap".
• Leather gloves – for handling stock and tools, though many smiths take the hammer hand glove off for better feel.
• Ear defenders – hammering on an anvil regularly exceeds 100 decibels.
• Sturdy leather boots – steel toe caps are fine, but make sure nothing hot can drop inside the boot top.
• No loose sleeves, no long untied hair, no dangling jewellery.

Keep a small burns kit on the wall, and treat every burn with cool running water for at least twenty minutes. Do not apply butter, cream or anything else your grandfather swore by.

Tools, Layout and Housekeeping

Set your anvil at roughly wrist height when you stand relaxed, and check that it is securely fixed. A loose anvil is a bruised shin waiting to happen. Rack your tongs, hammers and chisels so that the handles face you and nothing sharp is pointing into the walkway.

Store fuel, quench oil and solvents in labelled metal containers away from the forge. Keep a first aid kit, a torch and a phone within reach. Sweep up scale and metal dust at the end of every session, and never leave the workshop with the forge still warm and unattended.

Finally, work when you are fresh. Most smithy injuries happen late in the day when concentration slips. Give yourself permission to stop, tidy up properly and start again tomorrow.