Class Code 4114
Glassware Mfg
Class Code 4114 covers manufacturing operations that form, finish, and package glassware — including blown, pressed, and molded drinking glasses, tableware, and similar hollow or pressed items. This classification is important for California employers because the September 1, 2026 approved pure premium rate is $3.230 per $100 of payroll, which affects baseline workers' compensation costs for these operations.
What Class Code 4114 Covers
This class applies to facilities that produce glassware by blowing, pressing, molding, annealing, cutting, grinding, polishing, coating, decorating, inspecting and packing finished glass tableware, drinking glasses, jars, and similar articles. It covers both continuous-production plants (e.g., bottle and tableware plants) and smaller studios or shops that manufacture items for sale rather than primarily for artistic demonstration. Included operations are furnace and potroom work, gob handling, hand or machine forming (blowing and pressing), tempering and annealing ovens, cold finishing (grinding, polishing, beveling), chemical treatments and surface coatings, and packing/warehousing of finished glassware. It does not generally include flat glass/window fabricating operations or specialty optical glass manufacturing, which are classified separately.
Who It Applies To
- Industrial glass tableware manufacturers (mass production plants)
- Glass bottle and container producers
- Pressed and molded decorative glass manufacturers
- Glassblowing studios that produce inventory for sale
- Cold finishing and polishing shops handling broken or cut glass
- Packaging and shipping personnel in glassware plants
Common Job Duties
- Operating and maintaining glass-melting furnaces and feeders (potroom duties)
- Hand or machine glass blowing, pressing, and molding of gob material
- Annealing/tempering oven operation and load/unload duties
- Cold work: cutting, grinding, polishing, bevelling and edge finishing
- Manual handling, packing and palletizing finished glassware
- Quality inspection, decorating, and chemical coating of glass surfaces
- Routine furnace maintenance, refractory work, and line changeovers
Common Injury Risks
Understanding the $3.230 Rate
The pure premium rate of $3.230 per $100 of payroll represents the WCIRB-approved expected cost of losses for this classification before insurer expenses and profit. To estimate premium, multiply total payroll for class 4114 by the rate (payroll/100 × 3.230) to get the pure loss cost; your insurer or PEO will then apply loss cost multipliers, expense loads, and any experience modification or schedule credits to determine the final premium. Factors that affect the ultimate premium include your claims history (experience modification), payroll mix, safety and return-to-work programs, plant layout and engineering controls, and accuracy of class coding on audits.
Cal/OSHA Compliance Requirements
California employers in glassware manufacturing must maintain an effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) and comply with Hazard Communication for chemicals used in coatings and maintenance. Employers must control respirable crystalline silica and glass dust exposures through engineering controls (local exhaust, wet methods), respiratory protection programs when needed, and exposure monitoring. Additional Cal/OSHA requirements commonly apply: machine guarding and lockout/tagout for forming and finishing equipment, heat-stress prevention measures in hot work areas, noise monitoring and hearing conservation if exposures exceed action levels, and permit/entry procedures and confined-space controls for furnace and tank maintenance.
How Key HR Helps Employers Under Class Code 4114
A PEO like Key HR can help employers in class 4114 lower workers' comp costs by auditing classification accuracy, implementing job-specific safety programs (silica controls, burn prevention, hearing conservation), and managing claims and return-to-work to reduce lost-time. Key HR provides training, regulatory compliance support, coordinated medical management, and access to group purchasing and loss-control resources that improve risk profiles and can lead to lower experience modifiers and premium savings.
Get a QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
Does Class Code 4114 include small art glass studios and individual glassblowers?
Yes — if the studio produces glassware for sale (drinking glasses, vases, tableware) as a manufacturing activity, it typically falls under 4114. Studios whose primary activity is instruction or demonstration rather than production may need a different classification; classification should be confirmed with your carrier or PEO.
What are the most effective measures to reduce claims and premium for glassware manufacturing?
Priorities are engineering controls (local exhaust for grinding and cutting, automated material handling to reduce manual lifting, heat shields), robust PPE and respiratory protection programs, machine guarding and lockout/tagout, heat illness prevention, formal return-to-work/light-duty plans, and active claims management to close cases quickly and limit indemnity costs.
How should my plant control silica and glass dust exposures to meet California requirements?
Use source controls such as wet methods and local exhaust ventilation at grinders and cutting stations, implement respiratory protection programs where engineering controls cannot reduce exposures below limits, perform exposure monitoring, maintain written procedures and training, and keep records. These steps align with Cal/OSHA expectations for preventing respirable crystalline silica and glass dust-related illnesses.
Quick Facts
- Class Code
- 4114
- Classification
- Glassware Mfg
- Pure Premium Rate
- $3.230 / $100 payroll
- Effective Date
- September 1, 2026
- Source
- WCIRB Approved Filing
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