Pit Requirements
 

Good afternoon;
Does anyone know the safety material requirements for the pit area during competition?

Thanks!!

VIII>///

Re: Pit Requirements
 

Safety glasses and closed-toed shoes, at a minimum.

You might also want to look at Section 4 of the Administrative Manual to find out more detailed information.

Re: Pit Requirements
 

It would be valuable to have work gloves for handling the robot, a small first-aid kit, hearing protection, (certainly eye protection at all times), and a small fire extinguisher if available. We also keep a small box of baking soda handy in case of battery accidents.

Re: Pit Requirements
 

Agreed. ALWAYS have the baking soda on hand... chances are you will not need it but if you do, it will be vital.

Being from a team that won UL Safety at BMR last year, here are my tips:

Last year there was a ban on open flames, flame powered soldering devices, and leaded solder... many teams missed that last year. The same ban exists this year too.

Things that produce sparks (like dremel wheels on steel) are also banned.

Having a well organized pit is vital as well.

Try not to daisy chain power strips. Also on the UL's "naughty list".

Often overlooked: Try to keep the pit sparsely populated; if somone is not doign anything, they need to go to elsewhere (stands, outside, etc.). It is way too easy to get too may chefs in the kitchen.

always have 3 people available to move your robot.

Don't yell "ROBOT!" without good reason. Overdoing it is a serious distraction to other pits. Safety is not confined to your team's personal pit; it applies everywhere at the venue.

Hope this helps.

Re: Pit Requirements
 

Hi.

This is my first time attempting to post a reply on CD, but I had a question regarding the general construction of the pits. I am on Team 53 from Greenbelt, MD. Yeah, we're an older team. But personally, I've never worked on this specific project.

Like many people, we're making the majority of our pit out of PVC. The problem at hand is that the structure we have isn't sturdy in the least, are there any ways that anybody could possibly suggest to strengthen and/or reinforce our pit so it doesn't collapse on us at the competition? It would be greatly appreciated. ;)

Thank you. :)
~Manasi

Re: Pit Requirements
 

Take a cue from Buckminster Fuller and incorporate strategically placed tension/compression elements. That is, use bungie cords to hold things together against rigid bracing.

Re: Pit Requirements
 

Keep the people to a minimum. Crowded pit can make for a disaster waiting to happen. And no music. Can be quite distracting at times.

Clean cord arrangments. Chargers out of the way but in easy reach. Make sure chargers are set right before leaving for the night. (Coming back to faults on your chargers, not a good 8am wake up call.)

The usual safety and first aid kits. And for those in the VCU regional, proper hand sanitation. Norovirus is making the rounds. Let's not have another 2004 please?

Folding and camping chairs are good to keep on hand. Don't plan on sitting in them long or often but never hurts.

Laptops should be in a stable place whenever possible. (Watching a team's programming laptop take a dive hurts)

Food and drinks. Depends on your regional but at least keep some water around so key people don't have to leave.

Not safety or killer stuff but:
NEVER leave your pit empty. Judges come around, you've got a wasted opportunity. Some with alliance partners.
When teams come around for information, Don't be afraid to see if they can come back or hand them a pamphlet. Frees people up.

Otherwise, just use common sense. And if you're a rookie team, look to your fellow vets to help you out. Coopertition.

Re: Pit Requirements
 

Emphasis mine.

I read this and did double take and after a look through the manual I couldn't find any references to this. Is this a rule at your local event or could you point me in the direction in the rules where it states we have to use lead free solder at events.

Re: Pit Requirements
 

I looked through BOTH manuals and there are no restrictions listed on the use of solder. Now, the iron/gun for the solder has to be electric... but that doesn't say anything about the solder itself.

Re: Pit Requirements
 

And now that we've brought it up, guess what the next team update will be.... I sure hope not. I do remember that from a previous year, and I also remember we all thought it was dumb.

Re: Pit Requirements
 

they say to "use lead-free solder" in the soldering section of the safety manual. look again.

Re: Pit Requirements
 

We really appreciate the interlocking foam floor pieces we bought a few years ago. Much easier on the feet, legs and back than concrete plus small bits don't bounce as much or roll when you drop them. Available at Canadian Tire, Walmart, etc.

Re: Pit Requirements
 

Guess what isn't a rule, then?

The Game Manual doesn't list solder anywhere.
The Administrative Manual only lists solder in the list of stuff to bring--no mention of lead-free or not.
The safety manual is listed as, and I quote, "more information" in the section of the Administrative Manual.

Not to mention that most of the stuff in the Safety Manual is also listed in the Administrative Manual, if it is going to be enforced. (And, to be noted: if MSDSs are required, a large number of teams are in violation of that "rule".)

Now, is using lead-free solder a good idea? Yes. But is it required to be used? No.

In short, not a rule. A "best practice", yes.

(Hey, in an unrelated competition where lead is banned, solder with lead in it is explicitly permitted. Here, lead isn't banned.)

Re: Pit Requirements
 

I had always thought that the safety manual was essentially an extension of the main manual... I guess it is only a list of "suggestions".

You learn something every day I guess.

Re: Pit Requirements
 

Wait a sec... look at this:

http://frc-manual.usfirst.org/viewItem/6#4.2

"Every team should know, understand, and follow the safety rules found in the FRC Team Safety Manual."

Not quite "must", but it sounds pretty hard set to me.