Thread: Safety
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Unread 25-07-2013, 23:22
Kevin Leonard Kevin Leonard is offline
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FRC #5254 (HYPE), FRC #20 (The Rocketeers)
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Re: Safety

Quote:
Originally Posted by DampRobot View Post
Thank god I wasn't the only one thinking that. No one's going to become safer because they see a poster. In fact, some of the things recommended by these posters have become a source of mockery on my team. (Keep baking soda around at all times in case battery acid spills! Think about it, I've been doing this for going on four years, and I've never seen or even heard from another team about battery acid spilling.)

The posters and stuff like "safety crosswords" don't change practices, and add clutter and silliness to the concept of "safety," something that deserves to be taken seriously.

In my opinion, the best way to encourage others to be safe is to be honest about the dangers and risks of using and misusing tools. The true way to be safe is to establish and maintain a working environment where actions are deliberate and risks are mitigated.
I agree to a point. Posters, crosswords, flyers- they serve to clutter up a workspace, and they're rather inconvenient.
The most important part of safety is being safe. Keep your pits clean, and know your safety stuff. Maybe you don't keep a battery spill kit on hand, but at least know what to do if a battery were to spill.

Now I do think educating other teams about safety is an important part of safety in FRC (and often the deciding factor in safety awards.)
If you're going to do handouts, make them not obnoxious. Team 20 gives out "safety cards". They're little cards (made out of cardstock- seems intuitive, yet so many people do it wrong) with little tips and things to know about safety. They fit nicely into a back pocket, so in general they're unobtrusive. Not only do we give them out to other teams, but most of our team members have one. Now if one of those members is approached by a safety judge, they have the tools to answer any questions about our team's safety.
I have no doubt people throw them away, but I also know that many don't.
Plus our safety team is really good about giving a little sales pitch about it and explaining how "convenient" they are.

We won two safety awards this year- idk if that's because of our safety cards, our well-kept pit, or our awesome safety captain who's really good at what she does (or a little of all three).

You be the judge. Would you all rather nothing was given out? Or, like me, do you not care if the handout is unobtrusive, like a pin, wristband, or safety card. I'd like to be able to give feedback to our safety captain.
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All of my posts are my opinion only and do not reflect the views of my associated teams.
College Student Mentor on Team 5254, HYPE - Helping Youth Pursue Excellence
(2015-Present)
Alumni of Team 20, The Rocketeers (2011-2014)
I'm attempting a robotics blog. Check it out at RocketHypeRobotics.wordpress.com Updated 10/26/16
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