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Unread 15-09-2014, 23:32
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FTC #9205 (The Iron Maidens)
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Re: What makes a good pit?

Quote:
Originally Posted by portuk View Post
Do you have any pictures of your pit? Or any additional recommendations for winning the UL Safety Award?
I might not be who you're talking to, but I can speak slightly to the UL Safety Award (2220 were finalists at both regionals we attended last year, and one of our mentors is a Safety Advisor).

#1 is actually acting safely. Posters and flyers won't help you if the SA sees people who are a part of your team doing visibly unsafe things. This should go without saying, but with how much "safety theatre" some teams do it needs to be said.

#2 is being able to answer the SA's questions when/if they come to your pit. They may come by when your Safety Captain is in the pit, which means ANYBODY in your pit should be able to answer their questions. Most of it is pretty easy stuff-- I'll email our mentor and get some sample questions they might ask. Note that some regionals may not have Safety Advisors asking questions in the pits, and an interview is not guaranteed (last year our safety captain got confused about this even though we have a mentor who volunteers in this capacity...). It reflects very well if a member who isn't affiliated with your team's safety efforts is able to talk effectively about safety and safe practices on your team (the contrapositive is true as well*: a safety captain who can't answer questions will reflect very poorly).

#3 is, as mentioned, keeping your pit space organized and clean. Also a subset of this is having things on hand to deal with various possible emergencies in your pit-- first aid kits, baking soda, etc. It also includes keeping excess personnel out (which can be difficult no matter what size the team). To this end, keeping your drawers and tools organized and clean, vacuuming (if you have carpet in your pit or if you're on the floor), and making sure nuts and bolts aren't just lying around are a good start. If you're getting smiley faces on your nightly check slips, you're good on cleanliness.

Last is the posters, the awareness stuff (at least where I'm from...). It's a lot of fun to do, but safety is all about the fundamentals. If your team has a good grasp on the concepts and practice of safety, it will show (because many teams, sadly, do not have those habits).

If you're really serious about going for a safety award (or even if you aren't), I'd definitely recommend reaching out both to the safety advisors at your event and any large businesses in your area to learn about what they consider to be safe practices. Last year 2220 talked a good deal with 3M about their safety procedures to learn how to better our practices, which was a great experience.

Good luck!

*Yes I know that if a statement is true the contrapositive must be true as well!
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MN FTC Field Manager, FTA, CSA, Emcee
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