[JamesCH95]

I posit that one should have their hair tied back in any area where safety glasses are required, whether or not they are using a power tool at that moment. The fact is that there are a lot of potential hazards: other people using power tools, robots moving/actuating, etc. No one can promise to have perfect situation awareness and avoid all active robots and power tools!

I suggest that rather than 'desensitizing' people to tying their hair back that we make it a habit: you put your safety glasses on, you tie your hair back, you control lose clothing, you take off your jewelry, etc.

It has taken a bit of concerted effort, but I remove my wedding band any time I put my safety glasses on. I know that it is unsafe to have a ring on around robots and power tools. Although I'm not always using power tools or interacting with robots I never know when I might have to make a quick grab or push to keep someone/something else safe. (These situations do not occur frequently, but they do happen, who here hasn't hit the power switch (or similar) in a hurry before?)

Edit: [RANT] Also, please be gracious and professional if someone points out something you're doing that is potentially unsafe (hair, clothing, jewelry, etc), do not become defensive or sarcastic. They are doing so because they do not want you to be hurt, not to inconvenience you. I was VERY annoyed when students and mentors on other teams rolled their eyes at me when I asked them to put their safety glasses back on in the pits. [/RANT]