Safety in the workshop

[cgmv123]

Our rules:

• Safety glasses at all times
• Everyone has to go through practical training on all tools to use them
• Everyone must pass written safety tests on all tools, electrical items and general safety with 100% accuracy

[Eagleeyedan]

Well, being safety captain on C.O.R.E. 2062, I hope I can offer some advice and I see lots of good stuff above so I'll try not to re-iterate too much.

We start out safety training season in/around Nov. To start, our team has a mentor tool training day where our mentors show everyone on the team how to use our tools. Then, we have a test that they must pass with %100 to use the tools. All our members, even veterans must take this test. This year I modeled our training off what one of our previous members is doing in school so for veteran members, I offered an in-person test where I enacted cutting a part using various tools unsafely and they had to point out what I did wrong (The tools were all unplugged). Once they pass this test, they may use the tools as long as a mentor is nearby.

Here's where we go further than most teams. During build season, I give demonstrations at the beginning of each meeting on procedures such as Lock-Out-Tag-Out, MSDS, First Aid, Proper Lifting, Battery Safety, PPE, competition safety, Mind's Eye (I'll get to that in a minute) and a few more. Since it is build season and everyone is eager to build, I try to keep these demonstrations down to about 5 minutes.

About two weeks before our first competition, we have a second test. This test is tool review, competition safety, as well as the new topics they've learned about through my demonstrations. This they must pass with no more than 5 questions wrong for us to allow them in the pits and %100 for them to be in our pit crew. This ensures that not only are they being safe in the tool shop but also keeping it fresh in their mind for pit.

All right, I said I'd get to Mind's Eye in a minute and now I am. Mind's Eye is something we learned about a few years ago from a local factory. They require all their employees to fill out a bookmark-sized paper before they start every job. On the paper, they must list the proper and improper PPE for the job, what could go wrong (Within reason. Dinosaur invasions are not legal answers ) and how it can be prevented. This keeps safety in their mind before they use each tool and is a check for PPE. We implement this safety strategy by asking our members to use their "Mind's eye" before each job to do the same thing and just take 30 seconds to think about what they are about to do. It's easy toward the end of build season to forget how far your hand has to be from the blade especially when you are in "crunch time" when mistakes happen easiest so we give a reminder about it at the beginning of each meeting.

I know this is getting long but (hopefully) it's "good stuff". I see lots of great training tips and I hope you implement a program similar to what you see so I thought I'd give you some tips on how to go about with the training.

1: Have a sign-in sheet at each training station. This helps you know who has and who hasn't completed training as well as it helps kids realize the importance of safety. (With these sheets it's always good to have a few spare pencils!)

2: Try to get mentors with shop experience to conduct the training. It's always great if they can re-enforce the training with stories from their own experience and can entertain the students as well as show them the reality of accidents.

3: Keep an accessible matrix of who has and has not completed training/tests. Excel is great for this. All you need is a team roster in the first column and then at the top list what tools/demonstrations/tests you give. Then simply mark for each student which of those they have attended. This can be easily done if you have them sign at each station.

4: Don't just do what the FIRST/UL safety manual suggests. That's just what you need to start but there is sooo much more that really should be done. I'd suggest hooking up with a few local businesses and talk to their safety advisers to see what they do.

5: Change is not bad. Don't be afraid to add to your safety program or try something new. The only way you are going to improve is to learn something new and try it.

6: I wouldn't start with everything I've mentioned at once. Start with the basic training/testing and then add more as your team's safety program and culture grows.

7: If you need any more help, feel free to message me

[JennyLeigh]

Written tests?
I've recently been appointed Safety Captain for team #2424, and I'm trying to get a little bit more prepared for next season. I think written tests would be a spectacular idea, but I was wondering if you might have some examples, or even a link to one I could print out? I'm not 100% sure I could make one by myself and still manage to cover all the topics!
Thank you!

[Eagleeyedan]

Originally Posted by JennyLeigh

Written tests?
I've recently been appointed Safety Captain for team #2424, and I'm trying to get a little bit more prepared for next season. I think written tests would be a spectacular idea, but I was wondering if you might have some examples, or even a link to one I could print out? I'm not 100% sure I could make one by myself and still manage to cover all the topics!
Thank you!

Sure thing! Right now I am in the process of creating a safety database website for teams but I don't have those online yet. I have given them to other users on Chief Delphi though. Send me a PM with your email (or a temporary/team email, up to you) and I can send you the whole package

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Don't talk to someone who is operating a machine. Wait until they finish and power down.

[Seth Mallory]

As a Safety Advisor for 5+ years I have looked at many programs. All of the teams that have won Safety at west coast regionals have good programs and will send you theirs. So will my team 192. Look at several different ones and you will find things to make a safety program that you want. A safety program can be from a simple shop safety to a program the would work for a factory and pass OSHA. Different teams have different needs you need to fined what will fit your team. Ours gets check out by risk management lawyers almost every year and we have to satisfy them or we do not operate.