Safety glass storage and student use

[joeweber]

What does your team do with safety glasses, storage, students use, how do you disperse them to students so they don't get lost.

[Mr V]

We have used one of those soft sided over the door shoe storage things in the past. Each pocket was labeled with the student's name and the student name is also placed on the glasses, if they are ones that are supplied by the team. We have had OK success with this method but there are still people who don't put them away, take them home ect.

[Calvin Hartley]

Last season we got some lockers in our buildspace. I usually kept a pair in my locker. (as well as one in my computer bag, one in my dresser drawer, one at my tech center..... etc.)

[Jon Stratis]

Originally Posted by Mr V

We have used one of those soft sided over the door shoe storage things in the past. Each pocket was labeled with the student's name and the student name is also placed on the glasses, if they are ones that are supplied by the team. We have had OK success with this method but there are still people who don't put them away, take them home ect.

This. The shoe-storage things are great. We have it hanging on the wall right by the entrance to the build space so students can grab them as they enter and take them off as they leave. We generally get a complete set (enough for everyone to have one plus a few extras) every year, and see half of them walk off over the course of the year. Since we also have whatever was left over from previous years, this is usually enough.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Each student is responsible for their own glasses and must have them to participate in build areas.

[IndySam]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

Each student is responsible for their own glasses and must have them to participate in build areas.

Bingo - and if they forget them we have plenty of scratched up used once. They generally don't forget twice.

[who716]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

Each student is responsible for their own glasses and must have them to participate in build areas.

pretty much the same with our team but if you forget them you can either use a team pair.

[Ed Law]

In our rookie year, we had a very small budget so I had to watch every penny. I was alarmed how many pairs of safety glasses were lost. Students dropped them down the open bleachers at competitions. They took them home and forgot to bring them back. I don't have the luxury to say if you don't have safety glasses with you, you are going home. It was a very small team. I used to get upset over it. Then I got some good advice from a veteran coach. I learned to choose my battle and focus my energy on more important things. The advice was to put safety glasses into the budget for the team, as part of the team fee.

Now I even told parents at the membership information meetings that the team fee covers the team shirt, team social events expense, end of year banquet, safety glasses, replacement safety glasses and all the things that they are going to break accidentally. In recent years, we don't really lose that many pairs of safety glasses each year and they are $2 each. When you put too much focus on something, it is easy to make a small issue into a big one.

[cgmv123]

I bring my own, because I have regular glasses and it's hard to find a pair of safety glasses that fits over them.

For everyone else, we have a cabinet with about 40 pairs of glasses, plus more in storage. It's in the room that's outside our shop. You need to be wearing safety glasses to go in the shop, and sometimes to go in the room that's outside our shop, depending on the nature of work happening in the shop. We've never really had issues with losing safety glasses.

[Francis-134]

First, understand that you will lose safety glasses. The real key is to mitigate the loss to a reasonable level so you aren't breaking the bank every year replacing them.

On my team, we ask that each student either purchase or "rent" a pair of safety glasses at the start of the year (the rent/buy cost is the same, but we give the students the option of returning them at the end of the year to get their money back if cost is an issue for them). We sell these glasses at cost, and we make sure to get stylish blue ones that are essentially unique to our team. Everyone wears them and makes sure not to lose them because they are somewhat invested in them, and they are good looking/unique/project a team identity. I actually work with one of my former students, and he still has his pair from junior year of high school (which was about 8 years ago).

This being said, you will still need loaner pairs to give to those who forgot their glasses, or for visitors. I would suggest marking them either between they eyes or on the ear pieces with an indelible marker, or engraving your number into the plastic. Visual controls are important, so place them near the main entrance to your workspace, and ensure each pair has its own location (i.e. don't have just a bucket of glasses).

[JosephC]

We have a cubby like system that we use as mailboxes. Each one is labelled with a students name and important documents as well as safety glasses get placed in side of them. We also etch the students names into their safety glasses. If/when a student lose their safety glasses we also have a bin full of older safety glasses that don't look nearly as good, but still do the job.

[mman1506]

We have a plastic safety glasses holder in most of our workshops. I think we got at princess auto. http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/at...6&d=1379287755

The other holder we have is made out of a number of short sections of pvc pipes glued together in a stack like this.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/-svs2fx_G4BE/Tu...jpg?imgmax=512

A few of our senior members have there own safety glasses that they keep with them. But we usually keep the holders full of $1.50 for grade 9's and visitors.

[DonRotolo]

At the start of the year, we issue each team member a pair of glasses. We loan them a sharpie with which to write their name on the glasses.
No student is allowed into the work areas without safety glasses.

The bottom line is, either take care of them, buy another pair with your own money, or don't come back.

[EricH]

I never really had to deal with build-site sets, other than to return pairs to the bin in the crib; occasionally grab one if I forgot to bring mine.

That may be because I not only have my own pair, but I keep that pair in a small pouch that fits onto my belt.

At work, I keep a pair in my locker, or I can raid the dispenser now and again.

[Celia]

Our team keeps a plastic bin near the door, full of safety glasses. This just helps remind us all to grab a pair as we enter the build room (but the electrical subteam works there, too). We require safety glasses to be worn everywhere in the room while power tools are in use. Some people have their own, but most just use the bin. We prefer to use the scratched up ones for everyday wear and tear. No one wants to ruin nice, new glasses in January

Before competition every year, we all get a new pair we are responsible for. Some of us will personalize them and keep them for year-round wear, but others will throw theirs back in the bin after competition. We don't lose many, our team is small. Our system works for us, but the shoe rack idea is great!