Tying back hair in the pits at competition

[Libby K]

Originally Posted by K-Dawg157

Sometimes people's hair is tied back though and it still is long enough to touch the robot when leaning over to push it on the cart... What would you propose then?

P.S. I am one of those people and I know it is a super safety hazard... Help!!

Braids, buns, or doubled-over ponytail folds. Another thing that works is tucking those long ponytails or braids into the collar of your shirt while you're in the pit. (I've had hair down to my waist during competition season before.)

-Slightly-off-topic rant-

Something that hasn't been touched on in this thread that's really important:
Don't EVER touch someone's hair, body, clothes, etc without their permission. (Unless they're about to get in caught in something, or there's an imminent danger. Then, obviously, save them.)

My team was just talking about this over the weekend. I've had students/mentors on other teams, but most often Safety Advisors, grab my long hair and start to hold it back, while I'm simply standing there in the pit - yelling at me to tie my hair back. Dude, seriously? There's nothing happening right now where my hair is going to get me hurt. I've seen it happen to others, and it's happened to me, both as a student and an adult mentor.

It's a serious invasion of personal space, which is something I've noticed our community is sometimes pretty bad at (mascots, 'free hugs', etc.), and it has to stop. It is not your 'right' as Team XYZ's safety captain - and especially not as an event volunteer - to, in any way, get into a team member's physical space in the name of safety.

Talk to them about it. Use your words. Keep boundaries well-respected.

Slightly-off-topic rant over. Continue discussion.

[Jon236]

zip ties....they work

[SJaladi]

This is slightly off topic, but also very important. In addition to long hair other things to mind while working on the robot include: those two strings that dangle off sweatshirts and any type of jewelry that could dangle down into the robot. those things can get caught just as easily in the robot and cause really bad injuries. The solution is simple, just tuck the dangling item under your shirt, but its easy to get caught up in what you're doing and forget!

[FrankJ]

Part of a safety culture is recognizing appropriate precautions. The only people that really need their hair tied back are people actively working on a robot. Anybody not actively working on an enabled robot should be far enough away that the robot cannot reach out and grab them. If not they are not working safely. A crowded pit is more dangerous than loose hair.

Not to say tying your hair back as matter of policy isn't a good idea.

[Jon Stratis]

Long hair in the pits isn't that bad. Long hair while using power tools or having your head stuck in a robot is.

On our team, we have a general rule about hair - it must be safely tied back of your in the machine shop, using power tools, or using soldering irons (I *really* hate the smell of burned hair). This extends to the pit at competition... If your working on the robot, you need to have your hair properly stowed. If you're there programming, or as a pit presenter for judges, or just talking to spectators, it just isn't important.

And anyone that forgets to bring something to tie their hair back with gets a zip tie. It may not be a super fashion statement, but it's effective!

[cgmv123]

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

It may not be a super fashion statement, but it's effective!

It makes you look like an engineer! How is that not a fashion statement?

[Brandon Holley]

Along the lines of what Libby and others have said-

One often overlooked aspect of Safety is the "Boy Who Cried Wolf" aspect of enforcement. If practices irrelevant to particular situations are crammed down someone's throat, they can be desensitized to the importance of said practice when it is actually needed.

As pointed out above, if there is not a an obvious hazard (such as sticking your head in a robot) we should be respectful of other people's space.

This same advice applies to similar situations in the pits. The classic case of shouting robot incessantly, even when the robot does not have an obstacle in its path. Additionally, things like removing your safety glasses in a safe area, to clean/defog them.

This is not picking and choosing when to enforce safety, its using common sense to avoid desensitizing people to ACTUALLY dangerous situations.


If you are a team member, trying to point out a safety issue to a member of another team, please remember to be polite and make a suggestion- not an order.

-Brando

[IronicDeadBird]

Thank you all for bringing this up our team tends to go with a theme every year and this year we might need to bring some extra attention to some of the costuming details.

[Michael Hill]

Originally Posted by Brandon Holley

Along the lines of what Libby and others have said-

One often overlooked aspect of Safety is the "Boy Who Cried Wolf" aspect of enforcement. If practices irrelevant to particular situations are crammed down someone's throat, they can be desensitized to the importance of said practice when it is actually needed.

As pointed out above, if there is not a an obvious hazard (such as sticking your head in a robot) we should be respectful of other people's space.

This same advice applies to similar situations in the pits. The classic case of shouting robot incessantly, even when the robot does not have an obstacle in its path. Additionally, things like removing your safety glasses in a safe area, to clean/defog them.

This is not picking and choosing when to enforce safety, its using common sense to avoid desensitizing people to ACTUALLY dangerous situations.


If you are a team member, trying to point out a safety issue to a member of another team, please remember to be polite and make a suggestion- not an order.

-Brando

I always love it when safety advisors recommend wearing gloves...yeah, that's not going to happen.

I do get annoyed when someone tells me to wear my safety glasses when I'm obviously cleaning them. How safe is it to wear safety glasses when you can't see out of them?

[IronicDeadBird]

Originally Posted by Michael Hill

I always love it when safety advisors recommend wearing gloves...yeah, that's not going to happen.

I do get annoyed when someone tells me to wear my safety glasses when I'm obviously cleaning them. How safe is it to wear safety glasses when you can't see out of them?

I actually get a lot of flak for wearing my normal glasses even though I got them so that they are rated for construction sites. They come with side shields and everything yet somehow someone always comments about it. Does anyone know if we are expected to wear traditional looking safety glasses if our prescription ones are already up to par?

[MrRoboSteve]

Originally Posted by IronicDeadBird

I actually get a lot of flak for wearing my normal glasses even though I got them so that they are rated for construction sites. They come with side shields and everything yet somehow someone always comments about it. Does anyone know if we are expected to wear traditional looking safety glasses if our prescription ones are already up to par?

If you have ANSI Z87 rated prescription glasses, with clear lenses and side shields, you shouldn't need an additional layer. The only exception would be scenarios where you'd want lab-style goggles, and those are generally prohibited in the pit anyways.

"Thanks for your concern. These are prescription safety glasses."

[robochick1319]

Besides untied hair, wearing lanyards and ties in the pit is another hazard that is often overlooked. These are no different than wearing necklaces or long, dangling hair.

As others have stated, I don't think that untied hair, lanyards, and ties are not an issue if you are not actually WORKING in the pit.

And yes, we should all keep our hands to ourselves when asking people to tie back their hair. I can't believe that even has to be said. Ick.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by IronicDeadBird

I actually get a lot of flak for wearing my normal glasses even though I got them so that they are rated for construction sites. They come with side shields and everything yet somehow someone always comments about it. Does anyone know if we are expected to wear traditional looking safety glasses if our prescription ones are already up to par?

I've been wearing my prescription safety glasses this year. I paid for them, I wear them working in a factory they are good enough for a FIRST event.

[Jon Stratis]

Originally Posted by IronicDeadBird

I actually get a lot of flak for wearing my normal glasses even though I got them so that they are rated for construction sites. They come with side shields and everything yet somehow someone always comments about it. Does anyone know if we are expected to wear traditional looking safety glasses if our prescription ones are already up to par?

Per page 3 of the 2015 FRC Safety Manual:

If you wear non-safety rated prescription glasses, you must wear approved safety goggles over them to achieve adequate protection. If you wear safety rated glasses, you may use side shields.

Additionally, section 4.2.1 of the 2015 Admin Manual states:

ANSI- approved, UL-listed, or CSA rated safety glasses required for eye protection

So it seems to me that, so long as the glasses are safety rated by one or more of the organization's listed and have side shields, you're fine. As these are straight from FIRST's rulebooks, there really isn't any ambiguity or personal opinion involved. I would just encourage you to know these sections well and to have some sort of proof regarding the safety rating of your glasses, in the event you come up against a stubborn individual. It's much easier (and more GP!) to show the pertinent rules and safety rating than it is to get into a protracted argument

[Riverdance]

At the Waterbury District Event the other week, there was a team (I'm not sure which in particular as I was in the stands at the time, or else I would credit them specifically) who passed out hair ties in all of the pits. It served as very positive reinforcement of safety guidelines, as it was not pushy/rude and did not invade personal space, but did remind everyone who walked into the pits that their hair should be tied back if it's not short enough to stay out of the way on its own. This is probably the best way to do it, as I'm assuming that most people with long hair who don't tie it back are only doing so because they forgot hair ties or forgot altogether about the issue of their hair in the midst of all the robot craziness!