Tying back hair in the pits at competition

[ayo_christina]

Regarding long hair:

I've competed with extremely long hair in the past. Pony tails, braids, and buns usually do the trick of keeping you safe. If you experience hair that occasionally falls over your shoulder or if working in tight pit constraints, tucking hair into your shirt has always proven very effective for me.


To Libby's "Slightly-Off-Topic Rant"

Originally Posted by Libby K

-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.) ...

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.

I really appreciate you highlighting this! Teams, please, lets keep this event safe, fun, and comfortable for everyone.

Volunteers, even as a referee I forget to put my safety goggles or you may not see my side guards. Do not grab! Do not put hands in my face! A simple reminder usually gets glasses on fairly efficiently.

Kindly be respectful of everyone's personal space!!

[RonnieS]

Originally Posted by Libby K

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.

THIS.

Too many people (team safety captains and event volunteers will completely invade someones space and then get mad at the person because they just violated them. I don't see it as a professional behavior to walk up to someone and tell them they need to do something now or grab their hair and put it in a zip tie for them(yes I have seen it). Long story short, be respectful and use common sense when you politely ask someone to correct what you think is a safety concern...
-Ronnie

[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!

[MamaSpoldi]

Originally Posted by 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!

I suspect you are referring to the tub with hair ties that was left in each team's pit by the hosting team 3525. I also thought this was a very nice touch and much appreciated.

[Foster]

My local Eye Lab made a little card for me that says they are safety glasses and the ANSI standard they are made to. I try the "they are safety glasses, thanks for asking" and if I get push back I dig out the card. That's never failed me.

[MooreteP]

Yale Student Killed as Hair Gets Caught in Lathe
Ick.

I used to work in power plants. I sometimes wore a tie. Great way to be garroted. I always tucked it in when touring the plant.
(I also tuck it on when I eat lunch. The shirt goes in the washer, the tie needs to be dry-cleaned.)

[SousVide]

Our shop specifies safety goggles, closed toe/heel shoes, and hair ties when you enter the shop. Same for tucking in anything loose... We also specify no jewelry on hands/wrists. The entire shop is needs to be a safe place, whether you are actively working on a machine or not. Same with us at competition, the only time we can let our hair loose is in the stands.

We have numerous mentors on duty with various missing body parts (lucky enough to just have missing body parts) who can illustrate to problems in a shop even when you are careful.

Originally Posted by MooreteP

Yale Student Killed as Hair Gets Caught in Lathe
Ick.

I used to work in power plants. I sometimes wore a tie. Great way to be garroted. I always tucked it in when touring the plant.
(I also tuck it on when I eat lunch. The shirt goes in the washer, the tie needs to be dry-cleaned.)

[jgerstein]

Originally Posted by Libby K

...

-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.

Thank you for saying this. Some of my students and I have encountered this as well.

[MrBasse]

Originally Posted by Foster

My local Eye Lab made a little card for me that says they are safety glasses and the ANSI standard they are made to. I try the "they are safety glasses, thanks for asking" and if I get push back I dig out the card. That's never failed me.

You shouldn't need the card, they should just believe you. It's a silly thing to lie about anyway. I can show them the Z87 2+ engraving on mine, but I have to take them off to do so...

A girl in my high school shop class met a drill press up close and personal one day after her stylish hair got caught. She didn't look as pretty afterwards with a chunk of her scalp missing just above her temple. Our kids tie back their hair when they work with equipment that requires such precautions, I really don't need to see that happen again.

[Joel Glidden]

Anyone else think this thread was going to be about styling your back hair? Just me? Pfft!

[mrnoble]

Can I take this thread as my first opportunity this year to say that Safety Theater is NOT safety, and that I agree with Libby, this time as with the other times in past years when she has stood up against socially unsafe behavior. In some ways, these social tact/appropriate behavior issues are more dangerous to our students than the usual shop safety issues are.