Tying back hair in the pits at competition

[GreyingJay]

Originally Posted by robochick1319

If someone trips with a drill or other equipment in their hand, everyone (long hair, short hair, no hair) is going to have a safety issue.

I think asking people (not just girls) to tie hair back is a good idea. But there should also be efforts made to eliminate the other hazards. If someone tripping with a drill gets the drill caught in another person's hair, odds are they could get the drill caught in the person's shirt/body. That affects everyone.

Hi everyone (first post!)

The scenario I picture is this: Someone in your pit is using (safely) a power tool such as a drill or sander. You are standing well back, observing, and your hair is not secured because you figure you are standing far enough back for it not to be a hazard. Another team is moving their robot in the alleyway behind you. Suddenly, their robot slips off the cart and starts to come crashing down where you are standing. You quickly step out of the way, with room to spare - but your long hair flies into the path of the sander.

We could play all sorts of "what if" scenarios (maybe you shouldn't be standing around observing, maybe the drill station should be in the back corner of your pit, etc.) but the point stands - we must always be prepared for the unexpected.