Permission (or no permission) to use Power Tools

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Our students must complete a tools safety class with requisite examination before being able to touch any tool. Our sponsor also has some added restrictions when working on their property and using their tools. Since you are a private school, this would be a great oportunity to work with one of the public schools in your area that would have shop curriculums. Find out what their reguirements are and perhaps a shop teacher would be willing to give the tools safety class to your students.

[Tom Bishop]

You might try to get Underwriters Laboratories to come in and do some safety training, since they are present at the Regionals they are certainly aware of FIRST. Also have team safety training and testing, and top it off with a waiver for power tools. Come up with a plan, and present that plan to school officials. I think that if you show that you have your act together, then you have a better chance of getting this approved.

[johnr]

After you do everything stated in previous threads about safety and the school still says no,you might offer to pick up the cost of an insurance rider, if that is the issue. Split the cost among members.

[Shelbo]

I would consider the first step to find out "why" that is your school's policy. (The most likely scenario is that it involves liability insurance.) Next would be to find out all the steps necessary for getting a policy changed. It will usually include you doing the leg work, ie, researching insurance policy riders, creating release forms, lesson plans for safety, etc. When you have all the leg work done, inform the school board that you would like to speak at the next meeting regarding policy #???; this way you are put on the agenda and the board members have time to research the policy you are referring to. After your presentation, ask them to consider revising the policy. They may choose to discuss it in a closed session and will notify you by mail what compromises they are able to consider. Then at the following board meeting they will put the motion on the table and take a vote. The important thing to remember is that it won't happen overnight and you must use all the proper channels for making the change.

~Shelbo's Mom