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

[AAllio]

Thank You All for responding to my question. I now have a more defined direction of approach to the administration. I believe they want to work this out so that our students can get the full experience of being on a robotics team. Having examples of what other schools, both private and public, do to insure safety will be very helpful.

Respectfully,
Andrea Allio

[AAllio]

Roger, would you mind sending an electronic copy of the forms you provide the team and parents to sign? Thanks, Andrea
E-mail: andreaa@westminster.net

[AAllio]

Sanddrag, do you have a copy of the safety test you give students that you can send to me electronically? My e-mail address is andreaa@westminster.net.

Thanks, Andrea

[AAllio]

Bob, do you have your safety plan written out and could you share it with me electronically? My e-mail address is andreaa@westminster.net.

Thanks, Andrea

[AAllio]

Yes, I would very much like to see these forms. You can contact me directly at andreaa@westminster.net.

Thanks, Andrea

[N7UJJ]

This thread has me thinking that we need to refocus our power tool procedures. I would also like to see the safety documents that other teams are using. Perhaps you can put a copy of them in the white paper section or post a link where I can download them? I'm sure there are others who would be reevaluating their shop procedures if these papers were available.

Thanks,

Allan

[Roger]

Sorry, Andrea, this may be more of "do as I say, not as I do" situation . I don't think we have any formal paperwork or procedures, but I'm not on the school end of the team. (Us programmers just have to practice safe Mt Dewing ** Come to think of it they trust the programmers with the robot to make it work, so I do have to tell people to watch your fingers, hair, hood strings, etc.)

I do like the ideas here and we may try some of them. If possible could teams post their forms and tests here so we could all learn?

**We did go thru a Dr Pepper phase, but "Practice Safe Dr Peppering" doesn't have the same tone.

[Akash Rastogi]

The first part of our pre-build learning classes of MORT U are designated to have all students (even animation) go through safety presentations. Create a short safety test to show administrators that the students are competent enough to use the tools. Release forms were already mentioned and also go through safety procedures in the event of an accident with parents present.

[dgitz]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

Power tools don't hurt people. Poorly instructed people hurt themselves, using power tools.

Yeah right, didn't you ever see Maximum Overdrive?

[Bob Steele]

Originally Posted by AAllio

Bob, do you have your safety plan written out and could you share it with me electronically? My e-mail address is andreaa@westminster.net.

Thanks, Andrea

Most of our documents are in white papers here on CD.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/papers/2101

It is the Skunkworks Safety and Health Plan 2007-2008

If you want the appendices that go with it... please visit our website

www.ahsrobotics.us They were too big to put on CD.

This plan has actually been reviewed by an Industrial Hygienist...

I hope it helps you...

[Coach Norm]

I am the teacher/adviser for Team 2468. We are a rookie team.

We are going to use http://www.careersafeonline.com for safety certification for our students next year. It provides three different levels of certification for students. There is a fee associated with each test. We are working with our sponsors to pay for the students registrations.

The CareerSafe Online 5-Hour Course

This interactive, web-based course is designed specifically for students and is intended to provide them the basic safety skills and knowledge needed in the workplace. Students completing this course earn a 5-Hour wallet card from CareerSafe Online to demonstrate to employers they have received the training. No teacher training is required.

Learn more…

The OSHA 10-Hour Courses

CareerSafe® the national youth safety program also offers the OSHA 10-Hour General Industry and the OSHA 10-Hour Construction Industry training options. These two courses provide students with a CareerSafe 5-Hour card and also an OSHA 10-Hour Wallet Card from the OSHA Training Institute, (OTI).

OSHA 10-Hour General Course Description

OSHA 10-Hour Construction Course Description

We do not have our plan complete at this time. I will be working with our mentors over the summer to get it in place.