pic: FRC Robots are the best mode of transportation!

[Edoc'sil]

Lighten up safety addicts, your like the plague. Honestly, the best way to teach someone how to swing a hammer is to let him smack his thumbs a few times... It is unlikely that someone will retain permanent damage from ridding their bot, and they could learn a few valuable lessons on the teachings of Darwin and Newton....

[gorrilla]

Originally Posted by Edoc'sil

Lighten up safety addicts, your like the plague. Honestly, the best way to teach someone how to swing a hammer is to let him smack his thumbs a few times... It is unlikely that someone will retain permanent damage from ridding their bot, and they could learn a few valuable lessons on the teachings of Darwin and Newton....

That statement scares me, there is absolutely no reason for someone to get hurt when it could have been prevented. Regardless of the lesson they would learn.

[Edoc'sil]

Originally Posted by gorrilla

That statement scares me, there is absolutely no reason for someone to get hurt when it could have been prevented. Regardless of the lesson they would learn.

Honestly, I heal now, I won't heal so well when I am old. Better to make my mistakes now, no?

[gorrilla]

Originally Posted by Edoc'sil

Honestly, I heal now, I won't heal so well when I am old. Better to make my mistakes now, no?

Honestly, why make the mistake at all?
While what you are saying is somewhat true, the logic defys me....

[,4lex S.]

Better to make mistakes never actually.

To be fair though, doing this kind of thing is pretty common practice, and as long as everyone is relatively careful, mostly safe. This was the only way my team had of testing on the Regolith with close to full weight in 2009. When done with a little forethought, it isn't terrible (Chain guards are important, and so is electrical isolation). Do remember to consider and eliminate hazards before you do this kind of thing though. And if it seems kinda sketchy, just don't.

[Alex Cormier]

Originally Posted by Edoc'sil

Honestly, I heal now, I won't heal so well when I am old. Better to make my mistakes now, no?

How many fingers should a punch press worker loose before they learn to use the machine properly?

[Edoc'sil]

Originally Posted by Alex Cormier

How many fingers should a punch press worker loose before they learn to use the machine properly?

That is different, a punch removes a finger far more easily then a decently shielded DT, also that is a adult at a business, not a kid ridding a robot. I did make the age distinction for a reason, in general a workplace, especially a operating machine shop, tends to be more dangerous then a school. I would strongly suggest safety when losing limbs is possible as a consequence.
possible the kid on the bot could break a few fingers and get some other more serious damage to his fingers, but the chance of it removing a finger are fare less then on an industrial tool.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by Edoc'sil

That is different, a punch removes a finger far more easily then a decently shielded DT

Drivetrains with more shielding than this one have sheared fingers before.

[Basel A]

The point is not that probably, nothing will happen, or that it's mainly safe. It's not that in youth injuries will heal, or that robots are more safe than machines. It's the point that this was a situation that was LESS SAFE than it COULD be. I'm no advocate of blast shields on FRC fields, but at least make an effort. It's easier to learn from someone who lost a finger than to lose a finger yourself. In consideration of that, it may have been better to wear safety glasses, add a seat, ensure electrical isolation (probably done already), or simply use dumbbells or other athletic weights.

Again, it all comes down to the fact that you know it could and should be safer, but aren't making it any safer. Easier to learn from another person's experience than your own.

[Edoc'sil]

Ehh, I think your a bunch of pansies, you think I am an idiot. Guess I really don't care, I am done with the whole first thing anyways.

[M.Wong]

One of our mentors in the past used to joke with us saying "if you guys ever get three medals at one competition, you can put a seat on the robot."

[pacoliketaco]

Originally Posted by M.Wong

One of our mentors in the past used to joke with us saying "if you guys ever get three medals at one competition, you can put a seat on the robot."

well i dont know for sure, but i think every team gets 25 participation medals...haha jk.

speaking for exposed chains...i know quite well the danger there, though i can say that i am always cautious when riding a robot if the drive chains are exposed. for the most part we always try to cover them. on the first day in atlanta last year i was fixing a chain and caught my finger in the running chain/sprocket. pretty lucky that it was only a #25 chain, but it was still pretty bad and i had to get a few stitches. thus since then i have been wayyy more careful with chains.

as for wearing a helmet, well i guess if you are planning on going really really fast or you dont trust your holds, thats probably a good idea. but i dont think that wearing one is really going to come to the mind of someone who is attempting to ride their robot..i think they'd be focused on other things.

[M.Wong]

Originally Posted by pacoliketaco

well i dont know for sure, but i think every team gets 25 participation medals...haha jk.

Haha I should have elaborated. He meant finals/winner+chairmens+EI. I wonder if that will ever happen...

[Tom Line]

Let me ask a few very serious questions.

Is your few minutes of fun worth the school and team liability that would result if something were to happen? You're risking getting your team shutdown, thrown out of the school, or sued. Or perhaps the result could be permanently maiming someone. Can you, PERSONALLY, step up and say you'll pull out your wallet to pay for all the liability and the potential medical bills if something were to happen? The rise in insurance? Finding a new place for your team to meet?

This is as much about personal responsibility as it is about safety. Those who are blowing it off are showing a remarkable lack of both.

To the driver who posted: it's good to hear that you were thinking about safety. I don't think many of these posts are directed at you so much as the people who simply want to ignore the possible consequences all-together.

[iblis432]

You risk sudden death each time you get into your car. You risk your house exploding each time you turn on the oven. You even risk your life when flushing the toilet. Too many things have negatives you can stare at for hours, but instead you should be looking at statistics. Cars for example, yes car crash constantly. But there are still more cars in the world then there are wrecked ones.