End Safety Theater

[Mr. Van]

Before anyone gets the wrong idea here, I'm not thinking of any single team, nor would I say that anyone who's received the safety award at any event wasn't deserving of it, but I think that the way teams seek out recognition for "safe" needs some re-direction.

I'd like to see an end to the countless flyers reminding us to wear safety glasses, the yelling of "Robot" randomly at volumes that can be heard across the pit, the people holding safety signs urging people to "Be safe" or whatever else that teams do to try to win the safety award that doesn't really have anything to do with being safe and making others be safe.

Sandrag calls it "Safety Theater".

Safety should be about how your handle your robot, what procedures you have in place in your pit, how you've built safety into your program and so on. Safety should be making sure that you've made your robot as safe as possible to be around and your pit as safe as possible to be in. Safety shouldn't be about signs at the events. Safety should be about what you do in your shop.

There don't seem to be other awards that promote this kind of grandstanding. You don't see teams plastering the arena with signs saying "Show your spirit!" or "Be creative in your robot design!" or "Be sure to be innovative in your control!"

There are plenty of ways for teams to be safe and let judges know that they are. Exhibit safe practices, show your safety tests and manuals, put safety features on your robot and in your pit, politely remind people not to run or to put their safety glasses on (but don't stand in a doorway blocking traffic and yell at the 90% of people who are walking and are already wearing eye protection).. and so on.

Let's end safety theater.

- Mr. Van
Coach, Robodox