Just wondering what type of things you stock in your safety stations? We went to our very first competition last weekend and our rookie team did win the safety award. However we are always looking on ways to improve and expand. I was able to go around and take pictures of other teams’ sets ups and ask questions at that competition, but there is always so much good information on here, I just thought I’d ask.
Our safety team typically keeps these things in the pits.
- baking soda
- MSDS sheets
- fire extinguisher
- first aid kit
- brooms
- trash cans
I would like to note that what teams carry with them is not everything to team safety. We also keep the pit organized and teach our own team member about pit safety. Along with that we have safety goodies to reinforce the message.
- safety booklets: these are just 12 page books that illustrate different dangerous situations and how to rectify them.
- safety buttons: everyone wants buttons! Make special buttons that people can only obtain if they can demonstrate pit safety or answer a question about safety.
- signs: we also make signs that point out different things, i.e. team lift your robot.
From the Greater Kansas City Regional we were told that we should provide documentation on the safety programs we do with people.
One of the things you always need is a battery spill kit: baking soda, waterproof rubber gloves, and a large Rubbermaid container. Tell everyone where it is, too
Other things that the judges like to see/hear is: information on your safety practices and safety glasses available for team members.
Some of the things other teams do that my team is looking to start doing is a pit safety qualification of some sort. Basically you have a safety qualification team members have to meet for them to get into the pits. Not only does it limit crowding and keeps safety hazards down, but it also keeps the pits cleaner not having so many people in the pit. Additionally, have a first-aid kit out in the open and make sure everyone knows where it is located.
This is a thread I posted. I hope it helps out a little.
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104157&highlight=Safety+Captain
Please: ANYthing but someone shouting “Robot Coming Through”. There is nothing more annoying than that. And it does absolutely nothing to promote safety.
Being a safety captain myself, I tried to look around for ideas at GKC for safety. There is quite a list of things you can do, most of which I probably don’t even know/ haven’t heard of. The team that won Safety in Kansas City (1764) not only had the supplies, but their entire team was trained in CPR. Obviously not everyone has the money/opportunity/instructor to do this, but there are certainly “watered-down” versions. Some things Team 1987 does (or would like to do) includes the following:
-Comprehensive First Aid Kit. (Best to have in the same shape you bought it in)
-BAKING SODA. Judges always ask about baking soda and what to do in case of battery acid spills.
-This year we included Eyewash
-Fire Extinguisher. Get one as big as you think you’ll need 
-Safety Manual/MSDS. What do you do if you spill that epoxy all over Bill? What happens if Suzy gets her finger chopped off?
-Brief training from EMT. Mostly just for competitions. Or all-out CPR training.
-Some teams stock a defibrillator
-Safety video/other media.
-Signs. The venue is crawling with “cable bumps” but people still trip.
-Nametags. Keep medical information, coach contact info, and a photo of yourself on nametags for the whole team. Even devise a system to tell people whether or not they can be in the pits. We had a colored dot in the corner: red means yes, black means stay out. Judges really liked them.
-And of course, a place to keep EVERYTHING. Especially the trash. And ESPECIALLY your coats; keep coats in the stands- your pit looks very cluttered very quickly with that pile of coats, pool noodles, laptop bags, backpacks, smuggled food, and the robot bag over in the corner.
Just some of the things we do/hope to do in terms of safety. Hope this helped.
Great ideas. I am also safety captain and one of the things my team is starting to do is safety stickers during build season. What you do is give one to anyone who committed a safety hazard. At the end of the meeting, explain the hazard and what could have gone wrong.
Another item to ponder is safety signs on certain pieces of equipment you have. We bring in a miniature band-saw to our pits so we can quickly cut metal and don’t have to go to the shop, that FIRST provides, for a simple quick cut.
In addition to what Boris 1020 stated, the first-aid kit should be in the open, on a shelf is fine, and tell everyone where it is.The baking soda is good, but in addition our team brings a large Rubbermaid container and waterproof rubber gloves. We call this group of items the “battery spill kit”. This is also out in the open with the first-aid kit.