Safety in the workshop is so important! If you don't play it safe, you and your teammates can get hurt. In addition to utilizing tools and safety equipment properly, it's important to be aware of your surroundings at all times. Our mascot, Freddy the Yeti, has some important safety tips to share with everyone involved in FIRST!
The yetis know that eye protection is key when building a robot. On Team 857, no one is allowed to enter the workshop without safety glasses on!
Safety glasses must be ANSI 287.1-2003 compliant and should fit tightly against the face so dust and other debris does not come in contact with the eyes.
If you do get something in your eye, hold your eye open and flush it with plenty of clean water. You may need the assistance of a team mentor to help you do this. If the object remains in your eye, or if your eye feels scratched from the debris, see a doctor as soon as possible!
By wearing inapproprate clothing in the shop, you put yourself at great risk for injury. Anyone entering the shop should always have closed toed shoes, pants, a non-baggy top, and - of course - safety glasses! Team members with longer hair also need to have their hair tied back in a ponytail and, if necessary, tucked under a baseball cap.
You should always wear pants in the shop - wearing shorts or skirts leave legs vulnerable to scrapes, cuts, or debris. Open-toed shoes may never be worn in the shop because if you drop something on your foot, you could easily damage your toes. Shoelaces should be tied tightly, so they do not get caught on machinery.
Clothing should be fairly tight-fitting so it cannot be caught and sucked into moving equpiment. If it does, it can pull the person wearing the clothing in, too. Dangling jewelry (including bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and rings) should not be worn in the shop - they can also get caught on machinery and parts.
Students must have proper supervision in the workshop at all times! Mentors are also not allowed to work in the shop without another mentor present. By utilizing this system, we can ensure the safety of all team members!
Students working with mentore can learn proper techniques for handling and working with the tools and materials we use in FIRST.
