Safety

Safety procedures are important, not just for your own safety, but for the safety of others in the space.

General safety procedures

• Do not hack or attempt to defeat safety features or equipment.
• Understand the hazards you're exposed to, and make a plan for mitigating them. Read safety warnings and instructions.
• Inform others in the space of your activities and make sure they understand the hazards and emergency procedures.
• Do not work alone when exposed to hazardous conditions. Do not leave a hazardous project setup unattended in the space.
• Know your way out of the space and the building in the event of emergency.

Safety equipment

Familiarize yourself with the location and usage of this equipment.

• There are fire extinguishers and first aid kits on the shelf to the right of the kitchen.
• Eye and ear protection is available on the pillar outside the dirty room.
• Disposable gloves are available in the dirty room. Note that these gloves are not compatible with all chemicals.
• A respirator is available in the maker lane, just outside of the dirty room.
• The dirty room has a ventilation system and an emergency stop button to cut the power. Ensure that heavy equipment is plugged into an outlet which is controlled by this emergency stop.

Heavy equipment safety

The dirty room has powerful equipment which can seriously injure you in an accident.

• Do not use any power tools before you have had a safety briefing.

Electrical safety

High voltage kills. Your muscles will contract and you will not be able to let go of an object which is shocking you.

• Establish a safety perimeter surrounding any exposed high voltage leads.
• Physically disconnect the power before approaching a high voltage setup. Bring the cord with you so that it is not accidentally plugged back in.
• Discharge all capacitors in a high voltage circuit before working with it.
• If possible, set up a "dead man's switch" which will terminate the current if you are incapacitated.
• Do not leave a live circuit unattended.

In the event that you witness someone being shocked:

• Do not touch them.
• Attempt to disable the power. Use the red button in the dirty room or otherwise attempt to locate the power source and unplug it.
• If the victim experienced a powerful enough shock that they were unable to disable the circuit themselves, you must call 112 even if they appear okay.

Chemical safety

Techinc is not a chemical lab and does not have the necessary equipment for safe handling of any serious chemicals. We do not have an eye wash station or chemical safety shower. We do not have a fume hood or chemical storage facilities. If you might need these things to work with a material, don't bring it to the space.

✓ Developing photos, with proper safety precautions (outlined below)

✗ Making home-made fireworks

Use your common sense.

• Look up, read, and follow the instructions of the materials safety sheet for the materials you're working with.
• Consider material compatibility and safe storage procedures. Techinc does not have the facilities for safe storage of reactive materials.
• Use protective equipment. Long sleeves, long pants, and closed shoes. Wear gloves, goggles, and a respirator if necessary. Work in the dirty room with the ventilator turned on.