Health & Safety

Health & Safety is the responsibility of every member of Nottingham Hackspace. It is the duty of each member to make sure they are safe and not endangering the people around them.

The Hackspace has a lot of potentially dangerous tools available to members; if you are not confident with a tool or machine, or haven’t used it before, you should ask to be inducted on it. For machines without specific inductions (see the Teams section), another member will typically be willing to provide advice; the best places to ask are the Google Group, Discord, or an Open Hack event.

Safety equipment (PPE) is readily available within the workshop; a range of PPE such as goggles, gloves, face masks, and other such items are kept ready for use by all members and topped up on a regular basis. Please ensure PPE is used. If it appears to be running low, you can help by informing the trustees.

When in doubt about another member’s safety do approach them to discuss it, or raise it with the Safety Team. Every Hackspace member has the right and responsibility to challenge unsafe behaviours.

The following quote provides good guidance on workshop safety:

“Before we use any power tools, let’s take a moment to talk about shop safety. Be sure to read, understand, and follow all the safety rules that come with your power tools. Knowing how to use your power tools properly will greatly reduce the risk of personal injury. And remember this: there is no more important safety rule than to wear these — safety glasses.”

First Aid

First Aid Boxes are kept stocked and checked periodically. Please ensure you are familiar with where these are stored - they can be found in the following locations:

  • Kitchen next to the recycling.

  • Workshop as you enter from the studio, on the shelving to your left.

  • Downstairs Metalworking on the left as you enter, opposite the members’ storage room.

If you use anything from these boxes, please report the injury using the accident reporting form explained below.

Accident and Near Miss Reporting

It is important that accidents, whether resulting in an injury or near miss, are logged. This helps us improve the safety of the hackspace. It guides our induction processes and prompts us to check the first aid kits more regularly than scheduled.

Posters for our Near Miss and Accident reporting form can be found around the space. The posters contain a QR code which you can scan from your phone.

A link to the form can also be found on HMS under the links page.

When an accident is reported, the trustees are notified immediately. This ensures we are able to make necessary improvements as quickly as possible.

Fires

If there is a fire in the hackspace, leave using the nearest clear exit. If there are no clear exits, use the fire extinguishers to assist with your escape. Once you are safely outside of the building, call the emergency services using 999. Your safety is the priority in the event of a fire.