General Safety

 

Although there are other safety articles and videos to follow, I wanted to start the class off by letting you view the "general" attitude of safety in a setting where tools and processes are involved.  You will constantly be reminded of this important issue throughout the duration of the class.  It doesn't end with a nice video or some written safety test you quickly take and dispense with as just "something else to fill out" .  No this is one area revisited constantly by a "shop" teacher in the high school setting.  It never really goes away.  It is that constant, daily mental preparation that says I, as the teacher, need to be sure everyone is trained properly using a tool and that you, as the student, need to demonstrate that knowledge by being tested in some way that shows you understood the training.  It is that simple.

 

After that, as this introdution and ones to follow indicate--it is up to YOU to make sure you know what you are doing.  Never ever assume anything with tools----they all could be potentially dangerous.  I have seen too much ofa "nothing could happen to me" attitude throughout the years.  Do not become a statistic! 

 

You must take your safety serious.  These are not just scare statements with horrible "eye" injury videos to follow---no, it is simply what it is---a mental precursor to everything about this class.  

Learn the proper and safe way to use equipment and it is an awesome experience that will reap benefits far beyond the walls of this classroom.  

 

So with all that said----let me remind you again, that safety is ultimately your personal responsibility.  I can show you a hundred times how to do something safe and effective and you can walk right over there to that machine and proceed to not think through with what you are doing and guess what results----an injury!   This is obviously bad from a physical standpoint, but it is also mentally discouraging and can result in your being apathetic and afraid to use equipment again.  Listen and put into practise the things you learn----carefully!  Remember, the "knowing" part of using equipment comes with the "doing".  Experience is a great teacher----espectially when it is done safely!     Mr. S