Risk Analysis
Safety Captain: Aliyah S.
FRC Team 4607 Safety Mission Statement:
In FIRST Robotics Competition Team 4607, safety comes first. No task is so urgent that we cannot take the time to do it safely. We have established a safety program to instill a culture of safety. Our goal is to prevent any and all accidents, be alert to harmful conditions, to avoid safety hazards and injury, and to work in an efficient manner while being competitive and having fun.
Preface
Safety is a core value of FIRST Robotics. FIRST requires all teams to have a Safety Captain. Although it may sound like the Safety Captain is the sole person responsible for Safety, every member of FIRST must demonstrate safe behaviors. On FRC Team 4607, C.I.S. distills a culture of safety in not just its team members, but all who are interested, through various means:
A yearly preseason safety presentation followed by an exam
Weekly safety updates/talks at our Large Group Meetings (LGMs)
Training from both our own student made safety policy manual along with the yearly FIRST safety manual
Mentor based machine training for our team members based on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Using the 6S organizational method
Having set closing times to make sure team members get out at a reasonable time
Basic First Aid training
Presentations at JUMPSTART and Kickoff
Hazard Analysis
And much more!
In order to help other teams strengthen their own safety programs, we have compiled the resources we use on this web page for teams to use. If there are any questions please ask the STEP (Safety, Training, Equipment, & Pit) Department at:
Thanks for your time and remember to Be Safe!
-Haiden Berrios
FRC Team 4607, C.I.S. Safety Captain and Director of STEP
(Credit to Mitchell, our former Safety Captain and Director of STEP, for much of our safety website content.)
2023 FRC Safety Manual
Every year, FIRST releases a safety manual that details safety policies that all members of FIRST must follow. The manual contains a basic set of safety policies, but encourages teams to develop their own safety programs and polices. The manual is meant to be a simple, yet effective means of communicate safe work practices.
2021 FRC Team 4607 Safety Policy Manual
It is highly advised to make your own team safety manual. While the FIRST Safety Manual is very informative, it does not suit the needs of all teams. We have included our own team safety policy manual for other teams to reference. It is edited by an actual safety manager to make sure the polices are well-defined and adequate.
Reports, Checklists, Forms, and the 2021 Safety Exam
On FRC Team 4607, C.I.S., we use various different types of reports, checklists, and forms to help document happenings in safety. We also administer one safety exam every year that all students must pass in order to participate on the team.
To start, reports allow our team to document injuries, hazards, near misses and safety violations. Through these forms of documentation, we can determine the best approach to a problem and/or how to minimize future occurrences. Team members are encouraged to report any and all incidents; there are no repercussions for doing so. A short summary of all our reports are as follows:
Injury Report
The injury report is used to document injuries that have occurred. This is a convenient way to document injuries that have occurred over the season.
Safety Violation Report
The primary objective of the safety violation reports is to correct team member’s deficiencies and turn them into safe, productive team members. A secondary aim is to have the documentation to justify a discharge decision. In that case, records should reflect the specific reasons why the action was required.
Hazard Report
Hazard Reports are filed when any item or situation which is considered a hazard is noticed. Hazards are any occurrence that have the potential to result in an injury. Hazards can be categorized into 11 categories: slipping, tripping, falling, electrical, machinery, thermal, sound, chemical, vapor, fire, and human hazards.
Near Miss Report
Near Miss Reports are filed when an incident happens that could have resulted in an injury, but did not. Most of the time (but not limited to), a near miss involves a malfunction in robot operation.
Checklists and cleanliness inspection forms are used to assess certain work conditions and practices. A checklist is included in Appendix A of the FIRST Safety Manual, but it is highly recommended that a team make their own inspection checklist so the checklist is better suited to the teams work needs and conditions.
Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs)
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are used to detail how to use a machine, who is trained to use the machine, what materials are allowed to be fabricated by the machine, and what Presonal Protective Equipment must be used while operating the machine.
5S Organizational Method
6S is an organizational method we use to keep our shop and pit organized, efficient and safe. 6S is actually the 5S organization method plus a sixth element: safety!
The 6S procedure is as follows:
Sort - "If in doubt, take it out" - Remove any tools or equipment that are rarely used. Tools should be prioritized on how often they are used/how useful they are.
Set - "Everything has a place and everything gets back to its place" - Designate a place for everything. This can be done by simply designating a drawer for a certain tool or kinds of tool or can be done with trays/foam cut outs.
Shine - "Clean the grime" - Clean all work spaces and put unused tools away. This is an excellent stage for pre-inspection of tools.
Standardize - "Make it standard" - Make the process standard work practice. Establish policy to make sure the first three steps (Sort, Set, Shine) are followed and people know what and how to do it.
Sustain - "Maintain and sustain" - Make sure that the process of 6S is repeated. Preform training for team members o and regular inspections of your shop's and/or pit's workspaces.
Safety - Demonstrate safe work practices at all times. Remember to carry out work space safety inspections using the safety inspection checklist.
Safety Presentations
Presentations are a great why to quickly and thoroughly disperse training and/or information about various safety topics. We have organized all of our previous years' safety presentations. The presentations include: each year's general safety presentation, regional safety presentations, and any other supplemental safety training presentations.
Hazard Analysis Program
C.I.S. STEP (Safety, Training, Equipment, & Pit) has implemented a Hazard Analysis approach to their safety program. In order monitor and increase safety, they have performed Job Assessments for all equipment jobs in the shop in order to identify their potential hazards, assign protective measures to minimize their risk and then detailed those steps with the training taken. There are safety assessments performed routinely, and the team reports all safety incidents and near misses to the STEP team. These safety reports are tracked in a hazard analysis spreadsheet in order to review with C.I.S. in large meetings, assign risk levels, and perform trending. These reviews ensure all students are aware, training is up to date, and any potential issues are resolved quickly. The metrics provides a quick method to visualize and focus on areas they wish to take further actions to increase safety even more.
