Future minds
The Interactive Digital Magazine from CLEAPSS
Welcome to the autumn edition of Futureminds! We hope you enjoy the new interactive digital version of the magazine from CLEAPSS.
CLEAPSS NEWS
Welcome to the Autumn 2022 edition of Futureminds.
It’s been a busy few months at CLEAPSS. We have been organising our new premises, restarting face to face training, undertaken some safety audits, and visited a few interesting sites.
We are very excited to announce that Trudi Barrow is now working with us. Trudi presently teaches part-time in Hertfordshire, and is able to combine this with working with CLEAPSS, to support Dave on the various projects we undertake each year including this edition of Futureminds. We are all looking forward to the increased capacity, as well as new ideas and energy that she will bring to the team.
Trudi is already testing out of different formats for this online magazine. The PDF has always been well received, but we have also been looking at how to bring more interactivity into the resource. Over the coming year we will be trying out different online presentation packages, alongside the PDF. If you have any comments that you think would help us to develop a more engaging format, please get in touch: dt@cleapss.org.uk
When we have some ideas to test, we will tweet the link and email it to our 1000+ members on the ‘Mailing List’. If you have not signed up for our weekly email, please visit the website and sign up for our email alert:
Our online courses have received very positive responses from users. We presently offer two online, programmes:
D&T H&S Online Training. This consists of a self-study element (free to CLEAPSS members) which you can access at any time to suit you, and a mediated follow-on course (£95 to members). In this you take part in discussions and questions/answers on the use of CLEAPSS materials to support your practical activity.
D&T auditing course, which is primarily aimed at heads of department, and safety officers who may be carrying out an audit of D&T, food and art facilities. The charge is £95 per person, for which you join the course and have access to a set of videos and tasks that you can work through before doing an audit, and refer back to if you have any issues when carrying it out.
Or contact: courses@cleapss.org.uk
We are currently working on a range of short guidance videos on individual pieces of equipment and their safe use. These will enhance the MRATs by providing explanations and details about the equipment, illustrating the control measures needed to work safely, as well as offering guidance on use. Each video will be around 5 minutes long, so could be accessed by staff as required or used as part of an in-house training session. Links to these videos wi feature in the next edition of Futureminds.
In the last edition of Futurminds we ran an article from PrintCity, an additive manufacturing base in Manchester. In July we visited their (very impressive) facilities. We accompanied the Health and Safety Executive researcher who led on the HSE 3D printing project, and who is starting to plan further research on real world data on fumes and emissions from 3D printers. If you would like to find out more about PrintCity, take a look at the summer 22 edition of Futureminds.
The results from this new round of HSE research will inform an update of our guidance on the use of 3D printers in schools, which was originally written in conjunction with HSE:
We have also worked with a number of schools and the awarding bodies to investigate new approaches to the subject of D&T. GCSE entries for D&T fell again this summer. Entry numbers increased slightly in food and nutrition, and art, and it was pleasing to see an increase in A Level numbers for D&T. We congratulate all the teachers, technicians, parents and, of course, pupils for their hard work to not only cope with the pressures and difficulties that all schools have faced, but to achieve such good results in the summer.
Scroll through the charts for food and nutrition and art & design numbers
CLEAPSS Guidance - the smallprint
Handling wood dust
We have had a few helpline queries over the past few months regarding the clearing away of wood dust in workshops. We have also noticed this topic appear on a number of online forums.
It seems that some schools have been told they must use vacuum cleaners to collect dust generated on benches.
The guidance has not changed, where dust is created, and considered a risk to the operator or those nearby, it should be controlled.
The Work Exposure Limits (WELs) for wood dusts have been updated recently, which means that the level of dust in a room may now require greater controls. This is, however, unlikely to be a significant issue, or require a change in how wood dust is handled in most schools.
The increased awareness of respirable dust is probably what is driving the helpline queries and discussions. It is now more likely that in an industrial setting, or on a building site, dust control using a HEPA M level of on-tool extraction would be expected.
We have recommended for some years that cleaning should be carried out using a dustless method, i.e. using an industrial vacuum cleaner, fitted with HEPA M filters, rather than using brushes or sweeping the benches and floors.
Where large amounts of dust are generated, this must be controlled, using LEV, local extraction, or through vacuuming.
We do not recommend the use of dust masks, as it is unlikely that they will afford effective protection, without the wearer being trained in face fitting. For guidance on face masks read GL310 our guide to Respiratory Protective Equipment.
For further information on handling dust, take a look at the Model Risk Assessment 071 Dust from Woodworking.
Dave getting fitted for RPE
Disposing of Gas Cylinders
We have also received a number of queries to the helpline about the disposal of used gas cylinders from welding kits. This is possibly due to the increased use of MIG/TIG welding kits, or small gas systems in schools.
In a domestic setting, it may be acceptable to place these cylinders in your general waste, but in school, the waste collector may refuse to accept them.
If you have any concerns regarding what your waste carrier will remove, it may be worth speaking to your site staff to identify what will be accepted. If your normal waste carrier won’t take these cylinders, you may need to have them removed by a registered waste carrier, which can be arranged by your science department.
Alternatively, you could try taking them to your local waste amenities centre, which might be willing to accept them.
Designing Facilities
Over the summer we also had a number of queries regarding the design and installation of new facilities, across all material areas, including food.
We have lots of guidance on the website to help with designing spaces:
If you are having new facilities developed, we would be interested in finding out what you are considering, both in terms of environment and equipment. Please get in touch dt@cleapss.org.uk
In the Spring edition, we will be reporting back on our developments with different formats for Futureminds, if you want to join the conversation about this, sign up to our mailing list:
We will also have articles from teachers and technicians about their work in D&T, food and Art, as well as content provided by suppliers and those working to support these subjects across the UK and overseas.
If you are interested in contributing to Futureminds, please get in touch: mailto:dt@cleapss.org.uk
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