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Why assess a situation?
Before beginning any task in a technology classroom, particularly if it involves the use of tools or machinery, it is important to STOP and THINK. Consider these points:
· What are you going to do?
· How are you going to do it?
· What tools or equipment do you need to do it?
and most importantly……..
· What safety procedures have to be put in place to prevent accidents or injury?
By asking yourself these questions, you are assessing a situation in order to minimise risk.
It is essential to adopt a sound, safe working attitude to protect yourself and others from possible injury. Common sense and careful personal workshop behaviour should ensure that nobody is exposed to risk.
Workshop safety is an attitude of mind.
Assess the technology classroom.
Assessing your technology classroom environment is a good place to start. There are eight board areas that should be considered in any workshop and personal safety assessment.
1. Know your materials: to use any material effectively class for thought and planning as well as studying any information associated with working with the material.
2. Aim for a good workshop layout: a neat and orderly layout will always minimise risks in a technology environment.
3. Dress for safety: do you have all the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE)?
4. Allow time to plan your work: have you thought through what needs to be done, when, how and what with? What about safety procedures?
5. Treat tools equipment with respect: damaged or blunt tools cause accidents.
6. Take special care with machinery: thoughtlessness or loss of concentration for less than a second can lead to serious accidents.
7. Beware of solvents: these can be toxic and are highly flammable so safety instructions on the container should be followed precisely.
8. It all add up to safety: only care on the part of everyone using a workshop in a technology environment can ensure safety. Most safety rules are common sense. Don’t ever make the mistake of thinking they are for someone else. They are for you.
(Leadbeatter and Keable (1974) Australian Woodworking, pp. 1-3)
Source: NSW Department of Education and Training
Useful links/resources:
https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/occupational-health-safety-wellbeing-management/resources
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/young-workers