How Do We Stay Safe?

At Saints Bot #4688, safety is our first priority. As a team that has 40+ students and 20+ mentors, ensuring the safety of all members is always the utmost concern when it comes to running the team. Whether it be at competition, at the school, online, or anywhere, making sure that our team members are safe and secure is what we strive to uphold each and every day, and why we are constantly improving our safety practices.

When it comes to students, impressions last. That is why our students are exposed to industry standard safety practices listed in the OHSA (Occupational Health and Safety Act of Ontario). Using the OHSA as a guide, our team practices what is set forth in the act and institutes the appropriate safety practices into our team. In addition to the OHSA, our team institutes our own safety standards, and follows FIRST‘s official Safety Manual to ensure that everyone remains safe at all times.

Here are just a few ways in which Saints Bot continues to improve our team safety:

  • Investing over $1,000 per year in new safety equipment and materials
  • Conducting safety training and testing for ALL team members (students and mentors)
  • Creating a new team safety manual every year to ensure that it is updated and relevant to the current FRC season
  • Exposing students to safety practices starting at their first meeting
  • And much more…

What Are Our Safety Practices?

At Saints Bot #4688, we have several safety practices, which can be found in our team safety manual, but here are a few featured practices and safety equipment that we use regularly to keep the team (and the public) safe:

Practices:

  • Enforcing the use of safety glasses/goggles at all times when in a working environment (workshop, pit at competition, etc.)
  • Enforcing the use of hearing protection when ambient noise or machine noise reaches 80 dB or above
  • Keeping a well-stocked first aid kit that is accounted for before each competition and on a regular basis during build season
  • Conducting training for students and/or mentors before conducting work in special scenarios (ex. working with carbon fiber or dangerous chemicals)
  • Enforcing the use of our team’s safety manual and FIRST‘s official safety manual
  • Conducting WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) and SDS (Safety Data Sheet) training for all team members before working in a working environment such as the workshop
  • And many more…

Equipment:

  • First-Aid Kits:
    • Multiple in team workshop
    • One located in the pit at competition
    • One located with the drive team at competition
    • One with each safety captain at competition
  • AED (Automated External Defibrillator):
    • For the past three years, Saints Bot #4688 has implemented the availability of an AED at competitions we attend. Rather than having to locate an AED at an event venue in an emergency, we have an AED located in our team’s pit that can be used and accessed easily by anyone at the event
  • Eye Wash Stations:
    • One in team pit at competition
    • One in team workshop
  • Fire Extinguishers:
    • Multiple in team workshop
    • One in team pit at competition
    • One in team trailer
    • One at all team outings
  • Battery Spill Containment Kit:
    • One in team pit
    • One in team workshop
  • And many more…

Want To Learn More?

To learn more about our team’s safety practices and standards, take a look at our team safety manual. To learn more about FIRST‘s safety practices and standards, take a look at their safety page on their website.