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Safety
Who We Are
Safety focuses on the maintenance of the physical, mental, and environmental safety of the team. It is our job to inform team members of safety regulations on Team 1073 in FIRST® and enforce them.
Role
As the Safety subgroup it is our job to teach other team members about basic safety protocol and then enforce these rules in day to day activities. Safety rookies upon joining are shown a presentation detailing the rules of FIRST®️ safety and team made rules.
The general team is later shown this same presentation and everyone is expected to know and uphold these rules. All members of the time upon joining are told to buy their own pair of safety goggles. This is to encourage a sense of responsibility as well as convey the importance of wearing appropriate safety gear. On top of this Safety does have a supply of team goggles in case of new members, visiting parties, or to be handed out during competitions for people not on our team.
The team keeps track of those who have allergies and through this data Safety provides optional food and car rides to these individuals. Furthermore, for longer field trips or competitions Mentors offer to hold daily medications, epi-pens, and inhalers.
During Off-Season
During our Off-Season the team attends Off-Season competitions and outreach events. At all of these events we uphold the same level of safety as we would during the regular season. Safety attends these outreach events with the same supplies used during a competition in case of emergency. During set up, Safety members monitor that proper safety protocol is being upheld then during the event monitor guests to decrease the chance of injury or accident.
At the end of the Official Competition Season and at the beginning of the year, Safety goes through its supplies as checks for expiration dates, damaged supplies, and make sure items such as fire extinguishers and our AED (Automated External Defibrillator) are inspected. We continually update our SDS (Safety Data Sheets) binder and injury log throughout the year. During Off-Season, we use the data collected to come up with possible solutions and protocols to prevent injuries or accidents before they happen and make changes to our program and rules accordingly.
When a new member joins Safety, they are first informed of all of our team’s safety rules as well as the rules of FIRST®️ safety. New members are tested on their knowledge and trained in how to monitor the pits while Safety Captaining. Rookies get experience Safety Captaining during Off-Season events while accompanied by an elder safety team member, and are taught then tested on how to talk to safety judges, what to do if their is an emergency in the pits, and how to talk to someone who is breaking safety protocol in a graciously professional manner.
Safety annually hosts AED, first aid, and CPR training to general members of the team, and requires its members to attend and pass. Upon being certified in all three as well as completing their Safety Captain training, Safety Rookies are given a branded fanny pack with portable first aid supplies to wear during events and competitions so team members can recognize them and be prepared for any injury or accident that may occur.
At Competition
At competitions, Safety first plans out an evacuation of the event host and make a note of possible threats as well as the positions of fire extinguishers and AEDs. Additionally, we have three emergency stop buttons, which cut all the power to our tools and presentations, that are also mapped. Then we post it out to Slack, the team’s communication app, so the team knows where to go if an emergency were to occur.
As soon as the pits open a Safety member goes and helps set up. During the entirety of the competition, we make sure to keep our pit clean and organized. After, Safety Captains monitor the pits constantly, according to our pre-planned schedule of the day. Usually Safety Captains have two hour shifts per person.
We often give out safety equipment to other teams at competitions such as battery spill kits, first aid supplies, or cold packs. Each competition, we bring a tote of supplies that include but aren't limited to our AED, a small fire extinguisher, a portable eye wash station, extra safety goggles, our SDS binder and injury log sheets, and two first aid kits for both the pits and the stands.
During Build Season
During Build Season, the Safety subgroup creates a safety quiz from scratch. It goes over the general outline of our safety program and what they need to know in the shop and at competition. This quiz is not meant to challenge the team but to provide them with crucial safety knowledge. We work closely with our Electromechanical, and Software subgroups regarding risk analysis. We will look at the different mechanisms and discuss the possible risks of injury and try to mitigate those risks using a chart donated to us by one of our sponsors, MilleporeSigma.