Workshop Safety

Workshop Safety

Crow Valley Woodturners Club

Report on the meeting held on Thursday 3rd May 2012 to discuss the ‘hands on’ evenings in the workshop.

Well over half the club members attended the meeting.

The Chairman opened the meeting by expressing his concern over the comments made at the last committee meeting regarding the running of the ‘hands on’ evenings.

He regarded safety in the workshop as paramount and the purpose of this meeting, with the help of everyone present, is to identify the problems experienced and with a structured programme, lay down some clear guidelines to overcome them,

He acknowledged that one of the club’s main aims is to promote and encourage woodturning and that our club is unique in having a well equipped workshop together with a wealth of experience amongst its members.

The main points identified were:-

  • Same supervisors are fully committed each week and have no opportunity to participate in club activities held on the same evening.
  • There is no cover for regular supervisors.
  • The ‘hands on’ evenings are sometimes wrongly viewed as classes but this is not the role of the club. Classes are provided by the Centre.
  • There are occasions when there are too many members in the workshop at any given time.
  • New members are not always properly supervised.

Suggestions and comments made during the discussion were:-

  • Volunteers invited to become supervisors and a monthly rota system to be introduced.
  • Club members invited to become ‘mentors’ to oversee/ assist novices and beginners in workshop on a one to one basis. This would be under the auspices of the supervisor.

It would also help to welcome, encourage and integrate new members into the club.

  • Members using the lathes must allow themselves time to clean and tidy up at the end of each session.
  • Volunteers also needed to assist in cleaning and tidying workshop at the end of the meeting.
  • Members requested to take a share in making the refreshments, washing up and clearing away afterwards.
  • The question of insurance was raised and the activities of the club are covered by the public liability policy taken out by the AWGB on our behalf. (Payment of this is included as part of our subscription to them.)

Action

  • It was agreed that the main committee members would be the appointed supervisors and a weekly rota would be posted in the workshop.
  • Club Tutors would hold induction courses with the novices and new members.
  • A list of volunteer ‘mentors’ to be drawn up and all members using the lathes must have a mentor present with them. Mentors would be appointed by the committee and would be experienced turners
  • Volunteers for coffee/tea duty to be made on the day

Members, who were unable to attend the meeting and would like to add their name to the list of volunteers, please speak to the secretary.