In my experience in the Woodshop, the Old members (members the longest, not individual age) are the worst offenders, and the ones most likely to ignore all rules and requests. The opposite should be true, but it isn’t.
4 Likes
@Azalaket can I interpret that as an official statement of policy? “Failure to clean up after yourself or perform proper dust management maintenance may result in a temporary ban at the discretion of the woodshop chair.”
Just want to make sure before I start talking about it in classes.
2 Likes
Perhaps we should look at requiring a once-a-year safety and maintenance class on Moodle for all woodshop members.
This should become a sign on the door, walls, maybe even hanging in the way of every power switch…
1 Like
This brings up an interesting point- many people don’t use talk, and aren’t connected to those in the know about these problems. Perhaps we need a cork bulletin board on one wall in the woodshop where announcements, updates, etc are posted. We can point all members to the board immediately and tell them to check it every time they visit.
3 Likes
Oh crap… I sure hope this legalese corporate rat race technique doesn’t take hold at DMS.
Or has this insidious cancer already taken hold?
2 Likes
Corporations do it for a reason, Love or hate it.
Absolutely. It is already listed at the bottom of the “Woodshop Rules” signs posted in the shop.
2 Likes
I say go for it.
You’ll get the same 4% participation rate with that as any sign. (I myself find I read signs LESS OFTEN than I prefer to think of myself as reading signs!)
I wish I could be more positive. I wish I thought it would go better. But I don’t. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to prove me wrong. 
1 Like
It all spews out from the legal department … not operational. A legal corporate policy to keep lawsuit losses to a minumum.
1 Like
Or we could have suspensions come with mandatory retraining. Just cancel their woodshop basics qualification and make them reacquire.
That’s because too many messages become like bricks in a wall. You seen one you’ve seen’em all.
1 Like
True.
But I had an eye-opener in recent history (6-8 months ago) where the sign I SHOULD have seen was all alone, very visible, exactly what I was looking for, and had other people looking for, and STILL, we all missed it. When I bitched about it, the respondent simply pointed to it. I couldn’t see my own face, but I’m sure it was red
1 Like
I think that’s a design issue…
25 signs that never look different that are all small Black font? Never gonna read.
1 sign that changes once a month in bright red and huge font: “15 REASONS WHY THE WOODSHOP IS GOING TO BE SHUT DOWN” ? Will read.
2 Likes
Lol … ‘Shyt Happens”
I’ll bet that you now Know though and no longer need that sign! It was like in school for me, I never really remember the answers I got right, but I sure remember the ones I didn’t!
Now, let’s get rolling on whether that sign was accurate or not…? 
2 Likes
We have “Woodshop Rules” posted in the shop?
1 Like
Laminated on each side of each door in the shop.
3 Likes
It may sound silly but we could create zones around the equipment using the black and yellow striped tape on the floor. I think the zone area should extend to about 1 push broom width around the machine. When you use the equipment, clean the equipment first (I mean really clean the equipment) and then clean the zone. We have enough equipment that we should be able to cover at least most of, if not all of the shop. We would still need to get the dust collector and things like the storage shelves taken care of but if everyone cleaned their areas it will probably cut down on the accumulation in the other areas.
2 Likes
Doesn’t sound silly, you’re offering a possible solution and standard in constructive manner. Thanks to all that do.
3 Likes
The only long term solution is to have a dust collection system external to the building. I know the landlord hasn’t allowed it in the past, but that does not mean we should stop advocating…Signs don’t work…exhortations dont’ work, rules dont’ work, threats of banning don’t work…Why? because woodworking creates copious amounts of dust that have to be dealt with at the point of creation. We don’t have that. I have worked in commercial shops, though, where you could eat off the floor because they had adequate and proper dust collection.
Of course, culture cannot be overlooked. I look at other areas, like metal working and machine shop - and see a different level of discipline. True, there are far fewer people using those areas, but there is also a different culture of keeping things neat and tidy. For one thing, you quickly realize it facilitates the work you want to do.
6 Likes