A strong safety culture minimizes risks and contributes to the overall success and sustainability of workshop operations. Raplab has distilled four overarching principles that capture our safety culture, which is applied in addition to the many operational rules that need to be followed in the different workshops for individual machines or materials.
Preparedness is a critical factor in preventing injuries and ensuring work efficiency. Having a mental map that involves knowledge of tools, materials, and safety gear necessary to complete a task helps to avoid haste and, therefore, the chance of mistakes.
Acknowledging our roles and responsibilities towards ourselves and others is vital to an open, do-it-yourself workshop environment. Being aware of the protocols and rules for each workshop and ensuring that those rules are followed is second nature to us. In case of doubt, we ask a staff member before proceeding.
The Raplab is a place of respect and acceptance where students and staff exchange openly. Respect and acceptance go both ways to ensure the well-being of all parties involved. We strictly follow the Code of Conduct laid out by the D-ARCH community.
We train ourselves to be aware of others’ needs, especially during times of high pressure and when the workshop is crowded.
We collectively strive to reduce our environmental impact by caring for tools, machines, our shared spaces, and the materials we use. We reuse material or use material in a way that minimizes waste. We use tools and machines for their intended purposes and report damaged tools. We use the rooms and infrastructure in a way that does not impede others from working.