Personnel Safety
Contents
Safety at Factor e Farm
- Safety is a process of awareness and preparation that is an important personal responsibility, and must be practiced by all individuals working with or near powerful and/or experimental equipment.
- Only authorized users are allowed access to machinery and equipment. If you have not been explicitly granted usage permission by OSE staff or workshop manager, or if you do not have training or experience on using a certain tool or machine - , then the presumption is that no such permission exists for using any powered tool or machine in question. Thus, you are not permitted to use that tool or machine, and you assume full responsibility for any accidents or damage that may occur.
- Despite all precautions, accidents can and will happen. For this reason it is necessary to invest in personal safety equipment, to be aware of proper procedures, and to know the location of medical supplies.
- Use safety equipment. Support the use of it, encourage others to use safety equipment, keep this equipment readily available and accessible.
- Common Sense: if you feel uncomfortable doing a task, we encourage people to communicate and feel comfortable saying "no", or ask for help and supervision in a task that they are untrained to do.
- Communicate: if you notice something dangerous, notify the community and raise awareness. Don't hesitate to offer input, advice, and help when you see an unsafe situation. Be open to hearing advice and input from other members of community and trust that it is always in the interest of safety.
- Awareness: there is inherent risk in working with some equipment that is at FeF. Be aware of what you are working with, ask questions, be sure that you find out what you know or don't know about what you are working with.
- Priorities can get confusing in emergency situations. Understand that safety comes first, before production, saving money or time, interpersonal conflict, etc.
- Never work alone. Always work with a buddy or have someone who will notice if you are injured. Know where the nearest first aid kit is. Never work beyond your capability.
Statement of Medical Consent
It is assumed that by entering the premises on factory farm you agree to the following: I recognize I am participating in an extremely dangerous activity. In the event of an emergency or non-emergency situation requiring medical attention, I hereby grant permission for any and all medical attention to be administrated in the event of an accidental injury or illness, until such time as I can be asked my preferences in sound mind. This permission includes, but is not limited to, the administration of first aid by those with me, the use of an ambulance, and the administration of anesthesia and/or surgery under the recommendation of qualified medical personnel. If you do not agree to the above then it will be necessary to discuss this with the OSE staff in advance, and a notice can be placed in first aid boxes to bring attention to your preferences.
Nearest Medical Facilities
911 for Emergencies. The nearest ambulance service is 2.8 miles away, or 6 minutes at legal speeds in downtown Maysville. The nearest hospital is 17 miles or 22 minutes away in Cameron. A larger hospital is available in St Joseph, 31 miles or 34 minutes away.
In Maysville you can reach Dekalb Clinton Ambulance at (816) 449-5515, County Sherrif (816) 449-5802
Medical Conditions
It is recommended that all parties with medical conditions or preferences, unusual drug reactions, and significant food allergies, or those wishing to specify a next of kin to notice in the event of an issue do email this information to the OSE staff, and also place it on a card with their name clearly marked in the first aid kit near where they work. This will help assure that their preferences are carried out in the event they are unconscious during an injury.
Medical Supplies
Any workshop area should have a readily visible first aid kit. It is your job to know where the nearest one is, and to notify someone if you do not feel there is one within a safe distance to your work area. One simple solution is to mount a medical box on the wall in a visible location and use two pieces tape to make the medical + symbol. If you do not see, or do not know the location of an emergency medical kit near your work location, please contact a staff member.
Because you may be working with or near power tools, it is preferable to have not only a standard first aid kit (purchasable at most general stores), but also basic trauma supplies.
These include items such as:
- First Aid Compression Bandage (self-apply) and other large bandages that may not be found in a first aid kit.
- Tourniquet (though these can be improvised from cut clothing or cords)
- A Hemostatic Agent such as Celox or Quickclot to control bleeding.
There are trauma kits available that have a collection of these supplies: Ex. 1, 2
These items may buy important time while emergency medical services are being contacted for an injury that involves significant blood loss. In the event that you live outside the range of medical services, you may wish to take additional precautions such as EMT training for members on location.
Head Protection
- Impact and Chemical Face Shield Source Tested. Great.
Hand Protection
- Welding Gloves
- Cut Resistant Gloves
- Grip Gloves
- Other
Black Cotton Jersey Gloves 12pair
Foot Protection
- Steel Toe and Plate Shoes [Source]
Body Protection
Remember to wear Appropriate Fabrics for the activity being performed, and avoid the use of nylon, polyester and other synthetic fabrics that can be a risk around fire and high temperature materials. There should be no exposed skin while welding and performing other dangerous activities. Please also be aware that loose fitting clothing and items such as scarves and cords may become tangled in machinery and lead to strangulation or abrasion. Piercings may be dangerous in certain situations as well. Use your best judgement and preparation.
