Have you ever confronted someone about safety?

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Hey Makers - I’m posting up lots of safety questions to the forum this month leading up to our general meeting which will be about safety.

Hit reply on this topic to answer and discuss the question, or take this survey if you want to be annoymous: http://bit.ly/makeict22

Today’s question:
Have you ever told someone they were being unsafe? How did that go?

I ask this because when I do orientation or sign key forms I try to make a big point that in a collaborative space, we all HAVE to talk to each other, so expect to be talked to. If you’re using a machine and there’s a better way, somebody will come up and tell you - don’t be defensive, that’s a good thing. So what have you reminded people about or had people remind you about? Are we good at listening to each other and learning from everybody?

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I had to do that one day. One of the members had a 4 year old and a baby still in a stroller in the metal shop. I do t know what he was thinking. When I told him it was against the rules, he took the kids into the lounge and played for a while.

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I do not let my four year old in the metalshop, I agree that’s a bad idea.

But the kid thing is still around here huh? Someone responded to this survey: “told someone to watch their kids but they ignored it because they are a board member”

So let’s air that out, since this is about what we can all do about safety.

I don’t want anyone to feel ignored. In fact I bet you were not really ignored - there’s only two board members with kids, Malissa and me, and we talk a lot about how to do our jobs and make things in this time in our lives where our kids small.

The first issue: There’s been times when I was trying to watch my kids but someone else needed my immediate attention and I was trying to tell them “no” and it wasn’t working. I could use some help - like many things in my president job, if you feel like I’m not watching my kids, look at what I’m doing, could I maybe use a hand? A good safety rule I’ve seen up in places is “don’t distract someone using a tool”. But people distract me all the time when I’m at the space with my kids and “just one more thing” me to death.

If I see someone not wearing safety glasses I don’t yell at them, I often go find them some safety glasses, “here let me help you follow the rule”. They get the hint. That might be a better way to talk to us parents. “Hey Kim, I think your four year old needs your attention, maybe I can re-arrange the chairs for maker monday?”

Second, Malissa and I have both asked for a little more support and tolerance. We feel like we do watch our kids but we’ve got some members who want our kids to be normal-rockwell silent at all times, leashed to us and coloring with no movement. I hate to pull the “if you had kids you’d understand” card, but if you had kids you’d understand. That’s why I’m sometimes a little defensive. This comes up a LOT and it’s always very indirect and a little passive-aggressive, “I heard you don’t watch your kids” without a specific example.

If it’s really a problem I really need to know who it’s a problem with, specific examples, not anonymous surveys, and I need open dialog with the people who are really concerned, and I need to know that you support us and have solutions, not just criticism.

Please email me privately if you don’t want to post here.