Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re:Cohousing Common Workshop Safety/Use Policies

[Elke (kweenz]

    I think it's great that you have a community workshop.   I
strongly  suggest you have an agreement that people using large
electrical tools (such as table saws, standing drills, etc) inform
someone  nearby when they are operating them.  I've lived in 3
different communities, and each one had a BAD accident, even with
someone nearby.  By BAD I mean where someone's hand was not as
functional afterward.  If someone knows you're using a dangerous tool,
they'll be ready to call 911 or something if there's an accident, and
might stop by if they realize they haven't heard from you in a while.

   As for no unsupervised kids - YES!  My daughter almost got serously
hurt on a table saw when she was 16, and that was with (weak)
supervision.  Woodshops are wonderful, but need to be treated with
respect.  11 sounds young to me, unless you have the power tools
locked so a bright, inquisitive kid can't try it out.

-Elke