The Idea School Student Safety & Empowerment Guide:

Student Makerspace Experts™ Program

Aryeh Laufer

Introduction
Safety is so important, because none of us want to suffer an injury or get hurt. Students almost
always desire to stay safe and follow proper safety procedures; Sometimes, students just forget
the correct procedure or are misinformed about how to use a tool safely. The goal of this
program is to build a student culture of safety and peer accountability; a culture where students
educate and help each other keep to the safety standards, and speak up and help educate each
other if a student has forgotten a safety standard.
All tools and equipment when used unsafely can lead to minor or serious injury, and thus
for a student to use any tool, they must undergo a general Makerspace safety training, which is
done in class, as well as the specific training for a too which will be done during lunch periods or
in after school trainings. To encourage student empowerment around the safe usage of tools,
we are launching our Student Makerspace Experts™ program. This program will allow students
to demonstrate advanced knowledge and responsibility to use a tool in the makerspace, and
take responsibility for the tools’ safety, cleanliness, and ordering the space.
Students need to understand that safety for one is the responsibility of all. This
means that if you see someone operating a tool incorrectly or without Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE), it is vital that you politely and kindly help show the student how to be safe. To
encourage compliance with safety codes amongst the student body, students will receive prizes
and other privileges for coming up with safety improvements and ways to encourage each other
to wear PPE and keep the makerspace clean. Student Makerspace Experts will have this
responsibility in particular, to help ensure that all students are safe.
Student Makerspace Experts, after having mastered a particular tool training, will be
added to the list of students who can use that tool, and can add a 3D printed tool mastery badge
to a keychain they can carry, as proof of expertise.
Most important of all, you, the students, will be empowered to know all the safety techniques
and procedures about the tool(s) and material(s) you care most about, and help keep everyone
(students & faculty alike) accountable to our safety standards. However, if a Student
Makerspace Expert does not keep to the standards necessary for the cleanliness and safety of
the tool, the expert’s badge and privilege will be revoked.

Not every tool can be used independently by students, even Makerspace Student Experts, as a
safety precaution. Student expertise provides a level of student autonomy for a tool group,
depending on its danger level. See the chart below.

Tool Group Supervision level necessary

Level 4 - Ability to cause
Severe Burns or Injury
Woodworking & Power Tools,
Soldering Station, Hand Saws,
Metal Shears, Jigsaw, Power Drill,
Dremel, Scroll Saw, Compound
Miter Saw, Drill Press
Always requires faculty
Member present in space and
directly supervising use.
Student Experts may set it up
on their own, with faculty
Permission. Students may not
attach a battery to or plug in a
power tool without faculty
directly supervising.

Level 3 - Can cause minor
Injury or Burns
Craft Blades and Heat
Sewing Machine & Fabric scissors,
craft blades, Hot Glue Guns, 3D
Printers, Rare Earth Magnets,
Voltage regulator, 9v Batteries
Available to Student Expert with
faculty permission. All other
students must have faculty in
space, or faculty permission
with student experts in space.

Level 2 - May waste or
damage school property, little
chance of injury
Advanced craft & maker tools
Wire splitters and cutters, Paint,
Minor Electrical Engineering
materials (Arduinos, Wires, motors)
Requires basic training from
faculty or student makerspace
expert; student experts can
utilize on their own time after
class without faculty permission

Level 1 - May make mess
Basic craft & maker materials
include popsicle sticks, glue, string,
non-paint art supplies, markers,
pencils, card-board, construction
paper, tape, pipe cleaners, beads,
marbles, and any other material
that does not fit in to the above
category.
Anyone can use, no extra
permission necessary - Consult
with a teacher if using a large
quantity of materials. Students
can lose access to makerspace
if they do not clean up after
themselves.

This chart is designed in accordance with NJ Department of Education safety standards.

How to Become a Student Expert in a Tool Group:
We will be hosting in person Training sessions sporadically throughout the year during Lunch
and after school. To become an expert, you will need to watch the safety videos, read and
understand safety signage, and demonstrate proper tool setup and maintenance while passing
an oral quiz given by the Head of the Makerspace.

The Videos, Signage, and resources below are a good start for those who want to become a
Student Makerspace expert. I will be updating these often, but for now this is a good place to
start.

Level 2: Advanced Craft and Maker Tools

- Paintbrush maintenance
- Rare Earth Magnets - never let them slam toward each other, wear gloves to
prevent pinching injuries.
- 9V Battery Danger and Maintenance
- Wire Cutters and Strippers

Level 3: Craft Blades and Heat, Other

- Blades:
- Learn how to recognize a dull blade,and how to sharpen it,
- how to use a craft knife,
- How to use a boxcutter,
- How to safely dispose of a blade
- Where and how to store blades
- Sewing Machine Safety & Usage
- Sewing Machine safety
- How to use it
- How to automatically thread the needle in the Brother Runway Sewing
Machine
- 3D Printing
- How to use our 3D Printer
- Hot Glue Gun Safety
- Film Equipment
- How to set up and put away the Light Box
- How to set up and put away the Lighting Equipment

Level 4: Woodworking & Power Tools

- Soldering Station Safety
- Power Drill Tutorial
- Hand saw Tutorials, safety
- Compound Miter Saw
Signage:
Please Read and study the signs in this folder. These will be hung up in the Makerspace, and
will be the basis for the oral quiz you will receive to become a makerspace student expert at any
level.

Google folder of safety signs here.