Asmbly requires safety classes for all areas within The Shop to ensure members know how to safely use and report issues on all equipment within The Shop.
Beginning 1/19/23, all new members who wish to use the Metal Shop – even for a single cut or a bit of grinding – must take a Metal Shop Safety class. If you have not taken this class and you use the Metal Shop, you are in violation of Asmbly policies and at risk for suspension or termination of membership.
By 3/16/23, existing members must either take the Metal Shop Safety class or be recertified by Ethan Moore (@mgmoore), Metal Shop Lead Steward, or another designated Metal Shop Steward in order to continue using the Metal Shop. Recertification is intended for experienced metal shop users who have experience with most of the basic equipment: the saws, the grinders and sanders, and the drill press. If a member seeking recertification is found to be lacking a significant amount of basic metal shop knowledge, they will be directed to take the full Metal Shop Safety class. We will be contacting all active members with at least 3 Skedda bookings in Metal Shop Spaces since 6/1/22 with additional details. If you don’t receive such an email and feel you would qualify for recertification, you may contact Ethan directly. Recertification will be offered to eligible members at no cost until 3/16/23.
Metal Shop Safety provides members access to use equipment within the Metal Shop at Asmbly. Some Metal Shop equipment – such as welders, milling, and lathes – requires additional training on top of MSS. For example, a member who wants to use the MIG welder must take both MIG Welding and MSS to gain access to Asmbly’s MIG welders. There is no requirement on the order in which you take the classes, you simply must take both prior to using specialized equipment.
What is Metal Shop Safety?
At this point, some of you may be wondering — what is Metal Shop Safety class? This 2 hr class was developed by Metal Shop teachers, Savanna Harvey (@SavHarvey) and Ethan Moore in particular, to cover the basic safety elements of metalworking along with general metal shop tools that are often used across various metalworking specialties. The tools covered in this class include hand tools, drills, grinders, saws, and finishing tools. Students will also learn about policies specific to the Metal Shop at Asmbly.
As a general reminder, using equipment without taking the corresponding required course is a serious violation that can result in suspension or termination of membership at Asmbly. Our classes are our means of ensuring all members are on the same page with regards to policies, proper use, and care of our equipment which in turn helps us have higher machine uptimes. Thank you for learning with us and helping us maintain a well-running community shop!