Contextual Research - Synthesis

We found a LOT of information on the internet about each machine in the shop. Many of the items were general shop safety guidelines, so we complied those into a separate list. Through this research, we confirmed out belief that each machine does have its own safety guidelines, and to understand all of them for each machine a shop user must learn a lot of material. In particular, many of the machines have different margins of safety and speed settings that the user must memorize.





In our interviews with the students, we learned that they do not fully realize the danger of the machines. When they were asked, “What machines do you consider to be dangerous?” none of them responded that all machines are dangerous. This is obviously a huge problem, and I would like to explore how we can drive the idea that ALL machines are dangerous home to them.

The mill was cited as the safest machine by students because of the widened proximity of moving parts to their hands. Also, they felt injuries stem from carelessness and improper handling of materials.

The shop monitors answered our questions in a very similar way to the students, although one of the monitors did reply that, “All machines are dangerous.”


Key takeaways from our research:

Every machine needs a sign
All machines have overlapping guidelines
For example:
Don’t force material in any machine
Don’t use dull blades
Wear safety equipment
Make sure work area is clear of debris
Every machine is dangerous
Experience determines level of fear
More experience = Better understanding
Current visual references are unclear or non-existent
Students need incentive to comply

View our complete presentation here...

2/07/2005