Health & Safety

INTRODUCTION

Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop’s Health & Safety Policy outlines the procedures which are in place to ensure we maintain safe and healthy working conditions and operate within HSE regulations.

A Health & Safety introduction is required before working at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop.

It is the responsibility of each workshop user to be aware of and to comply with Health and Safety Regulations for safe working practice. A Health and Safety Notice board (outside the Education Space) displays relevant information and members of the Technical staff are on hand to monitor safe working and give advice.

All workshop users must make themselves aware of the location of fire extinguishers, fire escape routes for each level, fire blankets, fire assembly points, first aid boxes, first aid procedures and the emergency stop buttons for 3-phase equipment in all workshop areas. Users must also read and sign a declaration form that they have understood our user regulations.

All fire escape routes must be kept clear at all times and the staff team reserve the right to dispose of any materials or objects that infringe on the safety of the workshop users, public and staff team. All fire doors must be kept closed at all times to prevent the spread of fire throughout the building.

Before using any named user equipment, all users must be given a full training on the machine in question by a member of the technical team to ensure proper and safe use of all equipment and to minimise any risk of injury. The length and nature of training will vary on user experience and will be determined at the discretion of a technician.

Workshop users must wear protective clothing appropriate for the task they are undertaking. Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop do not provide clothing (e.g steel toe capped boots, flame retardant boiler suits, P3 masks) we do however provide a range of PPE, P2 rated masks, gloves and ear plugs for cost price in the technical department and also provide free of charge specialist PPE, i.e welding masks, leather aprons face shields, goggles and ear defenders. If in doubt, please ask a member of the technical staff.

We operate a strict no smoking policy throughout the premises, including office/meeting areas, workshop and studio spaces and outdoor covered yard.

To avoid excessive noise the use of power tools outside the building is not permitted at any time during the weekend or after 4:45pm on weekdays. Power tools that produce excessive noise (greater than 85db) must not be used inside after 4:45pm on weekdays or at weekends.

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HEALTH AND SAFETY: MATERIALS

Carving of high silica content stone such as sandstone or slate is not permitted within the workshop.

The use of fibre glass and/or resin is not permitted unless agreed in advance with the technical team.

Bark must be removed from all elm logs immediately on arrival at the workshop to prevent the spread of Dutch Elm Beetle disease.

Storage of hazardous materials or chemicals is only permitted on consultation and agreement with a technician. Chemicals must be accompanied by the appropriate certification and data sheets from suppliers, a copy of which must be given to the technical staff.

We do not allow the use of helium in the workshops as it is a non-renewable resource.

All materials should be submitted to the technical team for review before any work commences. A risk assessment and safe system of work must be completed for any materials and/or processes that are conducted on Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop premises. Technicians are always on hand to advise with current regulation and correct usage of materials and processes.

HEALTH AND SAFETY: EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS

Work areas must be left safe and tidy by all users and you should allow time for clearing up at the end of your session.

Workshop equipment carrying a ‘NAMED USER ONLY’ sign must not be used unless the user has attended a formal induction.

No one, even if a designated named user, can use power tools or any potentially dangerous equipment whilst alone in the workshop or without prior training.

In the unlikely event that a user finds equipment is faulty should stop work immediately and report the fault to a member of the technical staff.

When creating dust in the workshop, users must wear a good quality mask and must sweep or vacuum away dust and activate appropriate extraction systems in accordance with Health and Safety Regulations. Masks are available to buy from the technical office. The user also has a responsibility to look out for the safety of all workshop users and if any potentially dangerous dust or fumes are being created by a process this must be agreed with a member of the technical team prior workshop use.

Cables, hoses etc should be neatly rolled up after use to avoid damage and/or injury and must be appropriate for use, i.e. weatherproofed or not used in adverse weather conditions.

Users must inform the building manager or technician of any equipment being brought into the workshop for personal or professional use: it must be in good order, conform to British Health and Safety Standards, and be PAT tested before being used, at the user’s expense. We reserve the right to refuse the use of any machinery not provided by Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop.

It is compulsory for anyone wishing to use the planer, flatbed saw or band saw, or who wishes to grind metal, to wear eye protection and ear defenders. Disposable ear plugs are provided free of charge.

To establish a safe method of accessing or moving objects to or from studio roofs please follow these manual handling guidelines:

• Always ask staff to employ the forklift to move sculpture, materials etc. to or from storage areas or use on of the lifting aids provided
• If using ladders always have a person steadying the foot of the ladder or tie off the top of the ladder so it cannot move.
• Ladders should never be used unsupervised and always ask a staff member for help before using a ladder.
• A lift is available for safe transportation of materials between the levels of the building, however, it does have a maximum capacity of 1000kg.