resistant material
Training Info
MATERIALS AND COMPONENTS
Before you can turn raw materials into components and products you have to understand how they can be shaped and the resultant methods of creating those shapes by the use of hand tools or machines. Doing this will give rise to dust and chemical hazard from wood or swarf from metals and it is important to know how the dust is controlled and what form the swarf takes and know that it will be both sharp and hot. Waste from plastic and forming it can give rise to fumes and electrostatic charges and can also be hot.
It will also be a requirement to have a knowledge of the physical, chemical and mechanical properties of the materials used in any design.
Many standard components are commonly used in any product or machine/mechanism. Among these are adhesives, fastenings of a wide variety, bearings, springs etc.etc. It will therefore be necessary to research any safety requirements as well as use or installation for their safe and successful application.
Skill Level
For those with limited opportunity to gain skills in the use of all the listed equipment on the training schedule by taking advantage of DATA training you should be able to gain enough confidence in your own ability to be able to demonstrate this to Pupils and teach them safely how to use it.
There are some skills that simply can not be fully mastered in the time available to you in DATA training or even more so by your pupils. But enough to be able to be demonstrated.
Some skills like basic woodturning can be taught in half an hour. Then to see the delight when a simple piece of wood is transformed as if before their eyes into a simple honey dipper or plastic bag carrying handle will enthuse them to try something more challenging and develop new skills.
EQUIPMENT , PROCESSES AND TOOLS
Using hand tools of many types available in most workshops will require proper instruction in their use along with any dangers in their misuse or accident and of course the required skills which have to be gained.
Equipment will be in many forms, typically machine tools such as centre lathes , wood turning lathes, milling machines, CNC machines, Drilling machines, laser cutting and engraving and most recently rapid prototyping. Along with these are hand held machines such as drills , sanders, routers, biscuit cutters, glue guns and saws. All these will require a full understanding of their use and any inherent dangers and of course instruction.
Risk assessments will be available for all these tools with individuals of all abilities and maturity.
Processes such as lamination, steam bending timbers will give rise to exposure to vacuum or heat or fumes and require special attention and detail preparation prior to forming.
Likewise processing plastics may require heat or pressure or both and so give rise to fumes and potential burning because plastics do not normally show any indication of temperature. Adhesives used for joining plastics can be dangerous because they contain organic solvents or anaesthetic solvents and so the C.O.S.H register must be read to know what PPE or ventilation means may be required.
Casting hot metals can give rise to fumes and the extreme danger of burning from molten metals. Special care must therefore be taken when pouring metals using all appropriate PPE and safety procedures.
Timeline
It is up to the schools health and safety policy to decide when a student should be taught how to use which piece of equipment. This will be based on their maturity, physical ability and mental acuity.
There are some machines usually band saws which each school has to decide whether or not students will be allowed to use them, and if so, at what year group and level of supervision.
Students should be made aware of the risk assessment produced by the department for each piece of equipment or material or process so they are made aware of the dangers and appropriate actions that are required on their part.
D&TA Guided hours for training
View the Times Schedules in Design and Technology for Resistant Materials
Registered Design and Technology Health and Safety Consultant
