Restarter Safety Guidelines

This is v0.8 of our Restarter Safety Guidelines - with GDPR compliant data capture

We're thrilled to have you share your skills at our events. We ask you to remember that Restart Parties are learning events, so please work with the owners of broken devices helping them understand what you are doing and follow the repair process. Involve them in the repair.

Always consider safety. There is an experienced, designated safety volunteer at every event on hand to answer any questions about safety. Please read through our safety guidelines below and sign them to show you agree to follow them.

Set-up

  • Extension leads must be taped to the floor where possible and kept out of the flow of foot traffic.
  • Check with the hosts of a Restart Party before soldering. Ventilation is an issue in some venues.
  • Hosts or the designated safety volunteer will locate and draw your attention to fire extinguishers and fire exits. If you miss this announcement, please inform yourself.
  • A first aider will be identified as such when present.

Basics

  • Children must be accompanied at all times by their guardians and kept an appropriate distance from chemicals, soldering and dangerous tools.
  • When using blades or sharp instruments, always cut away from your body, and we recommend you use gloves.
  • Be mindful when opening a device or using any force as bits may go flying (into someone's eye). If this is a risk, ask for eye protection and/or move away from others.
  • Careful with drinks! Do not not consume spillable drinks at repair tables. A mug of tea is nice for humans, but not for electrical and electronics device. Spillages may create an electric shock hazard.

Electricity **if you have any doubt or question, find the host who will call over a designated safety volunteer**

  • All mains-operated devices must be PAT tested before you start a repair and on completion.
  • We do not repair a component of a device unless we are able to safety test the full device on the spot.
  • Only repair mains equipment if you are competent to do so. To plug in a mains appliance, use an RCD or a dedicated mains isolating transformer. Use insulated tools.
  • Beware of stored high voltage in capacitors, even a very long time after a device has been disconnected from the mains. Always test if they are charged with a voltmeter. If they are charged and you are not experienced in discharging them do not progress with the repair.
  • Put the device back together before testing it under mains power. If you have to test device while it is both plugged in to the power network and dismantled, only do so with a second restarter present.
  • If you smell burning immediately unplug at the power plug and then assess the problem with our designated safety volunteer.
  • Beware of rechargeable batteries. If shorted or abused, they can be toxic and a fire risk.
  • We usually do not repair powertools or high-wattage electricals. We can make exceptions, but they will be assigned by hosts to experienced volunteers. If in doubt, ask a host.
  • For any old electrical device, always check that the wiring in the mains plug is to good standards.
  • If a device has been shorting out electrical circuits, connect the device only after being certain you have found and corrected the problem.

Using cans and chemicals

  • Keep them away from any flame or direct sunlight.
  • Do not spray flammable or volatile liquid on a live circuit or close to a soldering iron.
  • Keep chemicals such as solvents far away from other people, especially children.

I have read and agree to follow the above safety guidelines. If at any time, I have doubts about a repair or feel unsafe, I will check with the Restart Party host or the designated safety volunteer before proceeding.

Your personal data: we collect your name and email address in order to register you as a volunteer and provide you with cover under our insurance. We will contact you only once with info on how to get further involved in our community. You can ask for your data to be deleted at any time, it will be automatically deleted after 5 years.

(Name) (Signature) (Date) (Email)