Ethics and Conduct

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Everyone must sign a liability waver.
Members will be asked to read and agree to this ethics and conduct as part of membership signup.
Adult Guests will be asked to read and agree to this ethics and conduct as part of accompanying a member.
We want you to know what 'safe' means at MakerNexus

MakerNexus strives to provide access for useful and well maintained equipment and project space.
A community of like minded persons come together to learn, use and develop within the space.
MakerNexus expects all who come (member or guest) to conduct themselves with highest regard to safety for themselves and others.

Guest and Minors

  • Members are responsible for guests and/or minors and their actions.
  • Guests are encouraged to become members.
  • Guests are not allowed to use tools and equipment, except as part of a scheduled class/workshop.
  • Minors must be accompanied closely by a legal parent or guardian. This includes scheduled class/workshops unless there's special provision to manage unaccompanied minors. 'Accompanied closely' means visual range generally, and immediate reach when near dangerous equipment.
  • MakerNexus is fully committed promoting and protecting children's rights, please review Child Protection Policies and Procedures for more details.

Creating a Safe Space for All

Please maintain situational awareness at all times to insure there is no potential to injure yourself or others.

Safety takes many forms.

The following constitute grounds for explusion without refund.

  • Violating any federal, state, or local laws, facility rules.
  • Failure to comply with the instructions of Staff
  • Using anything in a threatening or destructive manner against person or property
  • Endangering the safety of oneself or others
  • Threatening, stealing, cheating, hazing, stalking, harassing or otherwise treating others other than excellently.
  • Failure to conduct oneself in a mature manner.

If you experience or witness any of the above, speak up and politely explain to those violating what behavior was unacceptable. Address issues immediately. Alert Staff to the situation.

No Harrassment Policy

MakerNexus is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, or affiliation. It is a most basic form of safety, and we will not tolerate harassment or racism in any form. It is grounds for expulsion without refund. This includes:

  • Offensive comments related to race, religion, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, or physical appearance
  • Gratuitous sexual or obscene images or behavior in spaces where not appropriate
  • Unwelcome physical contact or sexual attention without consent or after a request to stop
  • Threats or incitement of violence towards any individual, including encouraging a person to engage in self-harm
  • Deliberate intimidation by words, gestures, body language, or menacing behavior
  • Stalking
  • Harassing photography or recording, including logging online activity for harassment purposes
  • Continued one-on-one contact or communication after requests to cease
  • Deliberate "outing" of a sensitive aspect of a person’s identity, health, history, etc without their consent
  • Deliberate misgendering. This includes deadnaming or persistently using a pronoun that does not correctly reflect a person's gender identity

Non Discrimination Policy

MakerNexus does not promote or discriminate against any person, population group, or organization with regard to categories protected by applicable United States law. These include, but are not limited to race, color, religion, sex, gender expression, physical appearance, language, education background, national origin, age, disability, and veteran status.

Preparing for Safety

Do not engage in behaviors or actions that infringe on the rights of other or/and a safety issue to self or others.

Preparing for Safety includes but is no limited to

  • No animals on premises (except service animals), including the parking lot and outdoor areas. Owners of a service animal must note that normal makerspace activities can include sudden loud noises and flashes of light and ground shaking that can upset even a well trained Service Animal. Owners should consider other options before bringing their service animal into the makerspace.
  • Mimimize distractions, turn off cell phones, etc.
  • No being under the influence of intoxicating substances on premise.
  • No being under the influence of any substance the impairs the members ability to safely use the equipment. This includes over the counter medications that may cause drowsiness or other affects that are inappropriate to a safe working environment.
  • No smoking, cigars or vaporizers on premise.
  • No excessive scents, perfume or body odor.
  • Wear appropriate clothes. Additional requirements may be depend on the area of work. This may include safety glasses, hair containment, shirt sleeves, removal of jewelry, rings and others.
  • Don't use gloves near power tools. They can be used to move materials to work areas.
  • No open toe shoes.
  • Respond to alarms and exit the facilities as soon as possible in a safe manner.
  • Follow posted notices.
  • Follow Staff direction.
  • Excessive or distracting and disturbing noise other than necessary for facilities use and safety. No shouting or loud music.
  • Don't leave items unattended.
  • Obstruct the use of the resources by obstruction, by theft or deliberate misplacement of resources. No borrowing.

Inability to follow the guidelines outlined is grounds for review for expulsion.
You will be held responsible for repeated or willful stupidity.

And, if you see anyone being particularly smart, careful and safe, please take a moment to provide a Thumbs Up! positive reinforcement if you aren't interrupting, or even mention it to the staff.

Makerspace Facilities, Equipment and Shop Safety

  • If you aren't authorized to use a piece of equipment or material, don't use it.
  • If you aren't trained on the proper use of a piece of equipment or material, don't use it. Get trained or ask for help by someone who is.
  • If you are unsure how to do or use something safely, don't do it. Ask for assistance.
  • No manufacturing of firearms or any item covered by the National Firearm Act.
  • No manufacturing of fireworks or other items requiring specialized license without specific written authorization of the Executive Director and the Board of Directors. Do not expect this authorization to be given.
  • Report any injuries immediately. We're required to keep such records for the insurance company coverage and to review for safety improvements.

Use the Right Tool

... and use the tool right

  • Keep equipment and tools in good working order.
  • Don't talk to or distract persons working equipment or materials. Their safety depends on their focus to the task.
  • Don't abuse, deface, or deliberately damage the facilities, equipment, materials and resources, both tangible and intangible.
  • Report all broken or malfunctioning equipment, tools, etc. We can't fix it if we don't know about it. If you broke it, immediately report so it can be fixed quickly. It's Ok, breakage happens. If perhaps you need more training to avoid issues in future, no problem. The more immediate the training, the more likely you are to retain it for future use. Learning is part of a maker space.
  • Don't use the equipment beyond recommended usage and tolerances without expert knowledge and appropriate mitigations. When in doubt, ask.
  • Don't use dangerous equipment alone. Use the buddy system. Ask around if someone is free to keep an eye on you if you forgot to bring one with you.

Materials Management

  • Be aware of your project as it moves through equipment and keep clearance in relation to yourself, others and other areas. For example: long poles and boards as they are pulled thru equipment may be thrown.
  • Ensure materials move around the facility and are stored in a safe and approved manner.
    • Don't walk thru the maker space with something dangerous (acid, etc) that's easy to spill. Put a lid on it.
    • Don't store an acid in something it can eat thru sometime late at night when nobody is around. Keep it in an approved container.
    • Don't store a flammable in an open container. Keep it in an approved container.
  • Don't catch fire, don't set fire to others or to items that were not designed or designated to be set alight.
  • Some materials are not appropriate to certain machines, and sometimes inappropriate to the makerspace entirely. Consult the materials management or equipment pages in the wiki for expanded information.

Clean Up

  • Keep equipment and areas clean (this is part of safety too) every time you leave the equipment.
  • Learn what clean means and leave an area that clean or cleaner than you found it.
  • If you don't know how to clean something, ask for assistance. Leaving it because you don't know is not an excuse.
  • Give yourself enough time to clean up before you need to leave.
  • Don't use a rag around moving equipment.
  • Put things back where they belong, if you don't know, ask for assistance.
  • Can't get it clean? Need cleaning supplies? Ask for assistance.
  • Use a brush or other tool to clear chips and shavings, never your hand.

Incident Review and Remediation

As with any group, disagreements happen. Mistakes happen. Members and Guests are expected to learn, discuss concerns and differences, and resolve issues in a calm and polite manner. Strive to see all sides of a situation, and use reasonable effort to resolve issues immediately.

If someone points out something wrong with your conduct, stop, take steps to insure immediate safety, clarify the issue and adjust. If you can't come to a conclusion on the situation, reach out to staff for assistance.

The MakerNexus community will strive to

  • make it as easy as possible to do the right thing to stay safe.
  • make mistakes a normal part of learning processes.
  • make resolution clear and as quick and fair as possible.

Staff will review the details of the situation and make the call on request for adjustment to behavior of any involved. If asked, they will write up the basic circumstances and the ruling on outcome at the time for later review. Copies are given to parties in the incident within 2 business days. Immediate actions may include but are not restricted to:

  • Discuss current policy and requirements with all the parties.
  • Immediate training on safety or usage.
  • Require actions of the person(s) such as cleaning up space, change specific behavior, remove items from the premises.
  • temporary removal of person or persons from a piece of equipment or activity. Perhaps additional training or safety review is required before return to the equipment, or barred from the equipment reservation for a day. Repeat offenses may include a week, a month or more. There are no refunds for removal.
  • temporary removal of person or persons from premises (facility or grounds) for the day. Perhaps review of the Ethics and Conduct with the Executive Director is required for return. Repeat offenses may invoke a week, a month or more. There are no refunds for removal from the premise for cause.

Those who don't abide by the ruling can appeal, and are expected to conform to the ruling until appeal is complete. Any appeals are required to be made in writing (email accepted) to the General Manager received within 2 business days.

Incidents will be reviewed by the Executive Director within 3 business days. The Executive Director will review any associated appeals made within that time and may make adjustments to the requirements. Changes will be notified to all involved, including staff members. The Executive Director will determine if any temporary removal from premises should be forwarded to the Board of Directors for consideration of making a removal permanent.

The Board of Directors will review considerations for removal. They may discuss with the staff, Executive Director and persons in question and then make a ruling within 2 weeks. There is no membership refund for permanent removal from the premises, there is no re-application accepted for reconsideration in less than 1 year.

Incident tracking will be maintained for reference for at least 3 years.

Decisions should be reviewed periodically by the Board of Directors for larger issues, trends and improvements in the Ethics and Conduct as well as other policies.

Finally, a continued dispute or disagreement arising between the Member and Maker Nexus shall be resolved by arbitration in California before one arbitrator and arbitrated in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules (the "Arbitration Rules") of the American Arbitration Association (the "AAA"), in effect on the date that such notice is given.

Change to Ethics and Conduct

The Board of Maker Nexus reserves the right to alter or amend the rules as it determines appropriate for the safety of Maker Nexus members.

Glossary

deadnaming
A deadname is the birth name of a person who has since changed their name (especially a transgender person). Deadnaming is refusing to call a person by their name, only by their deadname.
facility or premises
Any part of the building and grounds, inside, out and the parking lot. Some activities may by necessity and safety are outdoors.
harrassment
The act of systematic and/or continued unwanted and annoying actions of one party or a group, including threats and demands.
equipment
Something used to create or manipulate objects, be they software or hardware. This may include but not limited to: lathe, hammer, screwdrivers, sewing machines, scissors, pencils, tables, saws, and sandpaper. Some equipment may also be materials such as computers based on usage and intent.
materials
Something objects are made of, or used to manipulate characteristics of an object, be they software or hardware. This may include but not limited to: wood, metal, plastic, electric components, grit, sand, glue, paint, screws, and nails. Some materials may also be equipment such as sand or tables based on usage and intent.
minors
Persons under the age of 16.


Signature

I HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD AND AGREE TO COMPLY WITH ALL ASPECTS OF THE ETHICS AND CONDUCT RULES OF MAKER NEXUS.


Print Name:_____________________________________Age: _______ Signature:__________________________________________Date:____________


Print Guardian Name: _____________________________Guardian Signature: _____________________________________ Date:__________________