Ethan & Ethel 01: Personal Safety Equipment
Welcome to the Unit One Work Space, Ethan & Ethel. Here, everyone is required to wear appropriate clothing and safety equipment.
A lot of information about personal protective clothing and equipment is available from WorkSafeBC: https://www.worksafebc.com/en/law-policy/occupational-health-safety/searchable-ohs-regulation/ohs-regulation/part-08-personal-protective-clothing-and-equipment
Unit One uses the regulations here as guidelines for setting its own policy. Sometimes the rules are even stricter than those the government requires.
Identity Cards and Patches
At Unit One, everyone is issued an identity card. This contains a lot of information that could be needed in acute situations. For example, it lists name, birth date, blood type (if known), current medications, chronic medical conditions, allergies, personal contact information, and contact information in case of an emergency.
While this information is also stored in an encrypted format in the Unit One database, it is important to have this information physically available. Computers don’t always work.
| Unit One | Billi Sodd |
| Birthdate: | 1950-01-01 |
| Medications: | Insulin |
| Allergies: | none |
| Blood Type: | O |
| Emergency Contact: | Ivan Sodd 604-527-4660 |
The ID card also lists courses you have taken such as first aid and hot work, as well as the machines your are qualified to use.
Qualification |
Status |
Expiry Date |
| First Aid | Basic | 2019-01-01 |
| Hot Work | Basic | 2020-01-01 |
| Table Saw | Supervisor | 2020-01-01 |
| Mitre Saw | Supervisor | 2020-01-01 |
| Band Saw | Supervisor | 2020-01-01 |
| Planer | Basic | 2025-01-01 |
| Router | Basic | 2025-01-01 |
| CNC | Lathe; Mill | 2025-01-01 |
| Electronics | DC; AC | 2050-01-01 |
| 3D printer | Basic | 2050-01-01 |
| Laser cutter | None | – |
A Unit One ID patch is available to sew onto work jackets. This includes the Unit One logo, and your name. Its colour indicates your work status: orange – novice, must work under supervision; yellow – qualified, allowed to work without supervision; white – supervisor, allowed to train and supervise other people; blue – member of the board of directors.
Clothing
Personal clothing must be of a type and in a condition which will not expose the worker to any unnecessary or avoidable hazards. First of all, this means that no dresses or skirts are allowed, girls. This is because trousers are safer to work in. Because there is a danger of contact with moving parts of machinery or with electrically energized equipment, clothing must fit closely about the body,
Neckwear, bracelets, wristwatches, rings or similar articles may not be worn, except for medical alert bracelets. Similarly cranial (that means head) and facial hair must be confined, or worn at a length which will prevent it from being snagged or caught in the work process.
Everyone at Unit One must have suitable gloves to protect hands from abrasion, chemical or other injury.
Flame resistant clothing must be worn when performing hot work, including welding.
Headgear
Unit One provides safety headgear in situations where there is a danger of head injury. Our headgear is colour coded (see above).
Eyewear & face protection
Properly fitting safety eyewear must be worn if one is handling or exposed to materials which are likely to injure or irritate the eyes. In some cases these must be fitted with sideshields.
If there is a risk of face injury, suitable face protection must be worn.
Footwear
Footwear must be of a design, construction, and material appropriate to the protection required. The following factors must be considered: slipping; tripping; uneven terrain; abrasion; ankle protection and foot support; potential for musculoskeletal injury; crushing potential; temperature extremes; corrosive substances; puncture hazards; electrical shock; any other recognizable hazard.
Hearing protection
While we have a supply of ear plugs at Unit One, we encourage people to use ear muffs. These offer less noise-reduction variability among users, are designed so that one size fits most head sizes, are not easily misplaced or lost, and may be worn with minor ear infections. However, they are less portable and heavier than ear plugs, may be less convenient for use with other personal protective equipment, may be less comfortable with hot work, and may interfere with the wearing of safety glasses because wearing glasses breaks the seal between the ear muff and the skin, resulting in decreased hearing protection.
Respirators and face masks
We typically use non-powered, air purifying half facepieces with sorbent cartridges when working with organic solvents. If dust is the issue, we use face masks.
First Aid kit
At the entrance to Unit One there is a first aid kit that contains most items that should be used to treat minor injuries. This kit is never locked, and is accessible to everyone.
Fire extinguishers
Unit One is equipped with two fire extinguishers, suitable for all types of fires. These are located at opposite ends of the workshop.
Next time, we will be focusing on air quality management.
The Charm of Peavey Mart
The Charm of YYC
Ethan & Ethel
It doesn’t happen often, but a new family has moved into Ginnunga Gap. I haven’t seen much of Maw and Paw Maker, but their children, Ethan and Ethel, have already started hanging around the Unit One workshop.
The twins are 15 years old, and just starting out to make things. At Unit One we’re going to be writing some posts that will help them figure out what to do in a workshop. We want to make sure they learn how to “Do It Ourselves” safely.
Personal safety equipment
Air quality management
Electrical power
Computer control
Mechanical components
3D-scanning
3D-printing
Computer Aided Design
CNC machining
The Workshop
Woodworking
Metalworking
Electronics
Cogitation
A post from the office of the Unit One Chief Scientist, Proton Bletchley.
What is cogitation?
Let’s begin by looking at the dictionary.
cogitation n. c.1200, “thought, idea, notion,” from Old French cogitacion “thought, consideration, reflection,” from Latin cogitationem (nominative cogitatio), noun of action from past participle stem of cogitare “to think, reflect, consider, turn over in the mind,” apparently from co-agitare, from com- “together” (see co-) + agitare, here in a sense of “to turn over in the mind,” literally “to put in constant motion, drive, impel,” frequentative of agere “to move, drive” (see agitation).” Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
At Unit One, people cogitate. They may even ponder. What they don’t do is philosophize. The reason is not just the difficulty in spelling the word, nor is it the fact that philosophy, along with kayaking and drumming, is the domain of Charles Justice, http://earthjustice.blogspot.ca/
What is philosophy?
Again, let’s begin by looking at the dictionary.
Philosophy n. ca.1300, “knowledge, body of knowledge,” from Old French filosofie “philosophy, knowledge” (12c., Modern French philosophie) and directly from Latin philosophia and from Greek philosophia “love of knowledge, pursuit of wisdom; systematic investigation,” from philo- “loving” (see philo- ) + sophia “knowledge, wisdom,” from sophis “wise, learned;” of unknown origin.
Cogitation vs Philosophy
When one philosophizes, there is an expectation that ideas will refer to the works of a whole bunch of old geezers who, through the millenniums, have thought and written about fundamental issues. The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, E3 (2005), defines philosophy as: “A study that attempts to discover the fundamental principles of the sciences, the arts, and the world that the sciences and arts deal with; the word philosophy is from the Greek for “love of wisdom.” Philosophy has many branches that explore principles of specific areas, such as knowledge ( epistemology ), reasoning ( logic ), being in general ( metaphysics ), beauty ( aesthetics ), and human conduct ( ethics ).”
People at Unit One just aren’t (that) disciplined. There is no attempt to discover fundamental principles. People ponder and cogitate simply to make the world a better place.
| Mental activity | Sport | Other hobby | |
| Charles Justice | Philosophy | Kayaking | Drumming |
| Unit One | Cogitation | Surfing; Sparking | Mechatronics; Robotics |
Future Posts
In the future there will be additional blog posts featuring cogitations. Titles will take the form: [subject]: cogitations
Updates
If a topic is revisited, the post title will be followed by, E[integer], [date] so that people who follow the blog can receive updates. E stands for edition. It was decided that using V (for version) might be confused with V (for volume). Minor revisions, will not be given an edition number.
From skis to Kickspark Max
The first primitive Scandinavian ski was found in a peat bog in Hoting in Jämtland County in Sweden which dates back to 4500 BP (Before Present) or 2500 BCE (Before Christian or Common Era).
The oldest set of skis is probably the Kalvträsk skis, found in 1924, at Kalvträsk near Skellefteå, Sweden. Two skis measuring 2040 mm by 155 mm and a shovel shaped ski pole was 1560 mm long. Carbon dating indicates that the equipment is 5200 years old. The skis were made from pine that had grown on a slope, causing the wood to become denser than ordinary. Each ski had four holes for the bindings, which corresponds with ancient skis found in Siberia. The ski pole is similar to ski poles used in historic times by the Sami people in northern Scandinavia. The equipment is on exhibition at the Västerbottens Museum in Umeå.
While skis are useful for exercise by healthy adults, they are not particularly useful for routine winter transport by small children, or adults who have passed middle age. It is here that the kicksled, or spark, offers a more suitable vehicle.
A Kicksled museum is located in Piteå, Sweden, where the vehicle was first developed in the 1860s and 1870s. The museum claims that “The spark is a fantastic transport tool that is in every way in time. It is energy-efficient, environmentally friendly and in many cases shapely fashionable.” https://www.pitea.se/Besokare/Se–gora/Produkt/?lang=sv&TLp=462944
The first kicksleds had stiff wooden runners and were heavy. In 1909 Erik Timander and Anders Bertas in Orsa, Dalarna County, Sweden designed and produced the first modern kicksled, the Orsasparken, with its two patented spring-steel runners.
The traditional spark is fitted with a chair, which is useful for carrying a passenger, while the “driver” stands behind on one of the runners, and kicks the vehicle forward.
In 1994, Hannu Vierikko founded Kickbike Worldwide that developed modern scooters and kicksleds. He claims that these represent Finnish design at its best, by combining unique design with functionality.
“The Kickspark is a new design of a kicksled. Traditional style kicksleds have been in daily use in Scandinavian winter since the beginning of 20th century but for some reason the design has remained the same while other products have been developed a lot. The new, innovative design takes the old winter product to a new level. The Kickspark suits as well for all round use as for sport and fitness. The frame is light and stiff offering excellent control also at high speeds – or for tall riders.
“The handlebar comes with comfortable and warm hd foam grips. You can fold the frame by loosening two bolts or completely disassemble the sled using 6 bolts. This way transportation and storage is quite easy.
“Kicksled can be used anywhere, where you would use skis or ice skates and quite a bit beyond too. For the best ride, choose runners for the surface you plan to ride on. The Kickspark comes standard with steel runners, that can be used in most conditions: ice, snowy and icy roads, paths and trails with a relatively hard snow surface. Those work fine if one can walk on the snowy surface without sinking. The standard runners are made of 5 mm wide and 28 mm tall zinc coated spring steel.
“Snow Runners are plastic skis that support the kicksledder even on snowmobile or cross-country ski trails. Snow runners come in two widths: 36mm and 56mm for softer tracks. Those glide better than steel runners in snowy or cold (-10C/15F or colder) conditions.
“Ice Runners are designed exclusively for kicksledding on ice, similar conditions as skate touring but work better than skates on rough or soft ice surface. Ice Runners glide amazingly well and quietly, yet the grip and control are far better than in the Standard Runners.
“Kicking on snow-free ice with the Ice Runners is a whole new winter sports and outdoors experience. Racers reach speeds of 25-40km/h depending on the distance (100km record being 3:38:50). Long touring on (sunny?) spring ice is something Kickspark riders keep talking about when the ice is gone.
“Even the fastest sled needs a grip under the kicking feet to propel it forward. On snowy surfaces in temperatures well below freezing normal winter boots work fine. On an icy road or lake studded winter boots/ running shoes or crampoons work better. Crampoons are studded (steel studs normally) kicking soles that can be attached to virtually every shoe. The best alternative are spike shoes originally designed for (Finnish) baseball or orienteering equipped with 9-12 mm spikes, some use even golf shoes. Stability/stiffness of the shoe is important.” http://www.kickbike.com/en/kickspark.html
So much for the commercial announcement. With a sales price of about NOK 3 000 (CAD 500) including freight, I won’t be buying a Kickspark Max anytime soon. However, that much money can buy a lot of material to use in the Unit One workshop.
Anyone with a derelict spark they want to get rid of, is invited to take contact.
Update: 2022-05-04
Yesterday, Tuesday 2022-05-03, we acquired our first “Spark”. It was purchased from Reodor, in Straumen, Inderøy for NOK 50. Yes, it was an impulse purchase.
Electrical Installation: A prerequisite to Technical Innovation?
Norway has become a consumer society. In the first few decades after the second world war, house purchasers were encouraged to put physical labour into house construction. This reduced the total price of a house. Today, this is not happening. People are simply consumers of houses, and have little understanding of how they are actually made.
In this post, I want to look at the consequences of this consumerism, but focus on just one area, electrical installation.
Everywhere electrical material is sold in Norway, one is met with the following or similar warning, in Norwegian:
“Although installation materials, such as heating cables, can be purchased by anyone, only registered companies can install the equipment. Stores are required to inform the buyer about this before the purchase is made. It is also not possible to install the equipment yourself, then ask an authorized installer to connect it to the facility in the house. That is a breach of regulations. In addition, there are no serious companies that will take responsibility for a work they do not control.” (from Jula.no)
For many people from other parts of the world, this warning is an affront. Where are the electrical inspectors? Registered electricians are given carte blanche to install electrical materials, but their work remains unsupervised by public officials representing other stakeholders, including house owners. Some electrical inspectors do exist, but they are not public employees. Frequently, they are employees of a major producer of electricity, and they only visit a house every twenty years or so, to ensure that it is in conformity with regulations. When they do come, they have a vested interest in finding mistakes, because they can require a house owner to hire a registered electrician to make changes.
Contrast this with the situation in Canada. Here is a typical sign at a store:
There is no discussion as to who is will do the work. In essence, anyone can do it. The requirement is that all work done, has to be inspected. This treats professional electricians and talented amateurs as equals, which in many cases they are. Without inspections, electricians can be tempted to take shortcuts or do shoddy work.
Inside the Home Hardware store, in Essex, Ontario, there is a display that shows precisely how to wire specific items in a house, including the breaker box:
Amateurs in Canada are able to take night school courses in electricity. Here is a description of a night school course, open to anyone, at Saint Clair College, in Windsor, Ontario:
“Electricity 200 is for non-electrical tradespersons and related. Emphasis is placed on safety practices. Electrical protection of motors. Basic test equipment, purpose and testing of fuses, overloads and circuit breakers. Basic relationship of voltage, current and resistance. Basic relays and A.C. 3 phase motor control, interpreting basic motor nameplate information. Introductory residential wiring. Introductory diodes and rectifiers.”
The course lasts 12 weeks, one night a week, for three hours, from 19.00 to 22.00.
One of the resources used by many Canadian home owners is: Ray Mullin, Tony Branch, Sandy Gerolimon, Craig Trineer, Bill Todd and Phil Simmons 2015 Electrical Wiring Residential, 7th Canadian edition.
Despite having an electrical code that requires the use of professional electricians, Norway has a much higher rate of house fires caused by a failure in the electrical system, than many other countries, including Canada. This is to be expected. Without training and experience, a house owner is unable to understand where electrical problems can arise. Because of the high cost of using professionals, potential problems may be ignored, which puts lives in danger.
As a former teacher of Entrepreneurship, there is one other reason to encourage people to do their own home wiring. Consumers are not good at understanding how products work. With a society of consumers, there will be nobody working in basements and garages to develop new products. Garage culture made America great. Amazon, Apple, Disney, Google, Harley Davidson, Hewlett-Packard, Lotus Cars, Maglite, Mattel and even Microsoft all started in garages. http://www.businesspundit.com/11-famous-garage-startups-that-rule-the-world/
There is a trend in government to encourage coding, but most of the developments in the “Internet of Things” or robotics involve physical computing, a combination of electrical circuits, mechanical components including sensors and actuators as well as code.
It is possible for people to innovate without insight into residential wiring, but being able to wire will provide insights that will help a person to be more innovative.
What is Unit One?
What is Unit One? That is a good question. There are lots of answers, and they can vary from day to day. Here are a few for you to consider.
Answer One. Unit One is whatever you want it to be.
Answer Two. Unit One is a state of mind. It is an imaginary workshop (20th century term) or maker space (21st century term) that encourages cooperation.
Answer Three. Unit One is a real world working space (compromise term) used to construct prototypes of designs to be shared. The designs and prototypes are used to solve real world problems experienced by real, living people.
Answer Four. Unit One is a cooperative association of working spaces where people do whatever they feel they want to do. In some, the focus may be on repair and recycling. In others, it may be the production of entertaining videos to be freely distributed for all to enjoy. Textiles may be the focus of yet more groups. Regardless of what is done, there is an attitude of respect for all participants. In all cases, Unit One offers freely equivalent products to what multi-national corporations want to sell.
Where is Unit One located?
Answer One. At present there is only one location Ginnunga Gap, the primordial void. The Wikipedia article on Ginnungagap refers to Jan de Vries (1977) Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch p. 167 and F. X. Dillmann (1998) “Ginnungagap” in: H. Beck, H. Steuer. & D. Timpe, (Eds.) Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde, Volume 12, pp. 118 -123 as interpreting Ginnungagap as signifying a “magical (and creative) power-filled space.” A perfect term for Unit One.
Answer Two. Current location: Vangshylla, Norway. Future locations being considered: Bergen, Norway; Essex, Ontario; Burnaby, Prince Rupert, Kamloops, Quesnel, all in British Columbia.
For more information about assorted varieties of working spaces see:
https://www.fablabs.io/
Resources
This post has its origins in a couple of emails sent to real, living people. I have combined and changed them, just slightly, to protect the guilty. Many of the videos are related to DIY (Do It Yourself). As noted in an earlier post, one motto used by Unit One is “Do It Ourselves”, which emphasizes collective action to solve challenges that arise.
Computing Chris Barnat likes the same types of computers that I do. He is also interested in other aspects of modern technology, so both of his channels are enjoyable. Explaining Computers & Explaining the Future. If you watch enough Chris Barnat videos, you will learn about a “single board computer” called Raspberry Pi. I work with single board computers because I think they are fun, small and functional. They can also be frustrating. If I lacked a computer and didn’t have money to buy a more expensive one, I would acquire a Banana Pi, Raspberry Pi or Tinker Board. If I had the money I would buy something more expensive, such as a Gigabyte Brix (my current first choice) or Intel NUC.
One of my main areas of interest is control systems, sometimes referred to as home automation, Internet of Things or physical computing. An Arduino combines low cost with ease of use, to make it an entry point for this type of computing. Almost any computer can be used to program an Arduino board. You will need some electronic components to construct circuits. 1. Introductory Arduino For further information, visit the Arduino website. To learn about physical computing watch the videos by Jeremy Blum, 2. Advanced Arduino Sometimes people don’t know where to go to, after they have a basic understanding of the Arduino. In addition to the main website, Volts and Notes is a good source. It specializes in circuits for musical instruments, but also explains why things are done the way they are. Volts and Notes have three (3) videos that will help you make a transition from introductory to advanced user. a. Arduino on a breadboard b. Arduino as ISP c. Arduino on a protoboard – make it permanent. Computing isn’t the only area where people can learn to be more capable.
Women workers in wood and metal April Wilkerson. Originally April focused on home improvement through woodworking. Now she has expanded into other areas, such as welding. Dabin Orvar is a Swedish woodworker living in Portland, Oregon. Laura Kampf is a German woman woodworker and metalworker.
Male woodworkers that don’t talk down to people (that much). Steve Ramsey’s channel, Woodworking for Mere Mortals, is probably the best place to start to learn woodworking. He is from Marin County, north of San Francisco. Worked as a graphic designer, but had woodworking as a hobby. Jeremy Fielding is one of my favourites. Personally, I would prefer him to Steve Ramsey because Jeremy has to work in confined spaces, and is into recycling. Jeremy, can be a little bit “special” for some people, just starting out. John Heisz is an Ontario builder and woodworker. I like him because he has a lot of goodpractical advice. Here is his Home Improvement channel and his General Woodworking channel.
Advanced woodworking. People to watch after you have mastered the basics. Matthias Wandel is an Ontario woodworker. He likes to make a lot of complex things, including his own equipment, but also has a lot of good advice. Marius Hornberger is a German woodworker who likes to make equipment.
This weblog post was originally written 2017-10-11 and saved at 10:01. It reflects views held at that moment in time, which have changed since then.