Before working at our costume and workshop studios users need to attend Workshop Health and Safety course. The course is kind of like a driving license for the workshops. These facilities have a lot of powerful machines that need to be used in a safe way. Grinding machine shoots out a lot of sparks and welding temperature is dangerously hot. That’s why using them requires some instructing!
At this this week’s course the master students of ARTS were shown all the machines and their mechanisms. At the metal and wood workshops they got to try welding, bending and grinding of metal and building some basic structures from wood.
They also familiarised themselves with the industrial sewing machines at the sewing studio by creating cotton bags as a rehearsal work. As the workshop supervisor Anja Behm describes, the use of the sewing studio is not rocket science but rather a low threshold workshop for everyone at Aalto!
After safety instructions the students at this week’s course found the learning by doing principle a good way to get to know the machines. They thought it’s great that they can come to the workshops to make their project from scratch and exactly how they want it.
The Workshop Health and Safety course for bachelor students will be held on week 46.