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Would you permit a wheelchair user visiting a site into a typical engineering manufacturing machine shop? If no, why not

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Would you permit a visiting wheelchair user into an engineering machine shop?

Allow the visit to the workshop
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Disallow the visit to the workshop
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Total votes: 9

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Jack Kane
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Would you permit a wheelchair user visiting a site into a typical engineering manufacturing machine shop? If no, why not

Post by Jack Kane »

I was asked this question today with no other info to help make a decision. I had two very quick reactions, one was just NO, the other was that I need much more info and I have sooooo many questions!

I posted the same question over on our Facebook Group page, some interesting responses. I'm interested to hear your thoughts, please have a vote and a comment.

Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/Health. ... Beginners/
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Re: Would you permit a wheelchair user visiting a site into a typical engineering manufacturing machine shop? If no, why

Post by Blackstone »

The answer should not be a straight no thats for sure!

Coming from an engineering background and spending plenty of time in machine shops, other than physical space being a limiting factor, i cant see a reason why this should be a problem .scratch
Unless the machine shop is so unsafe and poorly run that safety is an issue for all persons!

If the workshop is clean, tidy, machines and storage as it should be, i cannot see any reason why a wheelchair should not go in a machine shop.
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Re: Would you permit a wheelchair user visiting a site into a typical engineering manufacturing machine shop? If no, why

Post by Messy »

I would definitely need much more information

So many people in H&S have this negative 'We can't possible do that' attitude when faced with a challenge. I prefer a ' That might be tricky, but lets see if we can accommodate it' sort of approach

The bottom line is that this person is visiting the workshop, not operating machinery. So surely suitable access and emergency egress are the major concerns here........ without knowing more?
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Re: Would you permit a wheelchair user visiting a site into a typical engineering manufacturing machine shop? If no, why

Post by witsd »

Yes, although certain measures may need to be taken.

To be honest, that's pretty much a standard answer for any H&S question. It's when the other party doesn't want to spend the time / money on those measures that they say "No because of health and safety".
We often think that when we have completed our study of one we know all about two, because 'two' is 'one and one.' We forget that we still have to make a study of 'and.'
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Re: Would you permit a wheelchair user visiting a site into a typical engineering manufacturing machine shop? If no, why

Post by Jack Kane »

Thanks folks ./thumbsup..

Unfortunately my initial no was a complete knee-jerk reaction based on a really old rule we've never given any more thought over the years. The thing is that saying no felt very very wrong, as it should! It turns out our visitor must've been faced with this reaction plenty of times before as they had assumed they wouldn't be permitted onto the shop floor. Not great :(

I'm a reflector and the more I thought about it I have absolutely no reason to not allow the shop floor visit.

We will still need to be quite specific with the details of the workshop tour route for their safety, but I've come up with what I think is a good solution which turns out will give a much better tour to see the processes and product than we thought at the start.

So yes, we have a really clean and tidy facility with plenty of space for visiting groups. There are areas of the workshops where egress is not suitable due to stairs, space or distance etc, but where we do have accessible emergency escape routes it forms a nice defined route.

I wanted to bring this up because I'm taking my learnings from it and I just want to keep the conversation going. An inclusive society isn't too much to ask for.

I've added my sketch to give an idea, it's not brilliant but I find square things and straight lines with happy faces (accessible emergency exit doors) much easier to read than the typical engineering drawings of the building layout.

Thanks again .salut
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Re: Would you permit a wheelchair user visiting a site into a typical engineering manufacturing machine shop? If no, why

Post by Messy »

Nice one Jack. There's been a lot of thought gone into that and I believe you have got the best result for all

But the most important part of all this is....... what are the Star Trek Doors? (Please don't tell me that make that electronic noise when they open?) :)
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Re: Would you permit a wheelchair user visiting a site into a typical engineering manufacturing machine shop? If no, why

Post by Jack Kane »

Messy wrote: Sat May 14, 2022 1:22 am Nice one Jack. There's been a lot of thought gone into that and I believe you have got the best result for all

But the most important part of all this is....... what are the Star Trek Doors? (Please don't tell me that make that electronic noise when they open?) :)
Thanks Messy ./thumbsup..

:lol: :lol:

I'll take a photo of the Star Trek doors and then you will know [smilie=dweeba18.gif] :lol:

For info, in MY head that's exactly what I hear :lol:
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Re: Would you permit a wheelchair user visiting a site into a typical engineering manufacturing machine shop? If no, why

Post by Messy »

Jack Kane wrote: Sun May 15, 2022 10:15 pm

For info, in MY head that's exactly what I hear :lol:
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Re: Would you permit a wheelchair user visiting a site into a typical engineering manufacturing machine shop? If no, why

Post by Ian Rienewerf »

Sir Frank Williams would beg to differ with the "NO" responses.
Apparently he visited the workshop shop floor several times a day - albeit not a typical workplace, and likely to have been designed to be accessible.
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Re: Would you permit a wheelchair user visiting a site into a typical engineering manufacturing machine shop? If no, why

Post by Jack Kane »

Messy wrote: Sat May 14, 2022 1:22 am But the most important part of all this is....... what are the Star Trek Doors? (Please don't tell me that make that electronic noise when they open?)
I would rather tell you they DO make the noise when they open! Alas, I cannot :lol:

Star Trek doors...by the way, I wanted to take a quick clip of them opening and closing then add my own sound effects, but randomly somebody had parked our product in plain view :roll: No photos of product allowed.

Check...
Star Trek doors, silent, no sound effects, booooo
Star Trek doors, silent, no sound effects, booooo
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Re: Would you permit a wheelchair user visiting a site into a typical engineering manufacturing machine shop? If no, why

Post by Messy »

Boo - no sound effects :(

Jack - You should have boldly gone where no man has gone before ;)
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Jack Kane
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Re: Would you permit a wheelchair user visiting a site into a typical engineering manufacturing machine shop? If no, why

Post by Jack Kane »

That's a challenge for a safety dude if ever I saw one Messy :lol: :lol:
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