Fab Lab Safety Game - Facilitators Guide FAB12 International Fab Lab Conference

Shenzhen, China, 8-14 August 2016

Pieter van der Hijden (pvdh@sofos.nl) – Update 23 August 2016

To download the complete workshop kit plus the FAB12 Workshop Outputs, go to http://bit.ly/fablabonline under “Fab Lab Safety”.

Pieter van der Hijden – 2016 - This work is licensed under a Creative Commons

Attribution 4.0 International License.

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1 Metadata

1.1 Game

Title Fab Lab Safety Game; Preparing Fab Labs and Maker Spaces for

Occupational Health and Safety

Authors Pieter van der Hijden, pvdh@sofos.nl (Sofos Consultancy, Amsterdam,

The Netherlands) and Lipika Bansal, lipika@pollinize.org (Pollinize,

Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Intended audience Management, staff and/or volunteers of the same* Fab Lab /

makerspace; minimum 6, maximum 15 people; *see also: Option

Purpose To help improve the management of health and safety risks in their lab

Facilitator Required; 2 hours preparation time for new facilitator:

Read the "Fab Safe Game"; Pieter van der Hijden, Lipika Bansal; ISAGA – 46th Annual Conference of the International Simulation and Gaming Association; Kyoto, Japan; 17-21 July 2015; to be published by Springer Verlag

Review the card deck (see requirements)

Time Set-up time 15 minutes; run-time 3 hours (minimum 1.5 hours)

Requirements See below.

Option In case the participants come from different labs, an imaginary fab lab

description is available as common frame of reference.

Keywords fab lab, maker movement, health, safety, planning, game, workshop

Acknowledgements The risk card deck has been derived from

EN: Netherlands,Generic Sector: EU-OSHA: OiRA: Generic Tool EU-OSHA: OiRA: Generic Tool: http://www.oiraproject.eu/oira-tools

NL: MKB RI&E: http://www.rie.nl/instrumenten/algemene-mkb-rie/

The Fab Lab (FABrication LABoratory) concept was developed by Neil

Gershenfeld, director of the Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA) at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

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Rights

Pieter van der Hijden & Lipika Bansal – 2015-2016 - This work is licensed

under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

1.2 Context

Context FAB12 International Fab Lab Conference, Shenzhen, China, 8-14 August

2016

Date, time, location WORKSHOP #106, Wednesday 10 August 2016 - 13:00-16:00 h., Sheraton

Shenzhen Futian Hotel (Room YUAN 2).

Facilitators Pieter van der Hijden - The Netherlands & Suriname (pvdh@sofos.nl)

Assistant facilitator / translator: Ying (Wing) Chen - China

(519616734@qq.com)

1.3 Requirements

Room Quiet room with cabaret setting for four breakout groups and one

presentation wall.

Equipment 4 tables (8 chairs each) in cabaret setting

computer plus projector

Materials For each participant:

evaluation form

badge or sticker

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For each group/table:

Big signs: Management Team, Manager Human Affairs, Manager Operations, Manager Infrastructure;

Attendance list with first name, last name, affiliated lab, life cycle stage, email address, email address to be shared/notshared;

Empty poster and drawing materials;

Yellow, red and green rectangular stickers; any color square;

Markers.

Other:

Card deck with index card (1), category cards (10), and risk cards (46); to be distributed during the session.

Instruction cards (3 copies) to be distributed during the session.

Gameboard

Powerpoint slides or poster presentation

Facilitator manual

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2 Preparation

Set up the room: cabaret setting for four breakout groups and one presentation wall. Note: the three roles (teams) most of the time work separately. At certain moments they convene as Management Team. If possible, the table of the management team should be larger (or double) than the other ones.

Computer plus projector plus presentation slides.

On each table: big sign (Management Team, Manager Human Affairs, Manager Operations, and Manager Infrastructure), attendance list, badges/stickers and markers.

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3 Process

Macro cycle

The macro cycle of the 3 hour game session consists of:

Check-in and briefing: 15 minutes,

Four micro cycles of 30, 30, 45 and 45 minutes each,

Debriefing and check-out: 15 minutes.

This implies 180 minutes - 3 hours in total.

If there is less time available, the time slots will shrink; the absolute minimum is opening 5 minutes,

four micro cycles of 20 minutes, closing 5 minutes: 90 minutes in total.

This facilitator guide describes the 3 hour session.

3.1 Check-in

The facilitator asks the participants to write their name and fab lab affiliation on a sticker to be used as badge.

The facilitator invites them to fill in the attendance list as well.

3.2 Briefing

Participants and facilitator introduce each other and inform how they relate to the Fab Lab and the theme "Safety and Health at Work".

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The facilitator gives a brief and motivating presentation on the topic and explains the rules of the Fab Safe Game. There is a quick check, whether the expectations of the participants and the game's goals match.

Participants from the same fab lab

Skip this section if the participants come from different fab labs.

The facilitator asks the participants to give a verbal description of their fab lab: target groups, activities, staff, machines, building, etc.

Participants from different fab labs

Skip this section if the participants come from the same fab lab.

The facilitator explains that we will work as if we are all staff members of the same imaginary fab lab, the Romeo Fab Lab. He/she gives one of the participants an instruction card, titled "Welcome to the Romeo Fab Lab" and asks him/her to read out the first paragraph, hand the card over to somebody else to read out the next paragraph, etcetera.

The facilitator asks whether the participants are missing certain elements in the Romeo Fab Lab description. Together they can decide to add them to their "common fab lab".

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Instruction card: Welcome to the Romeo Fab Lab!

The Romeo Fab Lab opened two years ago. Only one year ago, you became member of the

management here. The fab lab works with paid staff and volunteers, sometimes sub-contractors.

Service technicians from various suppliers could come and go during the day.

The Romeo Fab Lab is located on the second floor of a former school building. It occupies three

connected rooms with a single entry. On the other floors small companies and neighborhood groups

have their spaces. Lavatories are on the first floor. There is no elevator.

The Romeo Fab Lab started with a 3D-printer (filament) and a laptop in a single room. Its space soon

was extended with a second room to accommodate the new vinyl cutter, laser cutter, an electronics

section, a 3D scanner and a CNC milling machine. Recently it bought a second hand 3D printer that

works with powder, binding fluids and a kind of super glue. This is located in a third room.

The Romeo Fab Lab serves a community with people of all ages. A significant minority only speak a

foreign language. Young technopreneurs can hire the whole Fab Lab or just a single machine during

two days a week. One day the Fab Lab is open for the general public. Another day it has open access

activities for families with children. Parents are inclined to see the lab as a free children daycare at

that moment. Easy access for people with disabilities is an issue.

Further the Romeo Fab Lab organizes single workshops to learn to work with the machines and

dedicated software. It also organizes short courses of 4-6 sessions. Once a year, the international Fab

Academy takes place. During 20 weeks, students meet in the lab during half a day per week for

online tutoring and local guidance. During the week they return at various moments to do their

"homework".

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Our mission

The facilitator reads out the mission statement for this game session.

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Instruction card: Mission statement

For the moment, we assume that all participants are staff members of our fab lab. We are going:

to set the stage by describing our lab from various perspectives,

to identify organizational safety and health risks in our lab,

to assess and prioritize the risks,

to decide on required actions and to plan their implementation.

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Role allocation

The facilitator invites the participants to form three groups of about the same size, representing the Manager Human Affairs (red), the Manager Operations (green) and the Manager Infrastructure (blue). An instruction card with descriptions is available for every group.

Each group has its own table.

The facilitator asks each group member to introduce him/her-self to the group and to study their role description and other information distributed so far.

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Instruction card: Fab Lab Organization

Organization of the fab lab

Our fab lab has three managers (groups): Manager Human Affairs, Manager Operations, and

Manager Infrastructure. Together they form the Management Team.

Management Team - The Management Team is responsible for the whole and for the consistencies

between the parts. Common issues dealt with by the Management Team are a.o. the organization of

occupational health care and emergency response.

Manager Human Affairs - To stress the importance of the human factor in the lab, we call our

general manager "Manager Human Affairs". He/she deals with all human affairs, e.g. working hours

and rest periods of staff members (paid and voluntary), work pressure and stress, internal and

external relations, users / visitors of all ages, some with physical or language handicap, single or

groupwise, spontaneous or planned, and general management issues.

Manager Operations - The Manager Operations is focused on the planned and not-planned activities

that take place during the week, the flows of people through the building and to the machines,

machine safety, the storage and flows of materials, dangerous substances and portable machines,

personal protective equipment and health and safety signs.

Manager Infrastructure - The Manager Infrastructure is focused on the Fab Lab building and its direct

environment (also environmental factors), its entrance and the passages in the building. And further

on the organization of workplaces, technical installations, and the machines as far as they are not

portable.

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3.3 Cycles

Cycle 1 - Setting the stage

The first cycle "Setting the stage" takes 30 minutes; 20 for group work, 10 for the management team meeting. The Infrastructure group will set-up and run that meeting.

The facilitator gives each group a poster and drawing materials.

The facilitator explains that to use their scarce time as efficiently as possible, the groups go through a pre-defined process of four cycles. During each cycle each group first works on their own topics and then the management team comes together to create a shared vision.

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Instruction card: Cycle 1 - Setting the stage

The three groups each work for 20 minutes and then have a management team meeting of 10

minutes.

Three groups

The Manager Human Affairs (group) will

prepare an overview of categories of people

that visit your Fab Lab during a week.

Example of fab lab people categories

The Manager Operations (group) will prepare a

schedule of a typical Fab Lab week, indicating

activities, flows of visitors and flows of

materials.

Example of a fab lab schedule

The Manager Infrastructure (group) will

prepare a floorplan of the Fab Lab indicating

spaces, installations and machines.

Example of a fab lab floorplan

Management team

The Manager Infrastructure (group) will convoke the Management Team meeting, chair it and

document its outcomes.

The chairperson gives each manager (group) the opportunity to present their "view" to the other ones. The other managers may ask for further clarifications. It is also important to cross-check the three presented views. The three views combined should give a rather complete picture of the Fab Lab. Eventually, the groups adjust their results.

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Cycle 2 - Identifying risks

The second cycle "Identifying risks" takes 30 minutes; 20 for group work, 10 for the management team meeting. The Operations group will set-up and run that meeting.

The facilitator distributes yellow stickers and markers.

During a brainstorming each group identifies risks related to their view. Participants may use the common risks summary for inspiration. Ultimately they have to reduce their number of risks to maximum 7.

The Operations group organizes a plenary meeting, chair it and document the outcomes. The groups there discuss their lists of maximum 7 risks. In case of overlapping risks one group becomes the owner.

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Instruction card: Cycle 2 - Identifying risks

Figure - Common risks summary

The three groups each work for 20 minutes and then have a management team meeting of 10

minutes.

Three groups

Review your earlier "view" of the fab lab from the safety and health point of view. Via brainstorming

you may try to find as many risks or hazardous situations as possible. If your speed of brainstorming

is slowing down, have a look at the picture "common risks summary" for inspiration.

Once you have identified about 15 risks, you may discuss the list in your group and isolate the seven

most important ones. Write these risks with a marker on a yellow sticker (one risk per sticker).

Management team

The Manager Operations (group) will convoke the Management Team meeting, chair it and

document its outcomes.

Each group presents their seven risks to the other groups. The other groups may ask for further

clarifications. Do the risks fit in one or more views? If so, where exactly? In case of overlapping risks

one group becomes the owner. Eventually, the groups adjust their results.

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Cycle 3 - Assessing risks

The third cycle "Assessing risks" takes 45 minutes; 30 for group work, 15 for the management team meeting. The Human Affairs group will set-up and run that meeting.

The facilitator distributes sets of risk cards, indicated by color: Human Affairs - red, Operations, green, Infrastructure - blue.

Each group goes through its card deck and identifies relevant risks; they merge them with the risks they identified before and ultimately select the seven risks with the highest priority.

The Human Affairs group organizes a plenary meeting, chairs it and documents the outcomes. There the groups shortly present their updated list of seven risks. Transfers are possible. Ultimately each group has maximum seven reviewed and prioritized risks.

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Instruction card: Cycle 3 - Assessing risks

Risk categories for fab labs

The three managers each work with their own people for 30 minutes and then have a management

team meeting of 15 minutes.

Three groups

Go through the card deck and identify any relevant risk.

Merge the selected cards with the set of seven risks identified before (the yellow stickers).

Sort the risks in order of priority.

Update the set of seven yellow stickers when necessary.

Management team

The Manager Human Affairs (group) will convoke the joint meeting, chair it and document its

outcomes.

Each group presents their updated set of seven risks to the other roles. The other groups may ask for

further clarifications, especially when some risks from the set of seven have been replaced. Are there

any white spots in the views were no risks exist? Is that correct? In case of overlapping risks one

group becomes the owner. Eventually, the groups adjust their results.

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Cycle 4 - Planning and implementing

The fourth cycle "Planning and implementing" takes 45 minutes; 15 for group work, 30 for the management team meeting. The Infrastructure group will set-up and run that meeting.

The facilitator distributes the remaining (yellow) risk cards and stickers (red and green rectangular, square in any color) and markers.

The groups discuss their new risk cards which may lead to changes in their sets of seven yellow stickers.

The infrastructure group organizes a plenary meeting, chairs it and documents the outcomes. Now each group has a maximum of seven yellow stickers, maximum 21 in total. Participants discuss how to reduce the total number of stickers to the seven most important / urgent issue. These will be stick on the plan board. The remaining columns of the plan board are completed.

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Instruction card: Cycle 4 - Planning and implementing

# Risk Impact Location

Activity

People

Risk level Strategy What? Who? When?

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2

3

4

5

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Identify Assess Plan

The three managers each work with their own people for 30 minutes and then have a management

team meeting of 15 minutes.

Three groups

Go through the new card deck and identify any relevant risk. Bring them to the joint meeting.

Management team

The Manager Infrastructure (group) will convoke the joint meeting, chair it and document its

outcomes.

The groups together compare the cards they just selected and reduce them to exactly seven.

Now each group has seven yellow stickers (or less) from cycle 3 and the three groups together have

seven additional cards from cycle 4. All together 28 stickers or cards.

The management team (and groups) discusses how to reduce these 28 stickers to the seven most

important ones.

Then all together will complete the risk management plan board using rectangle and square stickers:

Priority

Risk description (the yellow stickers)

Risk Impact

Relation to the Fab Lab (Location, Activity, People),

Risk level (= probability x effect), use Low, Medium or High,

What to do, by whom and when?

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3.4 Debriefing

The facilitator organizes a short discussion round on the participants' experience of the game.

He/she asks what they learned and which commitments they want to share and/or to take up in their fab lab at home.

He/she asks for suggestions to improve the game.

The facilitator summarizes the follow-up activities:

Networking during this conference

Staying in touch after this conference (attendance list!)

Access to online environment

3.5 Check-out

The facilitator remembers participants to fill the attendance form.

The facilitator gives each participant an evaluation form to fill on the spot:

What was ok?

What could be better?

Other suggestions?

Name, affiliation and email to distribute?

The facilitator collects all materials.

4 Follow-up

The facilitator distributes mailing list, evaluation cards, references to pictures / results, etc.