[hackerspaces] Kids and Hackerspaces

[LexIcon]

When I was in art school, we all had to pass 200-question safety exam 
before we could even touch a pencil sharpener. As I understood it, this 
was required annually by the school's insurance company.

I think it is a good idea to do this for hackerspaces, to not assume 
that anyone is completely familiar with how to properly use every tool 
in the shop, to have this sort of challenge system to combat any ignorance.

This could be applied to children using the spaces as well, that if they 
can pass the same difficult safety exam as a 25 year-old, they shouldn't 
be excluded based on their age. Maybe have certain sections of the lab 
that kids can't use without immediate supervision until they are older, 
like saws and other dangerous power tools.

This also requires that you have a safety manual people can study to 
prepare for the exam. Maybe we could have a shared hackerspaces safety 
manual that groups can collaborate on creating and improving?

What to do with kids under 10 years old? Probably either have a safe 
space set aside for them in the lab, or exclude them until they can deal 
with the safety exam.

- Lex