Technology Activity Skill and Process Management Strategies

Practical Technology Workshops

Technology workshops refers to facilities where teachers and students in schools engage in designing, manipulating and processing materials for construction or fabrication of projects.

Students could be exposed to a wide range of activities including:

gluing, fixing, forming, heating, fabricating, machining, polishing, sealing and finishing

These activities would necessarily require a wide variety of materials such as:

  • timber and timber based products
  • plastics
  • metals
  • ceramics
  • paints
  • adhesives
  • solvents

Included in a typical technology workshop would be a range of equipment, machines, tools, benches, storage space, wet working areas, compressed air, and various types of power outlets including, single phase and three phase electricity.

Identified Risk and Hazards

Hazards that may be encountered in workshops include:

  • hand and finger injuries from rotating spindles, pulleys, chucks, or blades
  • injuries from ejected material, swarf from lathes, drills, saws or other power and hand tools, machines or equipment
  • inhalation of dusts and vapours
  • burns from spillages of corrosive liquids, solvents or oils
  • radiation burns from ultra violet and infrared rays

Many of the hazards that may arise in workshop activity area can be minimised by adopting a regular set of ‘good housekeeping’ procedures.


These procedures could include:

  • At the end of each lesson the floors are to be swept and the rubbish placed in an appropriate container.
  • Rubbish bins are to be emptied regularly.
  • All scrap and offcut materials are to be placed in appropriately labeled containers at the end of each lesson.
  • All materials and projects are to be stored up off the floor and in suitable storage cupboards or other facilities.
  • All machines are switched to the ‘off’ position at the lesson’s end.
  • All tools and items of equipment are returned to their storage position at the end of each lesson.
  • Students are to seek teacher permission to start any activity or use any machine.

Activity Location Considerations

  • The technology workshop layout should be appropriate for the production activity. The workshop equipment and furniture should be arranged so that students and staff are able to see all work areas clearly.
  • The workshop area should have adequate lighting to ensure comfortable working conditions.
  • The workshop area should be appropriate for production activities. Bench tops should be made of a suitable material. Bench heights need to be considered in relation to the type of equipment being used.
  • The location should enable sufficient teacher supervision to be maintained at all times.
  • First aid equipment and supplies should be available and easily accessible. A clearly sign-posted First Aid Station in the work area is recommended.
  • A fire extinguisher and fire blanket should be within close proximity to the workshop area.

Equipment and/or machines should be arranged to minimise any risks, which could occur from their operation.

  • The location of equipment and materials should allow for quick and efficient exit in case of fire or other emergencies.
  • All walkways should be left free of obstructions.
  • Workshop floors should have a non-slip surface to reduce the occurrence of slips, trips and falls.
  • Workshops should use recommended colour schemes to mark physical hazards (as per Australian Standard 1318, SAA Industrial Safety Colour Code) including:

RED - Danger (eg. stop buttons)

YELLOW - Caution or attention (eg. machine guards)

GREEN - Safety (eg. start buttons, first aid equipment)

BLUE - Information (eg. office, toilet, store)

  • The workshop should be correctly signed with the signs clearly readable from all angles of approach.


Resource and Equipment Guidelines

  • All machinery should conform to Australian Standards specifications.
  • Electrical equipment should be inspected regularly and where possible It is advised that electrical equipment have current electrical test certification. (AS/NZS 3760::2000)
  • Where screens are used around machines they shall not block the teacher’s view.

  • Machines should have start-stop controls of the push button type and incorporate both no-volt and overload release.
  • Start buttons should be shrouded and green in colour with the word “start” indicated on or near the button.
  • Each machine should have a red stop button. The button should be protruding and clearly marked with the word “stop”.
  • Emergency stop buttons of the mushroom head type should be installed at prominent positions around the workshop.
  • Emergency stop buttons should be of the lock and key type so that once isolated, the circuit breaker can be re-set by the teacher only.
  • A circuit breaker controlling all of the machines in one workshop should be provided and safeguarded by lock and key, and should always be in an accessible and visible position.
  • A master or isolating switch capable of being locked in the off position, should be attached to each machine.
  • Workshops should have their electrical power distribution circuitry protected by core-balance earth-leakage protection of 30mA sensitivity.
  • Machines that are specifically used by instructors and teachers only, should be fitted with switched locks and kept locked in the off position when not in use.
  • Machinery and equipment should be installed to ensure that sufficient space is provided around an individual machine and to allow for group instruction, normal operation and adjustments.
  • Machine guards should be designed to allow access for inspection and maintenance.
  • Fixed machines installed in a workshop should have a safe work zone delineated.
  • The safety zone should be measured as 1200mm -1500mm in all directions from the work face of the machine.
  • The zone is to be marked in yellow / yellow-black stripe safety tape/paint 50mm in width.
  • All machines should have the necessary guards fitted and machine controls should be in accordance with the manufacturers specifications.
  • Electrical equipment should be inspected regularly and where possible It is advised that electrical equipment have current electrical test certification. (AS/NZS 3760::2000)
  • All equipment should be in good condition and be regularly maintained by qualified personnel.
  • Teachers should make regular inspections of personal protective equipment (PPE) supplied by students (eg. safety glasses), and ensure that the equipment is to Australian Standard Specification and is in good serviceable condition.
  • The operator should leave the equipment, machines, and workshop area in a safe, clean and tidy condition.
  • Material safety data sheet information should be obtained for all hazardous substances used in the workshop such as paints, adhesives, glues, solvents, acids, fluxes, flammable liquids etc. Particular attention should be given to the correct storage, disposal and clean up of possible spillage of these substances.
  • Appropriate safety rules should be established and adhered to at all times.
  • All persons who may be at risk as a result of an activity being engaged in the workshop should wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
  • The number of different activities being engaged in simultaneously in the workshop, and the level of difficulty of the activities should be considered in relationship to the number of students in the workshop at any one time.
  • Ventilation and fume extraction in a workshop should be considered for eliminating such hazards as:
  • dusts
  • spray painting vapour
  • solvents and surface finisher fume
  • adhesives fume
  • some plastics fume emissions.
  • As far as is practicable, teachers should control, administer or engineer the use of equipment and\or machines to ensure the accumulated noise in the workshop is not above the recognised safe industrial level (approximately 85dB).
  • Where signs are displayed to identify known hazards, safety signs in accordance with

AS 1319-1994 are recommended. This standard outlines specific parameters for safety signs in workplaces.

There are six categories of signs. They are:

Mandatory Signs - These signs specify that an instruction must be carried out. Symbols or pictograms are depicted in white on a blue circular background. Sign wording if necessary, is in black lettering on a white background.

Prohibition Signs - These signs specify behaviour or actions which are not permitted. The annulus and slash should be depicted in red over the action symbol in black. Sign wording if necessary, is in black lettering on a white background.

Warning Signs - These signs are to warn of hazards or a hazardous condition that is likely to be life-threatening. The hazard symbol should be on a yellow background and a triangle should be depicted around the hazard symbol. Sign wording if necessary, is in black lettering on a yellow background.

Fire Signs - These signs advise the location of fire alarms and fire fighting equipment. They contain a white symbol and/or text on a red background.


Emergency Information Signs - These signs indicate the location of, or directions to emergency related facilities. eg. exits, first aid, safety equipment. They feature a white symbol and/or text on a green background.

Danger Signs - These signs are for warning when a hazard or a hazardous condition is likely to be life-threatening. The word “Danger” is featured inside a red ellipse inside a black rectangle.

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