by Mekgineer Davvi Dolittle
Hello everyone! How are you? I hope you're doing well! If you're reading this article, then, you must have an interest in building all sorts of super neat machines and gadgets to make the lives of you, your friends and family much easier and more fun! Unless, you don't like engineering and are reading it by mistake. Either way, welcome! I hope you like what you read! I'm excited!
Safety: How to not be blown up, or Vaporized
Last month, we covered all the super neat and useful tools that engineers new and old need to work, and that was super fun, but, there are still a few things that we need to talk about, that are even MORE super important than having the right tools! That super-duper important thing is safety in the workshop and laboratory! I am very very serious when it comes to safety, because, I don't want to get hurt, or worse, get other people hurt because of a silly mistake! I bet that none of you do either! So, this month, we're going to go over some of the basics of safety, so that, the only explosions that happen are those you want to go off, and so that you stay safe during detonation!
Proper Storage and Handling Procedures:
Now, we engineers don't only use regular old metal or wood or leather when we build things. Sometimes, we use super rare and hard to find materials, and sometimes, these materials can be very dangerous when stored or handled incorrectly! There are three rules that you have to follow when storing or handling dangerous materials!
The first is, you have to really understand the nature of the material you're working with, so that you don't treat it in such a way that puts yourself or someone else in danger. For example, you might say, “Davvi! As long as I keep explosives away from fire, and as long as I don't shake them up too much, everything should be okay, right?” And, I might say back to you, yes, while it's important to keep explosives away from open flames and transport it SUPER carefully, but also, it's important to NEVER make general assumptions about dangerous engineering materials! For instance, the most powerful of explosives is Seaforium, which actually detonates when it comes in contact with water and not fire! Did you know that? If you didn't, you might have blown up your whole workshop. And the house next door!
The second super important rule is, never ever store materials in their most reactive forms! Again bringing up the case of Seaforium, while it is super reactive and explosive when it comes in contact with water, the base materials out of which it is made are by themselves nearly inert! It therefor makes a LOT more sense to store dangerous materials in their most basic, non-reactive forms to be safely combined later into the final product. While it may take more time to create a new batch of the final product this way for each project you are working on, it is NOT something you should be lazy about! It might not save you time now but it will save you fingers later! I'm talking to you, Goblin Engineers!
The final rule builds on rules one and two, in choosing appropriate storage media for your dangerous materials once you have learned about them and have already got them in their most nonreactive states. All explosives should be stored in stone or metal containment vessels or cabinets, far away from open flames and in some cases sealed against destabilizing oxidation or moisture. Some people say that Saronite, on the other hand, sort of whispers to people, and can make them act angry or scared. As a result, many engineers and blacksmiths too choose to store their Saronite ore and bars in a box or container with holy blessings put on it. I would say though, that good earplugs might work too! Even if you have to have a container specially built to safely store your dangerous materials, it is most definitely worth it, because nothing is more inconvenient than coming home to discover that your workshop has been blown into the Twisting Nether.
Proper Working Attire and Dress:
When I say, that you have to wear the proper attire, I don't mean something like formal wear, or casual wear! I mean work wear! Believe it or not, what you wear DEFINITELY contributes to your personal safety at work!
For instance, have you ever seen a seasoned mekgineer wearing a ball gown, or a tuxedo with the tails while they're working? No! They might be wearing an old pair of pants and shirt or overalls, which are my favorite. The reason for this is that loose garments can be easily caught in spinning machine parts, which can cause SEVERE injury, or even rip the clothes right off you and leave you naked! For this reason, tinkerers should wear not so loose fitting clothing, but something that hugs you a bit more. Also, for this same reason, dangly jewelry that can catch on things should be avoided as well! And also, for you girl engineers, and some of you boys too, if you have long hair, or a pony tail like me, you should pin it up into a bun or something, so that your hair doesn't get caught either! That would be SUPER horrible.
Many engineers are always seen wearing goggles, and this is not only because they're super neat and good looking! Goggles are also very practical, not only for examining different spectra of light or heat, or for magnification and targeting, but also, to keep sparks and stray metal filings and things out of your eyes! A good mekgineer will always wear a leather or rubber apron and gloves while welding, metalworking and ESPECIALLY while working with corrosive or explosive compounds! While working with dangerous materials such as these, the more skin you can cover up the better! Another important addition to the safety-wardrobe is boots that have steel or even titanium reinforced toes! This way, if something heavy were to accidentally fall onto your foot, your toes would remain safe under the strong metal cap!
Well, I really really hope that you enjoyed my article! I really really hope that you were able to learn something, even if you're not an engineer and read this article by mistake. For today, I want to remind you that every engineer has to keep safety in mind at all times, from the storage of dangerous materials to the way they dress in the workshop! A burned or pinched engineer is not a happy engineer! Be well, and, enjoy the rest of this fine publication!
