Safety Guidelines

Guidence

If you ever feel uncertainty or fear, treat it as a signal to pause, learn more, and increase your confidence through research or testing before continuing. DIDSA believes that exploration should be bold, curious and hands on, but always informed, controlled and responsible.

General Principles

These guidelines apply to all projects:

• Understand before you build. Know what each component does and how it behaves under stress.
• Test incrementally. Start small, observe carefully, and scale only when confident.
• Use appropriate personal protective equipment. Safety glasses, gloves, ventilation and heat resistant surfaces.
• Never work alone when dealing with high voltage, heat, pressure or hazardous materials.
• Keep a safe workspace. Clear floor area, no flammable clutter, good lighting.
• Have an emergency plan. Fire blanket, extinguisher, first aid kit and a clear exit path.

Electrical Safety

Electrical systems are among the most common sources of injury in experimentation. Key principles:

High Voltage and Arcing

• Treat anything capable of generating a spark as dangerous.
• Insulate all wiring and enclose exposed high voltage components.
• Use proper rated connectors and avoid temporary loose wire joins.
• Keep hands and metal objects away even after power is switched off. Many components hold charge.

Low Voltage DC Projects

• Even low voltages can produce high current.
• Use fuses or current limited power supplies.
• Do not short lithium cells or connect mismatched cells together.
• Check polarity before energising a circuit.

Mains Electricity

DIDSA strongly recommends that beginners avoid working directly with mains powered circuitry. If you must:

• Use isolating transformers, fuses and proper grounding.
• Enclose all mains wiring in rated housings.
• Never work on live mains equipment.

Fire and Ignition Sources

Projects involving heat, sparks, combustion or propellants require careful attention:

• Conduct tests outdoors or on a fire resistant surface.
• Keep a fire blanket or extinguisher within reach.
• Maintain safe distances from flammable structures or materials.
• Never store flammable liquids near soldering irons, heating elements or spark sources.
• For ignition systems, ensure proper shielding, remote activation and controlled test ranges.

Soldering and Hot Work

Soldering seems simple but often causes burns and respiratory irritation:

• Always solder in a well ventilated area.
• Use a stand. Never place a hot iron on the table.
• Avoid touching recently soldered joints. They stay hot longer than expected.
• Keep liquids and lotions away from flux residues which can cause irritation.
• Wash hands after handling flux or leaded solder.

Moving Parts and Mechanical Systems

Any mechanism that spins, strikes, cuts or moves under power can injure:

• Tie back hair and avoid loose clothing and jewellery.
• Keep fingers and tools away from belts, gears, pulleys and propellers.
• Use guards on rotary tools, fans and exposed shafts.
• Expect failures. Spinning objects can come loose. Stand away from the line of rotation during tests.
• Secure all assemblies before powering them.

Laser Scanners and Optical Systems

Laser based sensors and scanners can harm eyes even at low power:

• Never look directly into a laser emitter.
• Treat invisible infrared beams as equally hazardous.
• Use appropriate laser safe goggles when aligning beams.
• Be aware of reflective surfaces. Reflections can be just as dangerous as the source.
• Mount scanning modules securely and avoid hand holding active optical systems.

3D Printer Safety

Although common, 3D printers involve heat, moving parts and fumes.

Heat

• Hot ends reach very high temperatures. Keep hands clear and allow the printer to cool before touching anything.
• Heated beds can cause burns. Check temperatures before working.

Moving Parts

• Avoid reaching into the printer during operation.
• Disable motors before adjusting belts or tightening screws.

Fumes and Materials

• Ventilate the room, especially when printing with ABS, ASA, resin or exotic filaments.
• Store resin safely and avoid skin contact. Use nitrile gloves.
• Cure resin prints fully before handling.

Fire Risk

• Use a smoke alarm in the same room.
• Avoid leaving printers unattended for long prints unless they are in a fire safe enclosure or monitored remotely.

If You Are Unsure, Learn More First

Fear or hesitation is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign that you need more knowledge.
Whenever something feels unsafe:

• Research the component or material.
• Read datasheets.
• Ask more experienced builders or community members.
• Perform small tests to build intuition.
• Increase control through understanding.

Confidence comes from knowledge, not luck.

Final Note

DIDSA supports safe and responsible creativity. These guidelines are intended to help you explore ideas with confidence, control and respect for the risks involved.