Mechanical Engineering Shop

Shop Safety Course

The Mechanical Engineering Shop Safety Course is offered two to three times a year to qualify students, faculty, and staff for the use of the machine tools in the ME Shop.

The course consists of a lecture and a project. The lecture runs about two to three hours long. Demonstrations are given on the proper use of the various machine tools in the ME Shop. The lecture also covers all of the basic safety rules of the shop, as well as the shop policies. Shop policies include hours of operation, who is qualified to use the shop, types of projects that can be worked on in the shop, etc. Details of this are published in the document ME Shop Policies. At the end of the lecture, a short test is given.

The project is a simple device that will incorporate all aspects of machining. The project uses all of the basic tools such as the band saw and drill press, as well as using the more sophisticated machines such as the lathe and the milling machine. Materials for the project are provided by the participant and are available at the central warehouse on campus.

The purpose of the project is so that the instructors in the shop can assess the student's ability to use the machine tools in a safe and proper manner. Time to complete the project is four to eight hours.

Persons qualified to participate in the safety course are, in order of priority:

1. Caltech Mechanical Engineering students;
2. Caltech students;
3. Caltech faculty; and
4. Caltech staff

The safety course is offered as a service to the Caltech community. However, completion of the safety course does not imply any right to use the shop facilities at a later date. See the ME Shop Policies for the priorities of the shop. Cost of the safety course is $50. There will be no charge if only the lecture is attended, however, use of the shop will not be granted until the project is completed.