Make: Tips and Tales from the Workshop

20 Safety and First Aid

“Safety third!” is an ongoing joke within the maker community. Many people are shocked when they encounter this phrase, thinking that it’s actually encouraging people to be reckless and unsafe. This can’t be further from the truth. First off: it’s a joke. It’s meant to be shocking and wrong, and to generate an uncomfortable laugh. But really, what it’s meant to do is to poke fun at our overly protective, safety-obsessed culture that places too much emphasis on safety, security, and protection, to the point where we’re all afraid to do anything for ourselves. The maker movement has given people permission to play, to try new things, to be willing to make mistakes, and to learn through trial and error. Similarly, funny ...