Return to School Guidance for Practical Subjects in Post-Primary Schools and Centres for Education
2. Wood Technology/Construction Studies, Engineering, Applied Technology/Technology and Graphics/DCG
- All machines and hand tools should be cleaned/sanitised after the last lesson each day.
- For each individual lesson, the cleaning (with disinfectant wipes) of machines and tools should be done by the students and built into the typical housekeeping procedures that are the norm in practical classrooms such as cleaning down work areas, sweeping floors and general clean-up. For example, if a student uses a pillar drill, disinfectant wipes should be provided beside this machine and students should clean any contact areas after each use.
- Where practical, students should only use the hand tools assigned to them and not interchange these with other students. For example, in a Wood Technology lesson, students should only use their assigned chisels, mallet and marking-out equipment. Where hand tools such as measuring tapes and vernier calipers have to be shared, these should be wiped clean between each use.
- For the preparation and handling of student material such as metal, perspex, paper and timber, teachers should wear gloves to avoid direct contact, where it is safe to do so. A similar approach should be used when handing out this material to students. Where practical, designated storage space within the classroom should be made available for each individual class group to store their materials between lessons in order to reduce the risk of other students coming into contact with the materials.
- All students studying the Technology subjects should have their own safety goggles for using equipment such as the bandsaw or scroll saw. These should be kept and stored safely by each student and cleaned at home each evening. If a student is studying more than one of the practical subjects (including Science), one set of goggles is adequate.
- For practical demonstrations, digital technology such as the visualiser could be used to reduce the need for students to group together. Many visualisers also have the capability to record demonstrations so this will provide an additional support for students.
- It is important that face coverings are worn during lessons and unnecessary movement around the room should be avoided.
