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Shop rules and community guidelines

For a full list of rules and policies, see the Policies book.

Community Guidelines

1. Be Respectful

Our students, members, and partners bring with them a rich variety of experiences, perspectives, and aspirations. What brings us together is a shared interest in the process of making things. To create a welcoming, supportive environment, we ask each individual to treat one another with care and openness to diversity of race, gender, orientation, age, identity, and ability.

Actions that bully, degrade, or threaten any individual or group are not welcome in our community.

2. Be Mindful

As a member of the space, please be considerate of others that also make use of the space. While there is no time limit for using any of the tools or non-rentable furnishings, we ask that you be mindful of the potential needs of others. This also includes cleaning up after yourself. 

3. Take Responsibility

Protohaven is built around shared resources - space, tools, knowledge, and the community itself. To preserve these communal assets, each individual is asked to take responsibility for their own actions and to be mindful of how they impact those around them. We are each accountable for ourselves, and don’t expect others to bear the costs of our actions.

4. Help Out

Protohaven is a public charity and is made possible only by people giving more than they take. In this spirit, we ask each individual to find opportunities to help each other, the organization, and our broader community. We also ask each individual to recognize that assistance is not always sought, to seek consent before providing aid, and to provide opportunity for others’ work and discovery.

Shop Rules

1. Sign In

Anyone who comes into Protohaven for any reason must enter through the front door, & sign in at the front desk, whether they are a member or not. This includes members, guests, visitors, and volunteers. 

2. Members Only

Check Your Membership Status: Except as part of scheduled classes/workshops, only active members and those who have day passes are allowed to use any equipment or tools at Protohaven, this includes any tools or equipment that do not belong to Protohaven. If a member has an assistant with them, that assistant must also be an active member with appropriate clearances in order to use any tools or equipment, or physically assist with work on projects in any way. 

3. Be Safe 

Get Clearances: Most tools in the shop require an Equipment Clearance before use. Do not use equipment before obtaining the necessary clearance. These clearances are the bare minimum required to use the equipment and are not a substitute for consulting manufacturers’ safety guidelines, asking for help, or following general safety principles.

Wear Protective Equipment: Closed-toed shoes and safety glasses are required and hearing protection is recommended in the Workshop area of the space. Wear a respirator when sanding or spraying. Use dust collection, fume extractors, and ventilation fans where provided. No gloves, loose clothing, or dangling hair or jewelry around tools that spin. Additional PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) may be required for specific areas and tools.

Watch and Reset Equipment: Never leave a piece of machinery operating unattended. If you’ve changed equipment settings or setup during use, return them to their original states before leaving the tool.

Drugs & Alcohol: Never consume any mind-altering substances before or during using any tools at Protohaven.

4. Take Care of the Tools and Equipment

Get Clearances: Each tool and piece of equipment is different and most are expensive and/or delicate. Clearances provide machine-specific care details so you can effectively use a tool or piece of equipment without damaging it.

Do Not Alter or Use Beyond Limits: Tools at the shop are set up to serve a large number of people and projects. Do not permanently alter them for a particular use. If you temporarily change settings or setup, return them to their original state before leaving the tool. Only use tools within their specified parameters. Anyone altering or using tools beyond their limits will be held responsible for any damages and risks having their membership revoked.

Notify When Maintenance Is Needed: We can only fix what we know about. Please use the status tag at each machine and online reporting system to indicate when repair is needed.

5. Keep the Shop Clean 

Clean Up After Yourself: Making things creates garbage and debris. You are responsible to clean it up. Your work area should look better when you leave than when you started.

Return Tools to Their Original Locations: Large equipment should not be moved for use. Smaller tools or carts should be returned to their original location when you are finished.

Pay for storage: Unless you have paid storage (of which there are many options), everything you bring in with you must leave when you leave for the day. If you pay for storage, you may only store items in the area designated for you. Anything left outside of your paid storage may be removed and disposed of. Please see Protohaven’s Storage Policy for additional information.

COVID & Other Illness Protocols

Protohaven follows the health department guidelines regarding masking and does not require masks for fully vaccinated users when community levels are medium or low. You are welcome to continue to wear a mask if you choose.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html

Before Coming

Before coming to Protohaven, we ask that members and visitors you:

  1. Pass a self-screen for common symptoms of COVID and other illnesses such as the flu or common cold, including, but not limited to:

    • Fever

    • Cough or shortness of breath

    • Change in sense of taste or smell, and 

  1. Have not had close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID in the last 10 days


If anyone coming into Protohaven has had symptoms of any illnesses or has been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID, we ask that they not return to the shop until they either receive a negative COVID test result, or wait 10 days after their last symptoms or contact.

While Here

While using the shop, we ask everyone to:

  • Respect other’s comfort levels regarding mask wearing and space

  • Regularly wash their hands

  • Ask for any necessary cleaning supplies to disinfect any areas of use, if necessary. 

If you have any questions about these protocols, please contact us at hello@protohaven.org.

After Leaving

If, after leaving the shop, a visitor develops common COVID symptoms, we ask that they get tested for Covid-19 and share the results with us. This allows us to take the appropriate cleaning, testing, and notification measures if the test comes back positive.

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