Studio and Shop

• Equipment Damage Policy
• Storage Policy
• Prohibited Projects
• Shop Closure and Emergency Response
• Spraypaint and VOC Policy

Equipment Damage Policy

Overview

At Protohaven we aim to provide a safe and collaborative environment for all members to work on their projects. We encourage responsibility and accountability amongst our members, and we are committed to providing high-quality tools and equipment to help you bring your ideas to life. We trust that all members will show respect for the equipment and for the Protohaven community as a whole.

Sometimes, machines or parts of machines may stop working due to normal wear and tear. If you encounter a problem while using a machine, you are responsible for informing the shop tech on duty and filing a tool report using the QR code on the machine or going to https://protohaven.org/tools right away! This link can also be found in your NeonOne Dashboard.

However, some machines may break down due to improper use. Anyone found responsible for equipment damage will be billed for the cost of repairs. This includes any unintended accidents caused by neglect, misuse, or lack of experience.

Scope

This policy applies to all damage that may occur to the equipment or facilities at Protohaven. The staff members of Protohaven have the authority to assess the extent and cause of the damage and determine the appropriate course of action.

Reporting self-caused damage

Some machines may break down due to improper use. Anyone found responsible for equipment damage will be billed for the cost of repairs. This includes any unintended accidents caused by neglect, misuse, or lack of experience.

If a member causes damage which makes the item unusable, the member must report it immediately by informing the shop tech AND by filing a tool report using the QR code on the machine or going to https://protohaven.org/tools.

Failure to report will incur additional charges. See “How charges are calculated” below.

Restricted use, repeat violation, and policy refusal

The staff will calculate the cost of repairs based on the current market value of the equipment and the availability of parts and labor.

How charges are calculated

The repair cost is a sum of the following:

Damages caused during a course offered by Protohaven will be assessed by staff on a case by case basis.

Example

In the case of replacing a blade and cartridge on the table saw that was duly reported by the member, the charge would be calculated like so:

For a total of $175.

Commonly damaged items

Commonly damaged items include, but not limited to:

Closing

By joining Protohaven as a member and using the equipment owned by Protohaven, members acknowledge their commitment to respecting the equipment and holding themselves accountable to any damage caused.

Thank you for being a responsible member of our community!

Storage Policy

Updated 2026-05-07

Protohaven provides overnight, weekly and monthly storage options as a convenience for members.

See the Shop Tech on duty to purchase storage.

If you ever need to cancel storage, please see the Shop Tech on duty or reach out to Camden (camden@protohaven.org).

Options

Short term

Long term

If you need storage beyond these options, please reach out to membership@protohaven.org.

Rules

If you aren't sure if your storage is in compliance with these rules, ask a Shop Tech to verify.

Violations

When we discover a lapse in following any of the rules above, we will:

Violations are tracked for every member. If you violate Protohaven policy 3 or more times within 3 months, your membership will be suspended. Suspensions begin at 30 days, and increase by 60 days for each subsequent suspension.

If you use storage without paying for it, we will issue a violation fee that roughly matches the shortest-term rate for that storage type.

If you do not resolve a violation within 14 days, Protohaven staff/admin will resolve the violation for you by moving, disposing, or utilizing the violating items. If at this time resolving the violation requires paying any fees, your membership will be suspended until you have paid.

We will immediately take action if any items pose an active risk to the health and safety of Protohaven inhabitants. In extreme cases, we may also immediately revoke your membership.

If you receive a storage violation, or if your membership is suspended or revoked as a result of the violations, you may appeal the action to the board of directors. Appeals should be made in writing within 30 days of receiving notice. Appeals are to be submitted to board@protohaven.org.

Cost

AMP members receive a 20% discount on storage. This does not apply to violation fees and overnight storage.

Terms and Conditions

Members who acquire storage agree to the below terms and conditions and to adhere to all of the policies and practices outlined above.

Storage is a privilege of membership and is only available to current members in good standing. All storage subscriptions must end and stored items must be removed within 30 days of membership cancellation, unless an extension has been granted by Protohaven staff.

Protohaven reserves the right to cancel or revoke a member’s storage privileges at any time. Should a situation occur where Protohaven needs to cancel or revoke storage for any reason, the organization will attempt to contact the member to coordinate retrieval of their belongings. In the event of storage or membership cancellation or revocation, no refund will be provided for any storage fees that have been paid for that time period.

Once a member leaves the premises for the day, any items that are not properly stored will be considered abandoned and may be moved, disposed of, or utilized without notification. This includes items that are stored outside of a storage receptacle and any atypical storage that has not been previously approved by Protohaven staff.

Storage fees are non-transferable and cannot be credited, refunded, or pro-rated.

It is the responsibility of members to keep track of the duration of their storage and when payments are due. Protohaven is not responsible for contacting members to remind them that their storage is near expiration or has expired. Unpaid storage will be charged the violation fees listed above. Refusal to pay late fees will result in suspension of membership.

While Protohaven strives to maintain a safe and secure environment, it cannot guarantee the safety or security of any items stored at Protohaven by its members. Members are solely responsible for their own belongings and assume all risks of damage or loss. Protohaven is not liable for any damage or loss of items stored at Protohaven, whether due to theft, fire, vandalism, natural disaster, or any other cause. By storing items at Protohaven, members agree to release Protohaven from any and all claims arising from damage or loss of such items. Members are encouraged to speak with their insurance provider to discuss any personal policies that might cover their belongings.

Members can choose to share storage, but Protohaven is not able to split storage fees. Members are not permitted to obtain Protohaven storage and subsequently rent it to another member or non-member for a profit.

Protohaven reserves the right to grant exceptions, cancel storage, limit the amount of storage for any member, and to amend these policies at any time.

Prohibited Projects

Projects involving work on, or are derived from, or are intended to produce, any of the below are prohibited on ProtoHaven premises and at official ProtoHaven events, whether on- or off-site:

Shop Closure and Emergency Response

This policy outlines the response to bad weather or other situations which pose a hazard to staff, volunteer, and/or members traveling to and from the shop or being safe inside the shop.

Your Safety Comes First. If at any time you feel unsafe traveling to, from, or being in the shop, do what you need to stay safe.

You must immediately post your decision in the #techs Discord channel (or another highly visible team space).
Do not just tell one person.

Core Principles

• Who Decides to Close? At least one Staff or Board member must be involved for any change to shop hours.
• In an Emergency: If you can’t reach Staff/Board after trying Discord, DMs, and phone calls, use your best judgment to protect everyone’s safety.
• Communication is Critical. All decisions must be posted publicly.

When Should We Consider Closing?

Close or reduce hours if any of these hazards exist:

• Dangerous travel (ice, deep snow, poor visibility).
• Unsafe conditions at the shop (icy walkways, blocked doors/exits, parking lot hazards).
• Expected loss of power, water, or HVAC.
• A breakdown at the shop (power outage, gas leak, flood).
• Sudden lack of shop tech coverage (e.g., due to illness).
• Any other direct threat (e.g., intruder, extreme weather event).

Note: if personal injury is involved in the emergency, it's important to file an injury report when it is safe to do so.

How to Close – Step-by-Step

Delayed Opening / Early Closure (Planned)

1. Ask Staff/Board to decide on new hours (e.g., 10am-4pm for evening hazards, or 12pm-6pm for late start).
2. A Lead or Staff member must:
   1. Check the tech calendar for affected shifts.
   2. Post the decision in #techs, @-mentioning every affected tech by name
3. A Staff/Board member becomes the "Incident Commander" ("IC", see below).
   If no Staff/Board are available, a Tech Lead or Edu Lead becomes IC.
   If no leads are available, the reader of this page (that's you!) becomes IC. 

Emergency Closure – Close Immediately

1. Delegate these tasks inside the shop if it is safe to do so:
   • Person 1: Alert everyone inside to leave. If it is safe to do so:
     • Tell members in the shop to shut down and power off all running machines before leaving.
     • Give affected members an overnight storage tag so they can stop immediately and clean up later.
   • Person 2: Post signs at the front and parking lot entrances.
   • Person 3: Watch the front door to inform anyone trying to enter.
2. Notify staff and board; a Staff/Board member becomes the "Incident Commander" ("IC") to manage next steps.
   If no Staff/Board are available, a Tech Lead or Edu Lead becomes IC.
   If no leads are available, the reader of this page (that's you!) becomes IC.

The Incident Commander’s (IC) Checklist

Your job is to coordinate, not do everything. Delegate tasks to specific people.

As Soon As You Take Charge:

1. Post in #techs and #leadership: “I am acting as Incident Commander. [Link to this wiki page].”

   1. You are strongly encouraged to post an alternative channel for quickly reaching you - such as a phone number or other chat app - in case Discord has an outage while you are handling the incident.

2. Delegate someone to post in #general (@Members) with closure time, duration, and reason.
   The post should encourage members to check the #general channel for the latest news about the shop before coming in.

3. Delegate someone to post physical signs in the shop if safe to do so (indicate closure of shop or specific areas).

4. Delegate a Staff member to email all members via Neon CRM,

5. Delegate an Edu Lead, Staff, or board member to cancel reservations and classes and directly notify all affected members/students/instructors.

6. Delegate someone to ask in #instructors if any instructors have upcoming private instruction, and to cancel if needed. 
7. Delegate a Staff member to add a blackout time for reservations for the current outage period plus a day (just in case)

8. Identify and announce a backup person as IC in #techs and #leadership in case you can't be reached.

9. Notify the rest of the executive committee (Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary) - make sure everyone is on the same page. Do this via the #staff discord channel, and send an email to board@protohaven.org directing board members to the discord channel.
10. Create a notes doc and share it so that anyone with the link can edit. Start taking notes on the current state and when things happen. Be thorough.

During the Incident:

• Prioritize immediate safety of staff, volunteers, and members. 

• Communicate clearly, often, and publicly - avoid direct messaging and prefer #techs and #general channels on Discord.

• Announce when you’ll be unavailable and hand off your role as needed.

• Plan ahead for when the shop can reopen, and anticipate/announce extended closures and delays.

  • If the problem doesn't seem likely to be resolved by 4pm, plan for and announce a late open for the following day. 
  • Also report the closure to the WTAE Closings System - the account ID and password are stored in Vaultwarden.

After the Incident:

• Reopen the shop - see "Reopening the Shop" section below.

• Write a brief "postmortem" report.

• Schedule a postmortem review with Leads and Staff.

Specific Weather Guidance

Snow and Ice

• <1” of snow/Light ice: Consider a delayed start to clear and salt walkways, steps, and all emergency exits.
• >1-2” of snow / “Black Ice”: High risk. Likely need delayed opening or closure. Shop Manager must notify the snowplow contractor.
• 6+” forecast: Expect multi-day disruptions and/or closure.

ALL EMERGENCY EXITS MUST REMAIN USABLE IF THE SHOP IS OPEN. The front door, the forge/parking lot door, rear maintenance corner, and rear woodshop corner all open outwards and must not be blocked by snow and/or ice. 

Heavy snowstorms - even when expected - have overwhelmed Pittsburgh snowplows and emergency responders for up to a week after the weather has ended.

High winds:

• Winds over 50MPH: anticipate prolonged partial/full power loss (e.g. 1-2 legs of our 3-phase building power can go out).
• When power flickers more than 3 times or is lost for more than 5 minutes, follow "Handling Degraded / Loss of Power" steps below.

High winds have overwhelmed Duquesne Light response times in the past. See this postmortem doc.

Hail & Ice Storms:

• Rarely requires full closure if roads are safe.
• DO warn everyone via Discord so they can protect themselves and their property (e.g., cars).

Heavy Rain & Flooding:

• Sudden burst: Usually no closure needed. Post a warning and monitor.
• Extended heavy rain / flooding forecast: Consider delayed start or early closure. >2” of standing water in the lot is hazardous to vehicles.

Flooding has occurred in our parking lot and on the street in the past (see this Discord message from July 2025). All rain on our roof drains via interior columns into the underground sewer system; when this system overflows, it comes out of the central drain gate in the parking lot and the curbside drain near the entrance to the parking lot.

Extra Actions

Sending Email

Sending email to current members is loud - it reaches over 200 people.
Triple check what you write before you send it, and avoid sending more than 1-2 emails per day.

This requires access to Neon CRM, which is limited to some board members, staff, and some volunteer leads.

Email to members is done via the "Email Campaigns" flow in Neon CRM - it's hidden under the "View More" menu:

Click the "New Email Campaign" button on the right side of the screen, then fill out the form accordingly. make sure to select "All Current Members" in the audience section.

Once you've saved all fields and clicked "next", configure the campaign to go out immediately and send it off. This will email every active member immediately.

Handling Degraded / Loss of Power

Before addressing the power problem, make sure all members are safe and no tools are in a dangerous state (potentially activating if power returns suddenly).

Protect sensitive electronics:

• Turn off & unplug the air compressor and stop member use of sensitive / gantry equipment (CNC machines, laser cutters etc.)
• Use downed lights coming back on to identify when power is stable

Prioritize our recovery:

• Immediately report the power outage to Duquesne Light so we end up in their queue, and check the outage report to ensure we're still in their system. If that site is not working, call 888-393-7000 to report the outage. 
• For every day power hasn't returned, call the business customer support line at 412-393-7300 to reiterate our power status and ask for a time to resolution. Post updates in #leadership and/or #techs channels.
• Duquesne sends text alerts to account holders - currently the person receiving texts for the building is Sam Kusic (@samk8452 on Discord).

In cases of partial power or suspiciously long outage, it may be worth attempting to reset the main breakers to the building. Only do this if you understand how the breakers are set up.

It's also important to turn off sensitive electronics and equipment before resetting the main breakers - this includes the servers in the staff room, routers/switches, and ideally all PCs in the building.

Reopening the Shop

1. Walk through the shop and revert any emergency changes made (unplugged equipment, blocked areas, posted signs etc.)
2. If power to the building was impacted:
   1. Check/reset the time on the air compressor and any other equipment with internal clocks.
   2. Verify that machines with physical power switches (including the wood lathe and Juki sewing machines) are powered off before turning on breakers.
   3. Use the buddy system when turning breakers on - one person in the affected area, one person at the panel. Call out before throwing switches and confirm everything is good before continuing.
3. Check our reservation system and remove any blackout time set that would prevent new equipment reservations

Emergency Shop Access

There is a wall-mounted key box just to the left of the forge/loading bay door. This lock has a 4-digit combination which is stored in Bitwarden and accessible to staff and board members, and contains a key to the door.

If the front door cannot be opened for any reason, tag @Staff and @Board on the #techs channel and ask for the password to the exterior key box.

The combination to the lock must be changed after it's been given out - do this as part of postmortem action items. To reset the lock, open the box, move the "reset" pin left and down, set the code, then put the reset pin back and close the lock. Make sure to update the Bitwarden password!

Spraypaint and VOC Policy

VOCs

From the US EPA website:

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors.  VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands. Examples include: paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper, graphics and craft materials including glues and adhesives, permanent markers, and photographic solutions.

Spraypaint

Spray paint is a convenient way to apply paint and other surface coatings to projects. However, spray painting exposes everyone in the area to aerosolized solvents and VOCs. These solvents are also flammable and can become a fire hazard when in an area where sparks and/or flames.

Wet paint and coatings

Spray painting is not the only source of hazardous fumes when applying finish coats to materials. Resins, brush-applied paints, eurethanes, and other coatings may all produce fumes which are hazardous to members. 

Spraypaint and VOC Policy