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Dallas Makerspace DMS Source

Equipment and Usage Reporting Policy

Purpose

Section titled “Purpose”

This policy ensures that all equipment that is owned or managed by Dallas Makerspace or its committees is tracked for safety, accountability, and operational planning. By standardizing interlocks and usage reporting, the Makerspace can better manage training, maintenance, consumables, and decisions about underutilized equipment.

Scope

Section titled “Scope”

This policy applies to all equipment owned or operated by the Makerspace, across all areas (woodshop, metal shop, textiles, digital fabrication, ceramics, electronics, creative arts, etc.).

Policy

Section titled “Policy”

1. Powered Equipment

Section titled “1. Powered Equipment”

  • Any equipment that plugs in or is powered by an electric motor (e.g., saws, lathes, kilns, CNCs, sewing machines, sergers, pottery wheels) must be connected to the Makerspace-managed interlock system.

  • Interlocks must:

    • Restrict use to authorized members.

    • Automatically report usage data (time, member ID, and/or run hours).

  • If equipment has an interlock not managed by the Makerspace’s system, it must be migrated within one year.

  • It is the policy of the Logistics team to defer to the Information Technology team in terms of implementation and reporting systems, with a strong preference to utilizing open source technologies and hardware wherever feasible.

2. Unpowered Equipment

Section titled “2. Unpowered Equipment”

  • Equipment without a motor or not practical to interlock (e.g., looms, printing presses, hand presses, darkroom enlargers, large hand tools) must have a log sheet posted nearby.

  • Members are required to record each use (date, name, duration).

3. Deadlines and Compliance

Section titled “3. Deadlines and Compliance”

  • Immediate: All new equipment acquisitions must be fitted with Makerspace-managed interlocks before entering service.

  • 6 months: Complete an inventory of all equipment to confirm compliance or note gaps.

  • 12 months:

    • Migrate all non-managed interlocks to the Makerspace system.

    • Install interlocks or post log sheets on all equipment.

4. Committee Responsibilities

Section titled “4. Committee Responsibilities”

  • Ensure compliance for all equipment under their care.

  • Maintain log sheets for unpowered tools.

  • Review usage data quarterly.

  • When equipment shows little or no use, committees may:

    • Offer training/certification sessions to broaden access.

    • Request a waiver with written justification.

    • Approve retirement, donation, or auction of the equipment.

5. Facilities/Logistics Responsibilities

Section titled “5. Facilities/Logistics Responsibilities”

  • Install and maintain interlocks.

  • Collect usage reports monthly.

  • Provide quarterly reports to committees and the Board.

6. Underutilized Equipment

Section titled “6. Underutilized Equipment”

  • Equipment with no recorded use for 12 consecutive months will be flagged.

  • Committees must either:

    • Show a plan to increase usage,

    • Provide a written waiver request, or

    • Approve donation/auction.

  • Final decisions rest with the Board, with committee input.

Adoption Proposal

Section titled “Adoption Proposal”

  1. Adopt this policy as the Makerspace operational standard.

  2. Authorize Facilities to begin inventory and interlock assessment.

  3. Require committees to post log sheets for unpowered equipment within 30 days.

  4. Enforce a one-year deadline for all equipment to meet reporting requirements.

  5. Review equipment usage quarterly and make annual decisions on underutilized tools.

Migrated from the DMS Confluence: original page