Code of Conduct

  1. All guests and members must follow the Code of Conduct on the premises, online, and at Des Moines Maker Space events.

  2. Treat everyone and everything with respect. This includes following the anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies.

  3. All equipment and tools carry some inherent amount of risk, and members are expected to be trained and take every care to use them safely.A. You must complete the training from a Tool Steward or Trainer for any tool marked with the Training Required Logo before use.B. Never leave a tool running unattended, unless explicitly stated it’s okay to do so by the Tool Steward or Trainer.C. You must do your best to minimize the risk to yourself and others when using tools and equipment. Inappropriate use of equipment is unacceptable.D. Never attempt to bypass, disable, or subvert any safety interlocks or lock outs.E. A Tool Steward or Trainer can revoke your right to use the equipment if they determine you are using it in an inappropriate or unsafe manner.F. You can reach the tool stewards at tools@area515.org

  4. No alterations, repairs, or removal of any tool, equipment, or parts may be made without the knowledge and express permission by a Tool Steward.

  5. No alterations, repairs, or removal of any part of the building structure or utilities may be made by any member without the knowledge and express permission of the board.

  6. Tools and equipment are expected to stay on the premises so that other members may use them. Removing tools/resources from the space, even temporarily, without express permission from the Board of Directors is theft.

  7. You are expected to clean up after yourself and put away all tools and equipment. Members who habitually fail to do this will be considered in violation of the Code of Conduct.

  8. It is the responsibility of each member to help enforce the Code of Conduct. If someone is violating the Code of Conduct politely explain to them why their behavior is not acceptable. Egregious violations should be reported to a Board Member. You can make a report to a Board Member at any time in person at the space or through any means of contact they have actively made available to Members. You can reach the entire board by emailing board@area515.org or attending a board meeting.A. When taking a personal report, the Board of Directors will make sure you are safe and cannot be overheard. Once safe, we'll ask you to tell us about what happened. This can be upsetting, but we'll handle it as respectfully as possible, and you can bring someone to support you. You won't be asked to confront anyone and we won't tell anyone who you are.B. In some cases, you may not be informed of the final resolution of the investigation into a complaint.

  9. A Des Moines Maker Space Board Member may enact an immediate temporary suspension of a Member from the premises, online systems, or sponsored events if the member presents a threat to health or safety, engages in illegal or threatening behavior, disturbs the peace, is forcibly removed from the premises by law enforcement, or other behavior that violates any part of this code of conduct or presents a risk to the organization or other Members. The duration temporary suspension will last until the sooner of

    • the next scheduled Board Meeting, or

    • a special Board meeting addressing the incident where a majority of Board Members are able to be in attendance in person or via voice communication.

    A. The suspended Member and the Board of Directors must be informed in writing as soon as possible.B. The suspended Member may be allowed to remove their property from the Maker Space under the supervision of two Members, including at least one Board Member, but may not use any tools or equipment while their suspension is being reviewed.C. Upon reviewing reasonably complete details of the incident and believing a temporary suspension to be in error, the Board of Directors may opt to rescind the temporary suspension by resolution.D. Reported violations of the Code of Conduct will be reviewed by the Board of Directors. After reviewing reasonably complete details of the incident, the board may respond via resolution. Possible Board resolutions include, but are not limited to

    • Written warning

    • Suspension

    • Expulsion

Guests

  1. Members are responsible for their Guests, including their actions and their safety.

  2. Guests are encouraged to become Members.

  3. Guests are not allowed to use tools and equipment, except as part of a scheduled class/workshop.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Des Moines Maker Space does not promote or discriminate against any person, population group, or organization with regard to categories protected by applicable United States law. These include, but are not limited to race, color, religion, sex, gender expression, physical appearance, language, education background, national origin, age, disability, and veteran status.

Anti-Harassment Policy

Harassment is prohibited and will not be tolerated. Any person who feels they have been the victim of harassment should ask the harasser to cease the behavior, if they feel safe doing so. Members or guests asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. Harassment includes, but is not limited to, the following

  1. Offensive comments related to race, religion, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, or physical appearance.

  2. Gratuitous sexual or obscene images or behavior.

  3. Unwelcome physical contact or sexual attention without consent or after a request to stop.

  4. Threats or incitement of violence towards any individual, including encouraging a person to engage in self-harm.

  5. Deliberate intimidation by words, gestures, body language, or menacing behavior.

  6. Stalking.

  7. Harassing photography or recording, including logging online activity for harassment purposes.

  8. Continued one-on-one contact or communication after requests to cease.

  9. Deliberate "outing" of a sensitive aspect of a person’s identity without their consent.

  10. Deliberate misgendering. This includes deadnaming or persistently using a pronoun that does not correctly reflect a person's gender identity.

  11. We are all here to make things and learn. Collaboration is important.

  12. When you break something, own up to it. Tell the Tool Stewards as soon as possible so they can get it fixed and back in service. Don't make someone feel bad for breaking things, help them understand what went wrong.

  13. Mark any tool you know or even suspect is not operating correctly “Out of Order” and report to Tool Stewards immediately. Do not hesitate on this. You will not be punished for marking a tool out of order in good faith. We’d rather come in to find a tool you thought was broken isn’t than not know about one that is broken and have someone get hurt.

  14. Clean, Maintain, Organize, Improve. Always leave the space as clean as or better than you found it.

  15. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Answer them kindly; eventually you'll have to ask for help too.

  16. Don’t be afraid to ask people to stop what they’re doing if you think it is unsafe and encourage them to find a better way or ask a Tool Steward for help. If someone asks you to stop what you are doing, assume it is primarily because they care about your safety. Safety first, safety always. Take care of each other.

  17. Keep your personal possessions in your designated storage area.

  18. If your project must be left out of your storage area while in-progress, mark it with your name, a way to contact you, and if/when it can be moved. Be prepared to store it or take it home if you can’t work on it for a while.

  19. Let the appropriate Tool Steward know if we are out of or running low on a consumable.

  20. Replace any consumables you use a lot of or donate money to cover the cost of replacing it.

  21. Please report any missing or lost personal property immediately.

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