Membership Agreement

Membership

Your membership supports our unique creative space and community. It gives you 24hr access to our facilities, access to our online services, and legal voting rights in our General Meetings.

Your membership is personal and cannot be shared with or transferred to other people.

In the unlikely event that the organisation is wound up due to insolvency, as a member (and for 10 years after membership ends) your personal liability is limited to a maximum of £1.

You agree to:

  • Make a monthly membership payment by direct debit, of at least our minimum amount.

  • Keep our legal record of your membership details up-to-date (name, address, email).

  • Never share your membership or keycard / fob with anyone else.

Health & safety

The Hackspace is an unsupervised shared workshop environment, containing a variety of potential hazards. We aim to manage risks where feasible, with measures like safety inductions and protective equipment. It is your responsibility to work safely, not put others at risk, and follow any safety directions.

You agree to:

  • Always take reasonable care of your own and other people’s safety.

  • Never circumvent or disable our safety equipment (such as guards, extraction, enclosures, electrical earthing, or interlocks).

  • Hold a valid safety induction when using any equipment that requires one, and follow the directions in your induction.

  • Follow the instructions on all safety signage.

  • Wear PPE where indicated.

  • Stop and reconsider how you are working, if another member warns you that you are not working safely.

  • Never modify our equipment. Seek authorisation from the committee before repairing equipment.

  • Never use modified, damaged, or incomplete equipment.

  • Familiarise yourself with our fire procedures.

Lone Working

You are ‘lone working’ if you visit the Hackspace when no other adults are present. (This includes other members, and over-18 guests).

Lone working increases the risk of everything you do at the Hackspace and you should avoid it where practical. When lone working can’t be avoided, there are additional safety rules you need to follow.

It’s important that you always stay aware of whether you are currently lone working or not, as this can change during your visit.

When lone-working at Hackspace, you agree to:

  • Keep a means of seeking help (such as a charged mobile phone) on your person.

  • Before starting any activity, assess the risks involved and avoid tasks which are not suitable for lone working.

  • Never attempt manual handling activities that are not safe for one person.

  • Never use any machinery identified as not suitable for lone working.

  • Ensure you are familiar with the location and use of our first aid equipment.

Housekeeping

Hackspace is 100% run by its members on a voluntary basis. There are no staff, so housekeeping is everyone’s responsibility and you should leave the space in the condition you’d want to find it.

You agree to:

  • Always leave desks and work areas clear of items and ready for the next user.

  • Clean up any waste you make and dispose of it properly.

  • Put tools, equipment, and materials back in the correct places.

  • Use the forum to inform the committee if you find that something is broken, missing, or has run out. If equipment is out-of-order or unsafe, leave a notice on it too.

Storage

We have two systems which offer short-term storage for your projects and materials. Because space is at a premium, you shouldn’t leave your stuff anywhere other than in these systems.

Items may be disposed of without warning if they’re left in the wrong place, if they’re stored in the right place without a booking, if their booking has expired, or if we think they’re too dangerous.

We accept no liability for anything you leave in the space.

You agree to:

  • Only store your belongings at Hackspace in accordance with our two storage systems, or with prior agreement from the committee.

  • Never store anything valuable at Hackspace.

  • Never leave or store dangerous items at the Hackspace, including volatile liquids, pressurised containers, and lithium batteries except those in consumer electronics.

Acceptable Usage

Hackspace is intended as a place to learn, make, repair, experiment, collaborate, and socialise. You can use the space as much as you like for these purposes, but there are some things you must not do at Hackspace.

You agree to:

  • Never sleep in the Hackspace (or in a vehicle on the forecourt).

  • Never use Hackspace as your personal or business address.

  • Never remove tools or equipment from the space. We do not loan out equipment.

  • Never intentionally damage our equipment, fixtures and fittings, or the building.

  • Never use our bins for your household or business waste. The bins are only for waste generated when using the space.

  • Never monopolise shared resources to the detriment of other users.

  • Never leave the roller shutter or exterior doors open and unattended.

  • Never park the building forecourt, except when using our designated bay for loading or working on your vehicle.

  • Never undertake work on your vehicle in our designated bay that could leave it disabled for longer than your visit.

  • Never charge your electric vehicle or personal transport device.

  • Never leave any lithium battery charging unattended.

  • Never break the law when using the Hackspace.

Guests

You are welcome to bring non-member guests with you to the Hackspace. You are responsible for your guests and their actions throughout their visit and must not leave them in the space alone.

Children (those under 18) and well-behaved pets are welcome as guests too, however additional rules apply.

You agree to:

  • Inform your guests of Hackspace’s rules.

  • Never leave your guests in the space when you’re not there.

  • Never allow your guests to use equipment protected by a safety induction. Safety inductions are not transferable.

  • Closely supervise guest children and pets at all times.

  • Keep pets out of the woodshop, metalshop, and hotworks area.

Safe(r) Space

We strive to be an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome, respected, and safe. We do not tolerate harassment, hate speech, or any behaviour that undermines the dignity and wellbeing of others, either in our space or on our online services.

You agree to:

  • Always treat other members with respect, both in the space and online.

  • If asked, immediately stop any behaviour which makes others feel uncomfortable, intimidated, or harassed.