This web copy is a reference version for members. The controlled copy is the signed document held by the team; in a conflict, the signed document governs. Reading it does not replace induction, training or per-activity clearance.
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Approved by the Team Lead, the Faculty Sponsor and the FAS Safety Officer; takes effect on the effective date above.
1 Team and Contact List
Access to ASB 9819 is limited to members on the Operations Coordinator’s access list. The list is maintained with FAS Safety and is updated and resubmitted to the FAS Safety Officer whenever it changes.
The team roles covered by this plan are the Team Lead for this plan, the Operations Coordinator (workspace, inventory and access), the Autonomous Team Lead, the Marketing Lead, and the Faculty Sponsor.
2 Activity and Task Descriptions
Racerbot designs, builds and tests 1/10-scale autonomous racing vehicles on the F1TENTH/RoboRacer platform. The activities below are everything the team does in or from ASB 9819.
| Activity / task | Description | Who performs it | SOP # |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lithium battery charging and storage | 2S–4S LiPo packs balance-charged at a dedicated station on a non-combustible surface, inside fireproof bags. Packs held at 3.8 V/cell storage charge in closed non-combustible storage. | Members cleared to charge by the Tech Team Lead | SOP-TECH-01 |
| Vehicle assembly and maintenance | Mechanical assembly of chassis, drivetrain, steering and sensor mounts. Hand tools only. No machining, grinding or powered shop work in this room. | All inducted members | SOP-TECH-06 |
| Electronics assembly (non-soldering) | Wiring looms, connector fitting, sensor mounting, continuity and polarity checks on the bench. Bench supply used with current limiting. Nothing above 60 V. | All inducted members | SOP-TECH-06 |
| Soldering and rework | Hand soldering of wiring and sensor breakouts. Performed in Lab 1 at a bench with fume extraction, never in ASB 9819. | Members cleared to solder by the Tech Team Lead, inducted for Lab 1 | SOP-TECH-05 |
| 3D printing | Open-frame FDM printer, PLA only. Prints run only while someone is in the building and are checked in person at least every two hours. Never overnight. | Members cleared to print by the Operations Coordinator | SOP-TECH-04 |
| Bench testing of vehicles | Vehicle powered with the wheels raised clear of the surface on a stand, for drivetrain, steering, sensor and deadman verification. | Members cleared as operator | SOP-TECH-02 |
| Vehicle testing on a controlled course | Indoor testing in the corridors and open floor space adjacent to the workspace, after 17:00, inside a continuous Vevor barrier perimeter with signage at both ends and a spotter at every corner. Speed ceiling 8 m/s. Nobody crosses a live course. | A member selected by Tech Team Lead plus operator and spotters | SOP-TECH-02 |
3 Equipment, Materials and Chemical Inventory
| Item | Manufacturer / model | Qty | Hazards | Storage location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autonomous vehicle (F1TENTH/RoboRacer) | Traxxas-based chassis; VESC motor controller; brushless drive motor; steering servo | 2 | Moving vehicle at up to 8 m/s; pinch points at drivetrain | ASB 9819, assigned vehicle position |
| 2D LiDAR | Hokuyo UST-10LX | 2 | Class 1 laser; no hazard in normal use | Mounted on vehicle |
| Depth camera | Intel RealSense D435i | 1 | None | Mounted on vehicle or in parts storage |
| Compute module | NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano | 2 | Low-voltage electrical; hot surfaces | Mounted on vehicle |
| LiPo battery packs | 2S–4S high-discharge hobby packs, make/model per pack register | 3–6 | Fire; thermal runaway; toxic vented gas; electrolyte burns; short-circuit arc | Fireproof bags in closed non-combustible storage, ASB 9819 |
| Balance charger | Multi-chemistry hobby charger, model per inventory; certified for BC | 1–2 | Fire during charging; mains electrical | Charging station, ASB 9819 |
| Fireproof charging bags | LiPo-safe rated bags | 3–6 | None in themselves | Charging station, ASB 9819 |
| 3D printer | Open-frame FDM printer, make/model per inventory; certified for BC | 1 | Burns from nozzle (~200 °C) and bed; fire from thermal fault; ultrafine particles | Printer position, ASB 9819 |
| PLA filament | 1.75 mm PLA | 2–5 spools | None in filament form; emissions when melted | Dry storage, ASB 9819 |
| Radio controller | Logitech F710 gamepad | 1–2 | None | ASB 9819 |
| Course barriers | Vevor barrier tubing and posts | 1 set | Trip hazard when set out | ASB 9819 when not in use |
| Hand tools | Drivers, hex keys, pliers, flush cutters, knives, files, torque driver | 1 set | Cuts and puncture wounds | Tool board, ASB 9819 |
| Multimeter | Standard DMM | 1–2 | None at the voltages used | Build bench, ASB 9819 |
| Isopropyl alcohol | IPA 99%, 500 mL bottle | 4 | Flammable liquid; eye and skin irritant | Capped, labelled, away from charging and printer positions |
| ABC dry chemical extinguisher | Portable ABC unit | 1 | None in itself | By the door, ASB 9819 |
Safety data sheets are attached where applicable.
4 Facility Requirements
| Requirement | Detail / specification | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 120 V outlets | Minimum 4 accessible outlets at bench height; typical simultaneous draw under 1 kW (charger, printer, bench supply, laptops) | Battery charging, 3D printing, bench work |
| Bench or table space | Approximately 2 m of usable bench for assembly, plus a separate non-combustible surface for the charging station and a separate position for the printer | Assembly, charging, printing |
| Non-combustible surfaces | Concrete, metal or rated fire mat at the charging station and the printer position | Battery charging, 3D printing |
| Secure storage | Lockable metal cabinet for lithium packs at storage charge, plus shelving for vehicles, parts and tools | Battery and equipment storage |
| Ventilation | General room ventilation. No fume hood or local extraction required in this room; all soldering is done in Lab 1, and only PLA is printed here | 3D printing, general occupancy |
| Corridor / open floor access after 17:00 | Use of the adjacent corridor and open floor space for barriered course testing outside peak traffic hours, arranged through the Operations Coordinator | Vehicle testing under SOP-TECH-02 |
| Network access | Wired or wireless network for development and telemetry | Software development |
5 Risk Assessments and Identified Controls
Below is a summary of our SFU Racerbot Student Team Risk Assessment. The completed version is attached.
| Activity | Key hazards | Controls in place |
|---|---|---|
| Lithium battery charging and storage | Thermal runaway and fire; toxic vented gas; electrolyte burns; short-circuit arc | Fireproof bag on a non-combustible surface; balance charging only; parallel charging prohibited; never unattended and never alone; mandatory pre-charge inspection; storage at 3.8 V/cell in closed non-combustible storage; ABC extinguisher within reach; FAS response kit on the floor; SOP-TECH-01 and cleared-charger list. |
| Vehicle testing on a controlled course | Vehicle striking a person; uncontrolled run; crash damage to a lithium pack; corridor obstruction | Deadman button enforced inside every node that can move the car, ahead of every other watchdog; 8 m/s software ceiling; human teleop outranks autonomy at the command mux; continuous barrier on both sides and both ends; signage at both ends; spotter at every corner with stop authority; testing only after 17:00; nobody crosses a live course; SOP-TECH-02. |
| 3D printing | Contact burns; fire from thermal runaway; ultrafine particles; cuts during part removal | PLA only on an open-frame machine; non-combustible surface with a clear zone; firmware thermal-runaway protection verified each semester; no printing overnight or when nobody is in the building; in-person check every two hours; first layer watched; PPE at the machine; SOP-TECH-04. |
| Soldering and rework | Rosin flux fume and respiratory sensitization; contact burns; solder splash; lead exposure | Performed only in Lab 1 at a bench with fume extraction, never in ASB 9819; extraction on and positioned before the iron is on; work stops if extraction fails; iron returns to its stand every time; safety glasses for everyone at the bench; no food or drink; hands washed before eating; SOP-TECH-05. |
| Vehicle assembly, bench electrical work and general lab use | Slips and trips; cuts from hand tools; shock and short circuit; manual handling | Housekeeping standard with walkway and exit kept clear; nothing stored on the floor; tools secured and blades retracted; nothing above 60 V in the room; circuits de-energized before rework; polarity and continuity checked before power; closed-toe shoes always; SOP-TECH-06. |
| Flammable liquid storage | Fire risk from solvent in a room holding lithium batteries | Smallest working quantity only; a single small, labelled bottle; stored capped away from the charging station and printer; used only on cold, unpowered parts; solvent-soaked wipes to the flammable-waste route. |
Where the team is unsure which controls are required, it contacts the FAS Safety Officer.
6 Waste Generation and Disposal
| Waste stream | Source activity | Collection / storage | Disposal route |
|---|---|---|---|
| End-of-life lithium packs | Battery use and storage | Cooled and stable, terminals taped, held in a fireproof bag in the closed storage and labelled for disposal | SFU Facilities Services battery recycling. Never general waste, never the yellow alkaline bins. |
| Damaged or fire-involved lithium packs | Battery incident, crash or quarantine | Isolated in the FAS response kit or the isolation container, lid off or loose, never sealed, labelled with the date and the reason | Contact the FAS Safety Officer or EHS for instructions. Never binned, never sealed, never shipped without clearance. |
| Failed prints, supports and purge material | 3D printing | Labelled plastics bin at the printer position | PLA set aside for recycling where possible; otherwise building plastics or general waste. |
| Solder dross, braid, used tips and lead-contaminated wipes | Soldering in Lab 1 | Garbage | Garbage |
| Solvent-soaked wipes and rags | Cleaning with isopropyl alcohol | Sealed labelled container. | Flammable-solvent waste route via SFU hazardous waste. |
| Sharps; blades, snapped cutters, broken glass | Assembly and part finishing | Rigid sharps container in ASB 9819 | Sharps disposal route. |
| General and recyclable waste | All activities | Building bins | Standard building waste and recycling. |
7 Task- and Equipment-Specific SOPs
| SOP number | Title | Rev / date |
|---|---|---|
| SOP-TECH-01 | Lithium Battery Safety, Charging and Storage | 1.0 / 2026-09-10 |
| SOP-TECH-02 | Autonomous Vehicle Testing and Configuration Management | 1.0 / 2026-09-10 |
| SOP-TECH-04 | 3D Printing Safety and Operation | 1.0 / 2026-09-10 |
| SOP-TECH-05 | Soldering and Electronics Assembly | 1.0 / 2026-09-10 |
| SOP-TECH-06 | Day-to-Day Lab Operations and Housekeeping | 1.0 / 2026-09-10 |
| SOP-ADM-09 | Incident Reporting and Post-Incident Review | 1.0 / 2026-09-10 |
8 Training Plan and Records
Training has two parts: SFU courses taken through Safety Spectrum, and Racerbot’s own induction and per-activity clearance. Nobody works in ASB 9819 before completing the Racerbot induction, and nobody performs a higher-hazard activity before being cleared for it by the responsible lead.
| Training / course | Who must complete it | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| SFU General Lab Safety (Safety Spectrum) | All members with lab access | Once |
| WHMIS 2015 (Safety Spectrum) | All members with lab access | Once, refreshed as required |
| Fire Extinguisher Safety (Safety Spectrum) | At least the Team Lead and Operations Coordinator; encouraged for all | Once |
| Racerbot safety induction; this plan, the emergency procedures, safety equipment locations and exit routes | All members before first access | Once, plus a refresh each September |
| SOP-TECH-01 battery briefing and cleared-to-charge sign-off | Members who charge or handle packs | Before first charge; reviewed annually |
| SOP-TECH-02 briefing and operator / Test Lead sign-off | Members who operate or lead a test session | Before first session; reviewed annually |
| SOP-TECH-04 printer briefing and cleared-to-print sign-off | Members who operate the printer | Before first print |
| SOP-TECH-05 soldering briefing, plus Lab 1 induction | Members who solder | Before first session; Lab 1 induction as that lab requires |
| SOP-ADM-09 briefing; what to report and how | All members | Part of induction |
The Operations Coordinator maintains the training record; who has completed what, and when; alongside the access list, and produces it for the FAS Safety Officer on request. Clearance is withdrawn if a member stops meeting the requirements of the relevant SOP.
9 Emergency Procedures
| Fire, medical emergency, police | 911 |
|---|---|
| SFU Campus Public Safety (Burnaby) | 778-782-4500 |
| FAS Safety Officer | Contact via the FAS Safety website |
| Assembly area for ASB | As shown on the evacuation map posted in ASB 9819. Do not re-enter until emergency or safety personnel authorise it. |
| Nearest fire alarm pull station | Nearest corridor exit; location posted at the door |
| Nearest ABC extinguisher | By the door in ASB 9819, plus hallway extinguishers |
| FAS lithium battery response kit | Nearest kit on this floor; location to be confirmed with FAS Safety and then posted at the door |
9.1 Earthquake
Before
Identify two or three safe locations in the room, away from windows, unsecured materials and equipment that could move or fall, and identify where to take cover quickly; under a sturdy desk or table, or beside an interior wall; staying away from:
- benches or heavy equipment that could move or shift;
- hazardous materials or objects that are not secured; including battery storage and the 3D printer;
- breakable items and windows.
Keep wheels on any equipment or cart locked. Battery storage and shelving are loaded heaviest at the bottom so they are less likely to topple.
During — Drop, Cover and Hold On. Protect your head and neck. Take cover under a sturdy desk or table, or move to an interior wall or corner away from hazards. Do not attempt to leave the building while the ground is shaking. If the bench area is hazardous, drop to the ground so you are not knocked over, then move only as far as necessary to reach a pre-identified safe location. Hold on to a stable object so you are not displaced by the shaking.
After
- Wait 60 seconds after the shaking stops, then move cautiously; objects may have shifted and created new hazards.
- Turn off heated equipment and isolate power only if it is safe to do so. Disconnect any pack on charge only if you can reach it safely.
- Treat any battery pack that has fallen, been struck or been buried as damaged. Do not handle it if it is smoking, hot or venting; evacuate and report it.
- If hazardous materials may have been released, evacuate the area immediately and move cautiously.
- Go to the designated assembly area, East Parking Lot, and monitor SFU Alerts and the SFU Safe app for instructions.
- Do not re-enter the building until emergency or safety personnel authorise re-entry.
- Check in with the building evacuation coordinator or fire warden.
More information: SFU Earthquake procedures; Safety & Risk Services
9.2 Fire
If you discover a fire:
- Pull the nearest fire alarm.
- Call 911 when it is safe to do so, then Campus Public Safety on 778-782-4500.
- Turn off heated equipment and isolate power only if it is safe to do so.
- Evacuate using the nearest safe stairwell exit. Do not use elevators. Close doors behind you.
- Go to the designated assembly area shown on the posted evacuation map. Do not re-enter until emergency or safety personnel authorise re-entry.
Extinguishers — ABC extinguishers; suitable for ordinary combustibles, flammable liquids and energised electrical equipment; are available in ASB 9819 and in the hallways. Only attempt to extinguish a small fire if you have completed fire extinguisher training, have a clear exit behind you, and can do so without placing yourself at risk. Notify the FAS Safety Officer if an extinguisher has been used.
9.3 Lithium battery fire or venting
The full procedure is SOP-TECH-01 §11. In summary:
| What you see | What you do |
|---|---|
| Hot, swollen or damaged pack; no smoke, flame, hissing or venting | Stop the charge. Move people and combustibles away. If it is stable and safe to approach, use goggles, face shield, heat-resistant gloves and the long-handled tongs to place it on sand in the FAS response-kit pail. Lid off or loose; never sealed. Monitor from a distance and tell the Team Lead and the FAS Safety Officer. |
| Hissing, popping, odour, venting or smoke | Do not approach, touch, move or cover it. Warn everyone, leave the room, close the door. Pull the alarm, evacuate, call 911, then Campus Public Safety. Do not re-enter and do not rely on a dust mask; it does not stop battery gases. |
| Flames | Pull the alarm, evacuate, call 911, then Campus Public Safety. Do not pick up or cover a burning pack. Only a trained person may attempt a very small early-stage fire with an ABC extinguisher, and only with the alarm pulled and a clear exit. Never a Class D extinguisher. |
| Fire spreading, heavy smoke, multiple packs or an explosion | Pull the alarm, do not attempt to control it. Evacuate by the nearest safe exit, close doors, call 911 and Campus Public Safety from a safe place, and go to the assembly area. |
Never seal a hot or venting pack in a pail, bag or closed container.
Never carry a smoking or burning pack through an occupied area.
Sand and extinguishers do not stop a cell in thermal runaway. They limit what the fire spreads to. Distance and evacuation are the real controls, and a pack can reignite hours later.
9.4 Vehicle incident during testing
Release the deadman switch first & stop the car. Care for anyone hurt and call 911 for serious injuries, then Campus Public Safety on 778-782-4500. Quarantine the battery pack, photograph the scene before anything moves, freeze the software build, and report the same day. Full procedure: SOP-TECH-02 §9.
9.5 Injury, exposure and first aid
- Call 911 for any serious injury. Call Campus Public Safety on 778-782-4500 for first aid.
- Burns: cool under clean running water for at least 15 minutes. No ice, no creams, no adhesive dressings.
- Chemical or electrolyte in the eyes: flush at the nearest eyewash for at least 15 minutes with the eyelids held open, then get medical attention.
- Smoke inhalation: move to fresh air without entering the contaminated area, and get medical assessment; the effects of hydrogen fluoride exposure can be delayed.
- Electric shock: do not touch the person while they are in contact with the source; cut power at the outlet first, then call 911.
- Send someone to meet responders at the building entrance. ASB corridors are hard to navigate from a room number alone.
9.6 Reporting
Every injury, fire, smoke event, battery event, vehicle incident, extinguisher use, property damage and significant near miss is reported the same day to the Team Lead and the Operations Coordinator and to the FAS Safety Officer, and an SFU incident report is filed where required. The team’s process; timelines, the report, the post-incident review, corrective actions and return to service; is SOP-ADM-09. Reports will not be penalized & strictly for prevention.
10 Exit and Shutdown Strategy
This applies at the end of the work session where potential risks are present. The Operations Coordinator owns the shutdown and coordinates decommissioning with the FAS Safety Officer. The time-critical item is the batteries: packs must not be left at full charge or in an unknown state in an unattended room.
| Action | Responsible | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Stop work and make all equipment safe; cancel any print, end any test session, disarm and disconnect vehicles | Operations Coordinator | Immediate |
| Isolate power and stored energy; bench supply, charger, printer and vehicles powered off at the outlet | Operations Coordinator | Immediate |
| Bring all lithium packs to 3.8 V/cell storage charge, bag them and set to storage charge | Tech Team Lead | Within 48 hours |
| Remove any damaged or quarantined pack from the space via the FAS Safety Officer or EHS instructions | Tech Team Lead | Within 48 hours; do not leave in an unattended room |
SFU Racerbot · sfuracerbot.ca · Based on the FAS Student Team Lab Safety Plan template (last updated July 2, 2026).