Everyone who is able to enter the propulsion lab has to go under this Base 11 training which is a series of videos that teach you the following:

• K bottle safety

• Safety Mindset with regards to PPE

• Procedures

• System designed for safety

• Chemical Safety

• Electrical and Battery Safety

• Pyrotechnic Safety

We also maintain safety outside of the propulsion lab by assigning personnel as range safety. They are positioned with safety vests and signage to monitor for pedestrians who may not have proper hearing protection.

We stay in constant radio communication with them and wait for their clearance before conducting a 5-second hot fire. In addition, we notify the department head, Cal Poly Police, and other relevant parties ahead of each test, followed by a summary email documenting who attended and confirming that the test was conducted.

We use whip checks to ensure flex hoses that might have a chance of busting will stay put and not become a whip like in the name.

We also ensure safety through our DAQ system by implementing a safety lockout feature. This system disables all control inputs by default, requiring a multi-step process to actuate any valve—two enabling actions must be completed before a final command can be issued. This helps prevent accidental activation.

I also plan to implement a lighting system on the stand to provide clear visual indicators when the system is powered and when the safety lockout is disengaged.