Intro
The stonecarving workshop is outside in the courtyard. It is accessed by going across the courtyard and into the sheltered outdoor area. The stonecarving workshop offers hand-carving processes with manual tools. The stonecarving technician is Lewis.
PPE
You are required to wear a boiler suit and safety glasses. A dust mask and protective gloves are optional. You are required to remove boiler suits before entering kitchen spaces to prevent the spread of dust in areas where food is prepared.
Flooring
The floor is concrete which is fairly smooth with some cracks due to age and loose debris such as leaves and small stones can get scattered across it, as it is outside. Accessing the workshop via the courtyard, the ground is uneven and includes concrete pathways and a gravel carpark.
Lighting
The lighting is the natural lighting outside and two bright fluorescent ceiling lights in the shelter.
Seating
There is no seating in the stonecarving workshop but seats can be brought from elsewhere in SSW as needed. This work can be done seated. The bankers or work benches are height adjustable. They are made to suit the height of a manual wheelchair user and can be adjusted to be higher.
Sensory Notes
The workshop is outside in picturesque nature and therefore there is very little decor to comment on. Sound from the metal workshop is detectable from the stonecarving workshop and ear defenders are available if needed. The workshop is completely exposed to the elements and it is advised to wear additional layers in colder weather. The workshop yard is nearby farmland and so there can occasionally be some smells depending on agricultural use.
Nearest Accessible Toilets
There is no toilet in the stonecarving workshop or the nearby metal workshop building. The nearest accessible toilet is across the courtyard and through the main entrance to the SSW main building to the entrance porch where the accessible toilet is through the first door on the left.
Process Notes
The process available in the stonecarving workshop is hand-carving with manual tools and the technician supporting is Lewis, with additional support available from Ruaridh if needed. Bankers, the mobile work benches, are stored in the storage container and will need to be wheeled into the stonecarving shelter before starting. Wheeling them over uneven ground requires some strength and there is support available to do this.
How strenuous the process of stonecarving is depends on the size of the work you are making and how much material it requires. If you are lifting a large piece of stone it is advised that you do so with support. The tools are small metal hand tools and they are not particularly heavy, the heaviest tool is the mallet. Leveraging your body weight to use the tools, holding specific positions for long periods of time and the repetitive movements involved in carving requires some strength and stamina, and this should be taken into consideration when planning activity, energy, rest and recovery. How strenuous these processes are on the body can be exacerbated by the cold temperature for some people, so it is recommended that you consider the weather and temperature in planning if you are impacted by temperature.
