The proliferation of phone cameras has made Facebook the repository of pictures of volunteers working at the various museums and tourist RRs. Like the one commenter said, make sure the volunteer is in proper attire. I saw one picture with 3 guys working under a PCC streetcar with the controller cover removed and their hands into the mechanism. None of them were wearing safety glasses, gloves or a hard hat. I made a comment about it and got excoriated for my concern. Typical for FB.

On the one hand, any place needs to look out for the safety and well-being of its volunteers or employees. By all means. Don't use power grinders without eye protection, don't dip your hands in paint stripper, connect the wires properly and triple-check, etc.

But I've personally seen one otherwise excellent volunteer at one (non-rail) shop who, when ordered to don all manner of safety attire for the job he was doing (and I have to say it was quite a bit overboard, on the order of donning a heavy welder's apron, cap, and gloves just to use a bench grinder for a few seconds), said "#*&@ this, I came here to relax from my paying job, not get more of this (%@&!", and quit.

This is how you can lose some of your best people. Even if he was missing a finger before he showed up.

Anyone who's actually "been there" under the PCC or whatever struggling with a recalcitrant part, cursing at whatever dang-fool designer put that bolt in an impossible to reach location, having to yank off his gloves just to get that tool in to fit and taking off the safety glasses because they're messing up his ability to see what he's doing while inventing all-new cuss words to express his frustration, is going to invent a whole new round of cuss words for some outsider lecturing him (or her) sanctimoniously about not wearing the right safety gear in such an exasperating situation.

Yeah, come over here and watch me change out the starter on a Saturn S-series I4 1.9 DOHC engine and lecture me about safety, and I'll be happy to demonstrate the profanity and tool-throwing rage, and I've done it enough times to be a pro at it..... I know you "mean well," but........

Having worked on streetcar controllers and other components, I can say with some degree of authority that in many cases, use of certain items of PPE simply is not possible. If you're working with small components in a controller, gloves quickly become a hinderance. Working under a car? A hard hat is nice until it falls off your head or becomes a hinderance.

Don't get me wrong-PPE should be used whenever necessary and practical. As the old safety poster says, PPE is better than disability insurance.