Workshop Policy & Liability Waiver

Updated: October 2026

This page sets out how my two-day saw-making workshops run, what I ask of everyone who attends, and the risks you accept by taking part. Please read it before your workshop. A copy is sent to attendees before the day, and I ask each participant to sign the acknowledgement at the end before we begin.

Who runs what

The workshops are taught by me, Karen (Kaz) Davis, trading as Kaz Saw (ABN 37 507 635 679). They are held at the Phoebe Everill Furniture Making School in Drummond, Victoria, and I am engaged by the school to teach them.

The school takes registrations and payment. Your deposit, the balance, due dates and any cancellation, transfer or refund are handled by the school under its own terms, not by me. Please read the school's terms when you register with the school, and contact the school directly with any question about payment. My Terms of Sale cover the saws I sell and do not apply to workshop bookings.

You must be 18 years of age or older to take part.

Before the day

We start at 9:00am and finish at 4:00pm on both days. The school opens at 8:45am and there is no access before then.

Bring your own personal protective equipment: earmuffs, safety glasses and a P2 dust mask. You will need all three on both days. Bring your own lunch. A kitchenette with tea, coffee, biscuits and a microwave is available.

Wear covered shoes (steel caps are not required). Tie long hair back. Do not wear loose or flowing clothing, scarves, lanyards or dangling jewellery, as these can catch in a machine.

Timber blanks are provided. If you would like to bring your own timber, I need to assess it for suitability before it is used, so please tell me when you register.

No prior experience with machinery is needed. Every tool and machine is demonstrated before you use it.

Most of the workshop can be adapted for different physical abilities and neurodivergent needs. Please contact me in advance so we can plan how best to support the way you learn.

Please also tell me in advance, in confidence, about anything that may affect your safety in a workshop with machinery, dust and noise. This includes medication that affects alertness or balance, hearing or vision impairment, conditions that cause fatigue, dizziness or seizures, and pregnancy, if you would like to discuss exposure to dust and noise. I use this information only to plan a safe day for you and handle it as described in my Privacy Policy.

In the workshop

Follow my instructions and the school's rules at all times.
Use a machine only after I have demonstrated it to you, and only while I am present in the room.
If you are unsure about anything, stop and ask. This is not a race.
Do not attend under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and do not drink alcohol during the day.
Put your phone away while you are operating a machine or standing at one.
Report any injury or near miss to me immediately, however minor it seems.

I may stop a participant from continuing if I consider their behaviour unsafe to themselves or to others. If that happens, any refund is a matter for the school under its terms.

What you make and take home

The saw you make is yours to keep, together with a needle file and file guide. Because of the time available, the handle may need minor finishing at home, and I will show you how to do it.

You leave with a sharpened working saw. The blade goes home in a cover. Keep it covered when it is not in use and out of reach of children. The Saw Care Guide and the Disclaimer explain how to use and store it safely.

Photography

I may take photographs during the workshop for my website and Instagram. If you would rather not appear in them, tell me on the day and I will leave you out. You are welcome to photograph your own work. Please ask before photographing other participants.

Acknowledgement of risk and waiver

This is the part I ask each participant to read and sign before the workshop begins.

Saw making involves hand tools, sharp edges and workshop machinery. Even with care and instruction, these risks cannot be removed entirely. They include:

Cuts and punctures from saw blades and teeth, files, marking knives and freshly cut brass.
Injury from the bandsaw, router, drill press and other machinery, including contact with moving blades and cutters, and timber or brass being thrown.
Eye injury from flying chips, dust and metal filings.
Breathing in timber and brass dust.
Hearing damage from machine noise.
Burns from metal heated by friction and from hot drill bits.
Strains, sprains and fatigue from repetitive hand work, peening and standing for long periods.
Slips, trips and falls in a working workshop.
Allergic reactions to timber dust or finishing oils.

By signing below, I confirm that:

I am 18 years of age or older.
I have read and understood this Workshop Policy, and I will follow the rules in it and any instruction Kaz Davis gives me on the day.
I am physically and mentally fit to take part, and I have told Kaz Davis in advance about any medical condition, medication or other matter that may affect my safety or the safety of others.
I understand the inherent risks of hand-tool and machine work described above, and I voluntarily accept those risks as a condition of taking part.
I will wear the required personal protective equipment, and I will use machines only as demonstrated and only while Kaz Davis is present.

To the extent permitted by law, I release Kaz Davis from liability for death or personal injury arising from the inherent risks of the workshop, including where the services were not rendered with due care and skill or were not reasonably fit for their purpose under the Australian Consumer Law (Victoria). This release does not apply if my death or injury is due to gross negligence on the part of Kaz Davis, and it does not limit any right I have under the Australian Consumer Law that cannot lawfully be excluded.

WARNING UNDER THE AUSTRALIAN CONSUMER LAW AND FAIR TRADING ACT 2012

If you sign this form, you will be agreeing that your rights to sue the supplier under the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012 are excluded, restricted or modified in the way set out in this form, if you are killed or injured because the services provided were not in accordance with the statutory guarantees outlined below.

Under the Australian Consumer Law (Victoria), several statutory guarantees apply to the supply of certain goods and services. These guarantees mean that the supplier named on this form is required to ensure that the recreational services it supplies to you—

are rendered with due care and skill; and
are reasonably fit for any purpose which you, either expressly or by implication, make known to the supplier; and
might reasonably be expected to achieve any result you have made known to the supplier.

In accordance with section 22 of the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012, the exclusion of these statutory guarantees is brought to your attention by this form.

NOTE: The change to your rights, as set out in this form, does not apply if your death or injury is due to gross negligence on the supplier's part. Gross negligence, in relation to an act or omission, means doing the act or omitting to do an act with reckless disregard, with or without consciousness, for the consequences of the act or omission. See regulation 5 of the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Regulations 2022 and section 22(3)(b) of the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012.

Participant acknowledgement

Supplier: Karen (Kaz) Davis, trading as Kaz Saw, ABN 37 507 635 679

Workshop dates:

Participant name:

Signature:

Date:

Emergency contact (name and phone):

Contacting me

Questions about this policy or the workshop can be sent to me by email or phone. Please contact the school directly about registration and payment.

Karen (Kaz) Davis, trading as Kaz Saw
ABN 37 507 635 679
Melbourne VIC, Australia
Email: info@kazsaw.com.au
Phone: 0403 593 521