These guidelines have been drawn up collaboratively by members of the Restarter network in London to tackle instances when items can’t be repaired at a Restart Party but repairs could be continued in another context. This is a draft document and we would welcome your feedback.
Our aims in creating this document are:
- Protect the safety and property of participants at Restart Parties
- Avoid liability and protect the reputation of the Restarter and The Restart Project
- Enable the repair of an item that may well go in the bin
- Capture accurate data on repairs
- Support SME repair businesses
Guidelines for Restarters
- Never take a device which doesn’t belong to you away from a Restart Party to repair at home. Doing so opens you up to risk of liability for any fault, loss or damage of the item and could risk the safety of the owner if the device has not been properly repaired.
- If you can’t finish a repair we suggest 2 options:
- If you lack of time, tools or parts ask participant to bring the item to another Restart Party and give them responsibility for sourcing the necessary resources
- If you lack the expertise or they need the repair completed more quickly offer guidance on how to find a reputable professional repair service - if possible use the Repair Directory
- Don’t leave a device in an unsafe condition with its owner i.e. if item is faulty don’t reassemble it as a working unit. Do make a label stating the fault and potential risks of use and offer suggestions on the nature of the fault and possible route to repair.
- Restarters: make sure you have signed the safety guidelines and that the Restart Party host has your contact details and knows your skills
- Restart Party hosts: at the start of any party make sure you know your volunteers! Collect their contact details, make sure they are registered with the Restart Project, find out what their skills are: i.e. household electrical/ household appliances, audio, general IT - hardware / software, phones.
- We really value having professional repair people volunteering at Restart Parties. We understand that they might be able to fix something outside the context of the party which cannot be competed at the party however there needs to be a clear separation of services. Therefore giving out your contact information is acceptable but taking the item right then and there is not.
