Safety and Entrepreneurship
This domain tests safe working around needle, blade and iron, plus the costing and registration basics of running a small sewing unit.
Machine and hand safety
- Keep fingers at least 3 cm from the needle; never sew over pins.
- Unplug before changing a needle, cleaning or oiling; keep the needle guard in place.
- Tie back hair, roll up loose sleeves, remove dangling jewellery, wear closed-toe footwear.
- Rotary cutters always cut away from the body with the guard closed; blades changed with the tool, not fingers.
Electrical, fire and ergonomics
- No frayed cords, no water near the machine, iron resting on its stand, everything switched off at day end.
- Chair height set so elbows are level with the machine bed; foot pedal under the working foot; a short break each hour; good task lighting.
First aid
- Needle prick: wash, apply antiseptic, cover with a plaster.
- Iron burn: cool running water for 10 minutes; no ice, no butter.
Enterprise basics
- Cost sheet: fabric with 5–10% wastage, trims, labour, overhead, then margin.
- Register as Udyam/MSME for formal recognition; Mudra loans and skill schemes such as PMKVY support start-ups; self-help groups and exhibitions give market access.
Worked example
Fabric 2.5 m at ₹180 = ₹450; trims ₹40; labour ₹120; total ₹610. Overhead at 10% = ₹61, giving a cost of ₹671. A 20% margin on cost = ₹134, so the selling price is ₹805, rounded to ₹825.
Traps
- Pricing from fabric and labour only, forgetting overhead.
- No bill or record book, which blocks loans and repeat orders.
- Running heavy canvas on a domestic machine without a 100/16 needle, which bends the needle.