Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2000 - 67

cific standards referenced by OSll-\ regulations-for instance
standards approYed bl- the _·\merican \ational Standards In titute C-\..\SI)-haYe subsequentlY been reYised or replaced. _-\dditionaUy. simply meeting the OSll-\ regulations is not enough.
There is a large body of safety information. procedures. accepted practices and recommended practices that hare been
dereloped br manufacturers and trade associations like the
_-\merican Society of Safell Engineers (-\SSE). CSllT and Esn
Irhich should be foHoll-ed as part of anI' safell' program.
oEVELoPI 6 THE PLAN

\rhen completed. a safety program has three parts: a safety
manual. a training program and records. The process of dereioping a theatre safell- program inrolres sereral steps_ These
include defining the scope of the plan (which areas and
people are corered), obtaining the management's statement of
policr Irith regard to safell', assigning responsibilities 10 rarious leyels of managers and empIOl-ees. conducting a hazard
studr or inspection. responding to any hazards identified (repairing defectire equipment. eliminating or mitigating hazards
where possible. proriding training and personal protectire
equipment. etc.). IITiting a safety manual. keeping records.
and once the plan is in effect. enforcing it.
SCOPE

The first step \l'hen developing a safell- program is to determine its scope. You need 10 hare an accurate specification of
the physical space and all the actil-itie coyered by the plan.
Once you define the physical boundaries of a safety program.
it must com' all actil-ities IYithin that space including aU actirities that relate 10 each other. For e-;ample. you cannot corer
the stage floor without also corering the actirities on the gridiron or fly gallen-_
INSPECTION

Once the scope has been determined. the ne-;t step is a physical inspection of the entire space to be covered by the program and anI' equipment or systems Iyithin the space. (See
-'Inspection of Entertainment Facilities" on page 68.) .-\ properlr conducted inspection Iyill probablr require the assistance
of one or more expert. The number of codes. standards.
regulations and accepted practices Irhich must be reriCll'ed
are numerous and comple-;. :\ny e-;perts Irho are hired must
be familiar Irith theatrical systems. including their proper design. installation and use. Part of this inspection should be to
determine \l'hat. if anY, local codes and standards apply to the
facilities under reYie\l'. You should obtain copies of all codes.
standards and regulations that applr 10 \'Our facility and 10 its
operation. These documents should become a permanent part
of rour library. Eren if you are not specifically or legally required to folloll' a particular standard that applies 10 rour operation. the standard should be rel'ielred and Irhen
applicable. follOlred because it could become a "standard of
care" br which \'Our actions and program might be-and in
the el'ent of an accident almost certainlr Irill be-judged. The
requirements of these standards. el'en though you are not legallr required to follOlr them. are usuallY good practice. There

is also the concept of an illdllS/IY pmc/ice. a procedure that
is commonly used in a particular industry 10 accomplish a task
that is unique 10 that industry. This procedure or practice mar
or may not be documented in IITiting. and quite frequentlr it is
not. An e-;ample is the loading and unloading of countenyeight
arbors and attaching and remoring scenel~-10 or from the rehued ballen. The proper procedure to do this. Irhile well
knOlI'l1 10 theatre personnel. is documented in ver\, fell' books.
There currently is no theatre industry standard or recommended practice I am alrare of Iyhich corers this procedure.
.-\reas of special concern are the costume shop (hazardous chemicals, adhesiyes. and rentilation). scene construction
shop (housekeeping, dust remoral. Irelding, pOlrer 1001
safet\'): paint shop (ventilation. hazardous chemkals and materials); rigging system (condition :lIld operation): orchestra pit
:lIldtraps (falls). (See "Hazards in the Theatre" on page 66.)
FIX PROBLEMS

.\fier the inspections are complete. the first step is to rep:tir or
replace any broken. 11-0111 OLIl or defectiYe eqUipment. In some
cases. it mar be neCeSSlliY 10 remOl-e some equipmem or some
systems from senice until they are repaired. :\ major unirersi~~
not 100 long ago. Iras required to close seyeral of its theatres
until repairs could be made 10 the stage srstems. The best operational and safell' programs cannot protect rou or your studenls and emplorees from defectil'e eqUipment or systems.
At the same time the mechanical problems are being
soh·ed. YOU should create a list of phrsical and operational
hazards. Hazards can be permanent and ongOing. such as an
open orchestra pit: temporal~' or one time hazards. such as
the cable stretched across the floor in Act II 10 pOlyer the Iyall
light fi.xture on the set: or operational. such as countenreight
loading and unloading. Hazardous conditions can also be temporarr but recurring, such as a stage lift which is temporarily
bel 011' stage lerel Irhile moring equipment.
After the hazard list is complete the ne-;t step is 10 sort the
identified hazards inlO sereral lists based on the types of solutions. The first list includes things that hare an "engineering"
solution. in other II-ords. a phrsical fj-;. :\n e-;ample would be
pUlling a railing on an unprotected callralk. Engineering solutions are the preferred method of solring safe~- problem . The
nN list includes the hazards requiting "administratire" comrols.
This list corers hazards Il'itich require the derelopmem of policies
:lIld procedures. An e-;ample would be cOlllllenreight loaeling. A
specific procedure needs to be developed and the persons doing
this l\'Ork need 10 be tmined. This administrati\'e list l\'Ould
also incorporate procedures to deal Irith things like securing
the tempOralY cable run across the stage floor so it does not
present a trip hazard. The ne-;t list includes the hazards requiring personal proteetire equipmem (PPE) :lI1d tr:tining in the
proper use of the PPE. Tltis could be llill1hing from we:u'ing safety
glasses Iyhen using a grinder or table Sail' 10 respirators for
certain t\Ves of painting or dreing. The last list includes the
areas requiring training in the proper and safe use of equipmem such as proper use of fire extinguishers, ladder safety, etc.
AnI' items in the first t\l'O lists requiring training should be included in this list.
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2000