Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2001 - 51

hazards
1. Public Safety Hazard: a
fire escape from a large
auditorium.
2. Electrical Hazard:
abraded wiring, no
proper grounding, use of
"zip" cord.

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3. Indoor Air Quality: an
all too typical air vent.

Awareness
There are too many individuals who have very little knowledge of the regulations and laws that apply to operating a theatre. What is more horrendous to
me is that they do not seem to know they are responsible for knowing, applying and enforcing these mandated laws in their everyday operations.
I have catalogued twenty-seven major regulations and codes that
directly apply to the operation of theatres, including fire and building
codes, health and safety standards, and the American with Disabilities
Act. The Standard of Care applies across-the-board to all work environments and operations of all theatres. The demands and hazardous exposures of today's theatre operations, its equipment and its personnel are
greater today than in the last quarter century. However, it seems we continue to operate in the same fashion as we did fifty years ago, often with
the same deteriorating equipment.

Chemical Exposures
In my opinion, the exposure to chemical hazards is the greatest single
area of concern, and the compliance with Industrial Hygiene practices
is too often held in abeyance. It is my belief that those who have worked
in the theatre these last fifty years are fully dosed with life shortening
and debilitating diseases because of lack of protection from chemicals
in the shops and productions.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
The National Institute of Safety and Health, in its publications and announcements, places poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) as the single most
hazardous exposure in all buildings today, and theatres are in that list.

Electrical Hazards
Having been involved with the National Electrical Code Committee, IES
since 1975, when I was appointed chair of the Motion Picture, Television,
and Theatre section of the Code, I can testify that there seems to be some
advancement of safe electrical practices, but there is a long way to go. Certification of personnel is needed.

Public Assembly Safety and Fire Prevention
In my opinion, audience protection and the comprehensive implementation
of fire prevention training and drills lags far behind where it should be.
I testified in The Who concert debacle, the MGM fire, the Beverly Hills
Supper Club fire, the Blue Angel Night Club fire, and dozens more. I do
not think in the public sector, and that means theatres, that we have advanced in the enforcement level. The hazards seem to be omnipresent
and there seems there is little inclination to do anything about them.

Rigging
In 1975, through the Health and Safety Commission, we were instrumental in initiating the movement toward United States ANSI Standards
for Rigging. USITT and ESTA have continued these efforts. There is a
blatant and dire need of Certification of Riggers, and it is no secret that
we have long been at that task and we are nearing our Codification of
Curriculums and Training for just that purpose.
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