First aid facilities

[Ric]

Hi All,
I've been looking into first aid facilities and was trying to find out what other venues have in place.
At our 477 seat Community Theatre here we have 2 portable first aid kits. One for Backstage and one for Front of House.
This has seemed sufficient, so far, but I do wonder if we are on par with other venues of similar size. I've not yet been able to locate OH&S guidelines/legislation that specifies a number; like a lot of things in OH&S its a bit vague.

I am aware that larger venues have a first aid room, but am not sure at what size of audience/cast & crew numbers this should come into affect.

My questions if you care to answer
What capacity venue do you work at, and what first aid facilities do you have?
Specifically if you have a first aid room, what capacity venue is it?

Thanks in advance,
Ric

 

[tjrobb]

I'm at a 525 seat community theatre (soon to be more!), and we have one kit FOH, one backstage, one downstairs for dressing rooms and the green room. We also have a random box of "parts" for first aid backstage by the kit.

We are also lucky to have an AED in the FOH area for the BIG emergencies. The AED is designed for use either by trained personnel or the general public (the crazy thing talks to you...).

 

[cprted]

The problem with OH&S regs (at least in BC) is they only deal with first aid requirements based on the number of employees and ignore the pressence of the general public.

We're a 750-seat road house. We have Level 1 kits in the loading bay and the booth, and Level 2 kits in the Lobby and the TD's office.

 

[Ric]

The glossary is a wonderful thing (well done to all who contribute!)
I had to look up AED to discover what it was (Automated External Defibrillator)

Thanks for your reply.

 

[kiwitechgirl]

We have two spaces - a 300-seat and a 125-seat. There is a first aid kit backstage in each space, one in the green room (which is shared) and there is a portable kit at the stage manager's desk in the bigger space but not the smaller one. But the thing I use most often is the cold packs which are kept in the freezer in the SM's kitchen backstage in the 300-seat house....

 

[Ric]

The problem with OH&S regs (at least in BC) is they only deal with first aid requirements based on the number of employees and ignore the pressence of the general public.

Thats what I have found as well. While it's not been an issue so far, I am concerned that we don't have a 'First Aid Room' for incidents with the general public.

 

[cprted]

Thats what I have found as well. While it's not been an issue so far, I am concerned that we don't have a 'First Aid Room' for incidents with the general public.

The specific purposes of a first aid room are to allow employees a place for rest and recovery from minor injuries (no further medical attention required) prior to returning to work and a place to conduct follow-up wound care and the like. These scenarios don't really apply to members of the public. If a patron gets injured or develops a medical condition that in anyway requires more than basic care, they're going to the hospital in an ambulance (or being driven there by family/friend). So long as you have a full compliment of supplies, they're in good condition, and you have appropriate training, I can't see the fact that your supplies are stored in a cabinet instead of a dedicated room ever being an issue.

If you're concerned about liability, I would suggest you consult with your insurance provider. They'll tell you exactly what supplies they want you to have and what level of training.

 

[mstaylor]

An AED is a VERY good thing to have in your lobby. If you get them, and they are expensive, get one or two employees trained on it. I've used them twice so far. Saved one, lost one but they are good to have.

 

[tjrobb]

We were lucky enough to have our AED donated from the Auxiliary of the local hospital. Perhaps others on here could talk to a similar group?

 

[Van]

Ric,
Check ready.gov and the American Red Cross. Both places have excellent resources for tips on stocking and maintaining an adequate First aid kit.

I forgot to look at your location, in the states there are several national companies that specialize in maintaining first aid kits for public and work facilities. the first that comes to mind is a company called CO2 Checking with them might help you devise a good First aid strategy.

 

[NickVon]

in our 300 seat theatre we have 3 Major First Aid Kits

One Backstage
One in the Booth (for Lobby) as the It's very close by.
One in the Greenroom
One Misc First Aid kits, refills on icepacks, and over counter drugs like Advil/Asprin, etc.

It was recommended by the Health Services deparment on campus that we look to get an AED. When i posed the question of how i'm to afford a 5000 dollar peice of medical equipment, and having no ties to any kinda of hostpital or health proffesional the "health services" became silent. Still looking into a grant from one of the local hospitals to perhaps donate one however.

 

[Soxred93]

It was recommended by the Health Services deparment on campus that we look to get an AED. When i posed the question of how i'm to afford a 5000 dollar peice of medical equipment, and having no ties to any kinda of hostpital or health proffesional the "health services" became silent. Still looking into a grant from one of the local hospitals to perhaps donate one however.

At our school, we only have 1 AED for the entire school. Luckily, it's a school with only one major floor, so you can run down and back within 30 seconds. It's also conveniently located right in the auditorium lobby (which is really in the middle of the school), so we don't have that problem.

Most schools have at least one AED in the building, so it shouldn't be too hard for a high school. However, if the theater is a separate building entirely, it will be a little difficult.

I have the advantage of being lifeguard, first aid, CPR, and AED trained, so if there's a medical emergency, I can at least provide care until the EMS arrives.

 

[chris325]

In a 650 seat auditorium, we've got 3: one in the stage manager's desk, one in the set shop, and one in the booth. Those get pretty regular use. As for an AED, the school has one, but it's a distance from the auditorium, which isn't helpful in an emergency. Ice packs, as mentioned by several, would have been helpful in several incidents, but the only place to store them is in the booth, which is difficult to get to from backstage during a show. So far, all we've had to deal with was an asthma attack (no ambulance required) and a few other smaller things, along with a broken leg by a cast member a while back. (The phrase "Break a leg" is not used anymore in our theatre program.)

 

[jwl868]

...along with a broken leg by a cast member a while back. (The phrase "Break a leg" is not used anymore in our theatre program.)

Considering your track record, you should probably ask the dancers to stop saying "Merde", too.


Joe

 

[lieperjp]

We have a first aid kit in the green room for emergencies and the school has two AEDs nearby (both donated by the local hospital.) We're lucky since the majority of our school is training to be teachers, and one of the requirements for a teaching degree is basic First Aid Certification and CPR/AED training, which happens in the first year of school. Get it! It doesn't take too long and it's not to expensive.

We do, IMHO, need a better and another first aid kit, though.

 

[mixmaster]

Both venues (300+ and 800) have small kits in the booth and on deck, AED in the building, Campus nurse's office a few minutes walk away. Hospital ER is 5 minute drive from campus. I'm certifed in CPR AED and used to be an EMT. For our biggest events , like graduation, we have the ambulance crew from the hospital man a first aid station.

Having said that, how well are all of us trained? It does little good to have a fully stocked first aid kit, if no one knows how to use the supplies or if everyone on the crew faints at the sight of blood. Does EVERYONE on your crew know where the first aid kit and closest fire extingisher is? When was the last time anyone actually took stock of the first aid kit. 3AO and Tylenol both have expiration dates!

 

[Soxred93]

At one of my venues, our first aid is regularly checked and stocked. It's also in a school, so there's an AED, health office, and everything nearby. At the other... well... I can't even get a band-aid out of it because it's not stocked. I've told the owner, but he hasn't done anything. I do think it's essential that at least one person is first-aid certified and is able to help in an emergency. If there's no health services nearby, it's also crucial that someone's CPR and AED certified.

 

[thatactorguy]

Goodness, all of these replies talking about their multi-hundred seat venues, and here I come with my 138 seat place...

One in the booth, one in the kitchen area (which is right next to the Greenroom), and two backstage: SL & SR.

Fortunately, we have several in the medical field who regularly see our shows and/or are in said productions. Gives one a good feeling knowing help is just a few feet away at all times...

 

[MNicolai]

First Aid Kits

[Mod note: This post moved here from another location.]

Tonight we had a number of medical problems in our theatre. One dancer vomitted three times before she arrived at the venue but still wanted to dance. Another dancer became nauseous during the night and spent most of Act II in a backstage hallway with her head on the floor and her legs up the wall. A third dancer pulled a muscle in her thigh during one of the last numbers. Then we also had an audience member who got a bloody nose during the performance and was rushed to the bathroom with blood gushing onto their shirt.

At least tonight we didn't have to call an ambulance like we did last fall when an audience member tripped coming in the doorway and caught her head on the push-bar of a door and then was quickly escorted to the bathroom will gushing blood from her head-wound.

As is, we have a few first aid kits scattered around; one in the shop, one in the box office, and another in our black box theatre's control room, but with night's like tonight we need to become better prepared to cover the following areas of our facility:

-150 Seat Theatre + Ctrl Room
-755 Seat Theatre + Ctrl Room
-Scene Shop
-Rehearsal Hall
-(2) Dressing Rooms
-Lobby/Box Office

Where in your theatres do you have first aid kits located and which types of wounds are each of them capable of mending?

 

[metti]

Re: First Aid Kits

In most of the theatres I have worked, each shop has one poorly-equipped/running-out-of-supplies kit. Then each wing usually has one with band-aids, other small supplies, and heaps of ibuprofen. Often the SM has a decently equipped one with their other supplies as well. Since getting my EMT cert last year I have always carried a pretty substantial kit in one of my tool boxes and I have had pretty frequent cause to use it, though (thankfully) not the airways or any of the other tools for more life-threatening illness and trauma. The key with first aid kits is to actually keep them stocked to their listed contents at all times and to have the supplies that enable venue staff to practice to their certification level and no further than that. I have seen tons of kits that have stuff like a scalpel in them but if no one has received training on how to use it for in-protocol first-response-treatment than it is just taking up space and distracting from the important tools in an actual emergency. Whichever personnel are first aid/CPR/AED/etc certified should pull out the books that they were given during their certification classes and each kits should have ample quantities of all of the items the book lists. I can probably dig up an actual list but in general it will probably look something like this for the average non FR/EMT care providers:
-Lots of ibuprofen
-Lots of acetaminophen
-Diphenhydramine in one kit that is accessible only to qualified personnel
-Buffered aspirin
-Single use saline eye rinse
-Canned/bottled saline wound wash
-Gauze in a few different sizes
-Band-aids in a few different sizes
-Transpore/fabric medical tape
-Triangle bandages w/ safety pins
-Burn cream w/ low concentration lidocaine
-Triple antibiotic ointment
-Hydrocortisone cream
-Fine forceps/splinter removal kit
-Ace wraps in a few sizes
-Gauze roles in a few sizes
-EMT shears/bandage scissors
-Instant cold packs
-Oral rehydration salts
-Glucose paste or packages of high-sugar-content energy goo like runners use
-Lots of disposable bio-hazard bags (the red zip-lock ones)
-Laerdal CPR mask
-Nitrile gloves (not latex)
-Alcohol prep swabs
-Hand sanitizer
-Moleskins (squares for cutting)
-Digital thermometer with individually sealed covers
-Antacids
-Patent assessment forms/supplies sign out sheet
-Complete list of kit contents with quantities
-Really careful organization of contents by type of emergency (eg minor trauma, major trauma, nausea, etc)