Safety Rules

[hiker]

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone can please help me. I am a student taking my very first stage management class (excited). I am doing a group project on safety, and I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice on safety on stage? What is the most important peice of information that you think I as a beginner need to know about safety ? Also how important of a role does safety play, when you start working on a production?
Thanks for any advice in advance!

 

[derekleffew]

...What is the most important peice of information that you think I as a beginner need to know about safety ? ...

I would say the most important thing is to be aware of one's surroundings, and that would include searching for threads of a similar topic before starting a new one.
Question: Theatre Safety
Safety Issues in the Theatre

 

[gafftaper]

Our resident grammar checker and occasional curmudgeon also forgot to say, "Welcome to Control Booth!"

Congratulations on taking the stage management class. That should be fun and a little eye opening. Yes, search and you shall find lots of information already here on the topic of safety... the archives are full of gold here. Do feel free to ask follow up questions if you need more help after reading those old posts. Don't forget to check out our wiki.

 

[jwl868]

Regarding general safety - never lose sight of the facts that:

1. At times, the stage/theater is no different from any other construction site.

2. When there are no construction activities, the stage/theater has as many hazards as a light industrial facility.


Joe

 

[cdub260]

When you're assigned a potentially dangerous task, make sure you have the proper training and use the proper personal protective equipment or PPE and follow proper procedure. Nine years ago, I fell off a lighting truss because I didn't follow these simple rules.

Many long time CB members have heard this story before, but I think it bears retelling.

September 1st. of 2000, I was striking lights from the Irvine Bowl, the amphitheatre that houses the Pageant of the Masters. My first mistake was my failure to wear a climbing harness, so I had nothing to catch me if I fell. My second mistake was that I was carrying my lights down the truss rather than lowering them with a rope. Third, I was in a hurry to finish. As a matter of fact the only safety procedure that I did follow that night was that I wasn't working alone. I had someone else with me acting as a bottom man while I did the climbing, which makes the failure to use a rope just that much more stupid. But even there, I had violated this rule on any number of occasions in my previous eleven years in the industry.

I was in the process of carrying my last light down the truss and I was anxious to finish the job and get to the crew party. I was nearly half way down the truss when I missed my grip. I'm not sure exactly how far I fell, but it was somewhere between ten and fifteen feet. The way the fall started I really should have hit the ground head first. I've never been sure exactly how I did it, but I somehow managed to straighten myself out so that I hit the concrete steps feet first.

In short, I got lucky. That fall should have killed me. As it stands, I injured both of my knees and pinched a nerve in my back. The pinched nerve went undiagnosed for four years; four years in which I was in near constant pain. There again, it was pure blind luck that lead to discovering the pinched nerve. Nearly four years after my fall, I somehow managed to un-pinch it. While the pain is no longer a constant in my life, it's still a frequent visitor. I'm in the gym 3 to 5 days a week dealing with pain issues and take anti-inflammatories far more often than I'd like. Nine years later I'm still doing the same job I did then, but now I have learned to use the proper PPE for this and other aspects of my job and to follow proper procedures.

I'm lucky that I walked away from that fall with a lifetime of knee problems when I really should have died. This wasn't the only time that luck has saved me from serious injury or death, but you can't depend on luck. Luck will only take you so far, then it'll get you killed. Learn from my mistakes and don't make them yourself. Learn and follow proper safety procedures. Learn to use the proper PPE for a given activity, then use it properly.

Do this and it just may save your life someday.

 

[thorin81]

I have a motto that I always use for my kids that pretty much covers everything:

"No Death, No Injury!"

If they can stay aware enough to make sure that these things happen then everything (well, almost everything) else that they do is fixable. There are more specific things that I talk about when we are hanging lights or have anyone on the loading rail, but in general my motto covers everything else.

Cheers!!

 

[gafftapegreenia]

I have a personal saying "safety third".

What are rules one and two?

Safety and Safety.

 

[gafftaper]

Actually my motto with the high school kids was always, "Safety Last!"... but the meaning of it was if you do things safely you WILL last.

 

[photoatdv]

When I helped out with a professional show a few weeks ago (it was so cool... okay back on topic) I was talking with the guy who I knew (and got me on the show) and his idea was this:

Did anyone get hurt? Did anyone get killed? If not then it was a good show. The rest doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

For any other students out there who have never worked on a real show, if you think there is pressure to get-it-done in school, it's a whole 'nother ball game in the pro world. One of the other things he told me was that there WILL be times that you will have to tell a client it's not going to happen and there will be times you'll have to walk away from a situation because it just isn't safe.

 

[Raktor]

If you are an employee, #1 is to speak up if you feel something is unsafe or you are unsure.

If you are an employer, #1 is to have a workplace where people feel confident enough to speak up if they feel unsafe.

 

[hiker]

I would say the most important thing is to be aware of one's surroundings, and that would include searching for threads of a similar topic before starting a new one.
Question: Theatre Safety
Safety Issues in the Theatre

Well thanks a lot for replying Derek, that was a great answer to my question. The only reason why I posted my question even though there might be similar posts and replies to such posts, is that my professor requires evidence that I am not presenting with just my own personal opinion (Universities are low on trust this days). Hence I have to print both my posting and the replies I received as evidence. Thanks for taking the time to send a reply.

 

[hiker]

Thanks again for taking the time to reply. I did look through the archives and though they are very helpful, part of the project is supposed to be the interview process, collecting the information, and then presenting it. Which really means I have to print my questions and replies and show them as evidence that I was actually in contact with someone, and did not just come up with information on my own.

 

[jessamarie6]

As a stage manager I think that two key aspects of keeping things safe are communication and chain of command.
You need to be in constant communication with the props master, TD, costume shop manager, designers etc. The more you know about what the set is going to look like, how the props need to be handled, any dark spots or intense light moments to expect during the show... the sooner you can communicate these things to the actors. It is your job to be as informed as you possibly can so you can keep your actors as prepared as possible.
You also need to enforce and follow the chain of command. Everyone should know who problems need to be addressed to and when. This way, if a change occurs you can be sure that the right people have approved it, have fixed the problem appropriately, and the correct people have been informed of the change. An efficient chain of command is also critical in an emergency situation to keep everyone safe by following a planned protocol. If everyone already respects the SM (and ASM) and listens when they speak, they will be prepared to listen and follow instructions when it is most important.

 

[gafftapegreenia]

Thanks again for taking the time to reply. I did look through the archives and though they are very helpful, part of the project is supposed to be the interview process, collecting the information, and then presenting it. Which really means I have to print my questions and replies and show them as evidence that I was actually in contact with someone, and did not just come up with information on my own.

Well, with all due respect, the best thing to do would have been to state that as the intent of your thread in your initial post. We don't know the details of the project like you do.

 

[mstaylor]

SMs have the resposibility to be the liason between the director and everyone else. This includes saftey both on stage and backstage. Once you are working with the set pieces and things flown, you have to make everyone aware of where they should be when to avoid injury. Pre show during construction it is the TD's job but even then you have to be a contact to make sure it is being done. As mentioned there is a chain of command which also means a chain of delegations. The SM can't do everything and be everywhere. He can oversee the people the he has delegaded certain areas to.

 

[hiker]

Sorry about that Gaffta, my mistake

 

[venuetech]

Prop weapons of any and all types need to be treated as the real thing. Even a Nerf sword can cause damage to the unprotected body or its improper use may set in motion a injury causing event. Wooden swords can splinter and break sending splinters flying. it seems the first thing an inexperienced actor does when he picks a sword or dagger up is to wave it in someones face, and then launch into mock combat.

matches are another thing folks like to pickup and strike I do not store any matches, lighters or candles in the props room. Use of such items during a performance must be cleared with the local fire marshal If you do use these things for a production keep them secure when not in use. when the production is done i dispose of the candles and matches.


rember the golden rule "SAFETY FIRST"