It’s that time of year again for many that are school teachers – school is back in session soon. For a fortunate few, this may include moving into a new or renovated performance facility. Oh yeah. It’s like Christmas. New Toys.…

Electrical Hazards abound in most theatres, and one of the most common items seen are the frayed ends of wire jackets that leave exposed conductors. This problem develops for several reasons:

• Yanking on the cord rather than grasping the connector to extract it from the socket.…

The Journal of Light Construction (www.jlconline.com) is a building trades web site that serves the segment of the building industry that doesn't involve huge I-Beams and multi-story concrete buildings. This is mostly single-story business and residential type work, which, as it…

The Event Safety Alliance's effort to create a US version of the UK "Purple Guide" has resulted in the creation of a very good first public review draft for comment. More information at: http://theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/esa-releases-draft-version-of-us-event.html…

Riddle me this, Batman: What is roughly 6’ x 3’ and will reach safely to a work platform height of 20’? If you said: “Ladder”, you would most likely be wrong:…

Top Ten lists can be fun, except when the list is not someplace you want to find yourself. Each Year OSHA posts information about the most commonly cited violations in the workplace. Admittedly, the majority of the citations came from outside our industry, but this year we, the entertainment industry, were caught in the fray, too. Incidents like the Canopy Collapse at the Indiana State Fair…

Some considerations of safety issues in the K-12 environment. Safety issues in these facilities are in many ways even more important than at the college level and professional level. This is for several reasons:

1. Children have a less developed sense of hazard recognition and awareness of the abstract potential for injury to…

In the Terminator movie franchise the world has become an apocalyptic wasteland as the intelligent machines seek to eliminate mankind from the world. Most of the machines we deal with are, by comparison and capability, pretty benign . . . until we lose focus on what we are doing. Then it seems that they are plotting our demise, or at least deliberately try to frustrate us. Have you ever had had a copy machine…

Extension Cords are simple items, used almost everywhere, and available at your local store (or not, once you read further). They are a ‘make-do’ item - we use these to power-up equipment that is not near a convenient power outlet. The root problem is usually a lack of having an outlet where you need one. That’s a planning issue that should have been considered at the outset of the building design, but is frequently…

In the wake of last year’s tragic venue accidents, a group of production industry professionals got together and formed the Event Safety Alliance. At the beginning of the summer they announced an aggressive goal to create a Best…

The North American Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference was held in New York City this last weekend (July 22-23, 2012). The event is held every four years and a corresponding event is hosted in Europe two years offset. This is a gathering of Theatre Consultants, Acousticians, Safety Specialists, Architects, engineers, and representatives from both fixed venues and touring shows. This mix of skills and…

What are the predictors of accidents? Can you prevent accidents by curing bad behavior? Simple things to look for in your company / school’s culture that you can change, and as a result, change the outcome of your risk exposure.

• Lust can take any form such as the lust for…

Up, sometimes Down, and occasionally at an Angle. We use ladders for many access needs in the theatre, and occasionally, we use them for props and active set components, too. Climbing a ladder seems, at least on the surface, an easy task. Accident statistics, however, seem to tell a different story. In the workplace, OSHA, in 2011, ranked ladder violations eighth with a total of 3,244. The AFLCIO…

Another part of your PPE inventory that is often overlooked is proper footwear when working around the shop or onstage. There seems to be a universal lack of concern as I see this at all levels of venues from elementary schools and churches all the way up to University and professional facilities. Stage and shop floors are rife with hazards that range from small sharp objects like fasteners (tacks, screws, nails,…

Last week I offered a handy bit of info about choosing gloves as a part of your PPE inventory, and this week we’ll take a look at eye safety and the associated PPE. March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month, and this is important not just in the shop, but in all aspects of your life.

Although scientists are working feverously on the…

It's been a busy week here at TheatreFace, so rather than whipping-up something more, I'm going to refer you to three very interesting conversations already in-play.…

OSHA knows who’s been naughty and who’s been nice (and safe). The Deputy Director for OSHA’s Directorate of Environmental Programs, Patrick Kapust, provided the new list of the top 10 violations for fiscal year 2011 (October 1, 2010 to…

Following the weather-induced collapse last summer of the stage canopy at the Indiana State Fair, the Indiana State Legislature announced today that a Senate Bill was authored that addresses the need to have outdoor entertainment structures inspected before use. The bill was passed and forwarded to the House for consideration. …

2012-01-11 - UK - The Standing Committee on Structural Safety (SCOSS) has published a 4-page Alert on Temporary Stage Structures that discusses the ramifications of the numerous stage structure collapses that plagued the entertainment production industry over the past few years. More information at:…