Comment

Comment by Mattie Roquel Rydalch on January 4, 2011 at 4:17pm

I hate getting hurt! Last year I got a stooooopid concussion because I was being an idiot and ran into a batten with my head. But now I'm smarter and I always warn people when a line set is down. It was nothing, however, compared to what would happen had I fallen off that stack of mattresses. You never forget the sound your head makes when it hits the floor (I've done that a few times). If you survive that fall, that is.

Comment by Ted Jones on January 3, 2011 at 8:40am

Rich,

The reason you have heard of the mythical code is that much of what we do is unregulated. OSHA has some say in what we do, but when it is students who are not employee's, they are technically out of it. However, you are an employee. So if it affects your safety, then OSHA applies.

Case in point: One of the reasons we, ESTA, have been writing ANSI codes is to have some industry standards that have been written by those of us that supposedly know more than some policy wonk in DC or state capitols.

That said, some suggestions for the above picture:

There is nothing that says all of those mattress' need to be full height. They could be a suggestion of mattress's and make the piece lower in height. Lots of scenery is not, and does not have to be, literal in size and look. With the lower height, the ladder could be made with more steps and the actor could move slower when climbing.

With the lower height, a slight rake would still work. However, I would add a steel tube railing around the perimeter. It could be 1' or more higher and still not cause visual problems with the actress. It could be decorative, something appropriate to a princess’ bed. Then, be sure that the actress is trained thoroughly in how to act safely. One of the ways to deal with some of these artistic vs. safety problems is through good operation. When we make theater as foolproof as a public walkway, we reduce the magic. Let's face it, a theater is a dangerous place. Back­stage safety is achieved through safe routine and knowledge­able personnel. (Example: We all are taught to be aware of the stage edge. Rarely, do I see a railing system along the downstage edge. Although, I do often recommend the one way LED edge marker lights that only the performers can see.) With the railing and training/practice, fall arrest may not be needed. Thus making the transitions with a child actress not as complicated. Keep in mind, the people that will be on the bed is a controlled group. Not everybody will be allowed to play on it.

Ted

Comment by Bryan on January 3, 2011 at 7:29am

I have seen many examples of this in the years I have been the TD in a space that has many children theatre rental groups. Every time it happens I talk to the producer, the director, and the technical person on their show and let them know that I will not allow them to use the unit and that if something happens they are liable. Since I work for a school district, the admin will back me on any thing I deem unsafe as long as I give reasons why and give the client ways to fix the issue.

Comment by Rich Dionne on December 30, 2010 at 8:29pm

Thanks, Erich. I won't lie, I've heard from some producers/directors (not at Purdue, but elsewhere) who mention some mythical special code for "performers" and "entertainers." I've never bought into that, and pressed OSHA and local codes, but it's good to know I haven't accidentally missed some important tome!

Comment by Erich Friend on December 30, 2010 at 8:23pm

Candyce,

Good resources for safety information abound. There is so much that it can be a bit overwhelming at times. I'll start-off with a shameless plug for the TheatreSafetyBlog. There you can find many links to products and resources. I have a cache of interesting documents at both DocStoc and Scribd, too (there's a link to those on the TheatreSafetyBlog under 'Reading for the Masses').

Monona Rossol's book Health & Safety Guide for Film, TV, & Theatre should be on everyone's reading list, as should Jay Glerum's Stage Rigging Handbook, and Randy Davidson's Practical Health and Safety Guidlines for School Theatre Operations.

Play Safe!

- Erich

Comment by Erich Friend on December 30, 2010 at 8:11pm

Rich,

In general, the rules that govern the construction of stage scenery are the same that govern general construction. This is highly dependent upon the local adopted building codes, but in general, you can look to code manuals like:

• The Uniform Building Code (UBC)
• The International Building Code (IBC)

Other influences are:

• OSHA*
• NFPA*
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)*

* (or the equivalent for the country in which you are working)

It is possible that your local jusdiction has not adopted the most recet edition of the code(s). However, the most recent edition of the code is usually the best reference as it is developed by a panel of authorities that generally really are making good, well-informed recommendations.

And standards organizations like:

• American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
• International Standards Organization (ISO)
• and other recognized standards like UL, ETL, DIN.

All these books and standards really add-up in cost, so it is sometimes difficult to get the funding to pay for all of them. Make friends with your local code officials, engineers, and architects, and they may let you dig around in their library. The public or university library may also have many of these documents, and a school campus safety department will usually have these, too. Unfortunately, not having the books is not an excuse for not knowing the regulartions that affect you.

The most serious items on stage usually involve Fall Protection and Structural Strength.

• Building codes will address how strong a floor has to be, and it is usually a reference to how much sag is acceptable across a given span (you'll see things like floor deflection being no more than 1:360 which translates to 1/3" of sag across 10' of span). They will also specify railing dimensions, and lateral holding strength (typically a minimum of about 200 pounds).
• The ADA discusses more specifics with regard to stair dimesions (tread depth, step rise, under tread space, widths, and railing relationships).
• OSHA regulations also address ladders, stairs, fall protection, and other items pertaining to a worker's well being. The two primary parts of OSHA that affect production operations (and yes, that includes acting, dancing, etc.) are the General and the Construction parts. You really have to treat stages like construction sites, as much of the work that is done ther is just like temporary structures you might find on a construction site.

So, what's this mean? Juliet's balcony needs to be strong enough that she won't come crashing through it and fall to the floor, and simple things like high platforms either need to have railings (which the director may not like) or the performers need to have fall protection harness within their constumes and be tied-off to secure points. This isn't the big visual disruption that some people would like to make of it - when you enter the inner lobby for KA at the Las Vegas MGM, there are performers standing on a narrow ledge above the audience and they are tied-off to the wall behind them. I think I may have been the only one to notice this (but that's because I'm looking for this type of thing).

On the other end of the spectrum - theatre folks are always looking for exceptions to the rules - there are ADDED special requirements for theatres. The NFPA and other building codes have many special construction requirements for theatres and public assembly spaces that do not apply to conventional costruction of commercial and residential buildings.

Another good resource for understanding structural requirements is Alan Hendrickson's book Mechanical Design For the Stage.

-Erich

Comment by Candyce Iseminger on December 30, 2010 at 7:10pm

Where can we look for more safety information? I might not be a TD but I always look for safety issues in productions and would love to be able to get regulations or recommendations on safety for the theatre.

Comment by Rich Dionne on December 30, 2010 at 11:43am

Look at how that ladder gets narrower as it gets taller! I imagine the princess had some trouble finding her footing as she got closer to the top!

Speaking of "Spider Man": the actress playing Arachne (injured a few weeks ago during previews) is leaving the production: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/29/theater/29spider.html.

Nice post, Erich. A common question amongst the TD grads at Purdue is, fortunately, does it need railings or not? Although OSHA has specific codes related to safety railings and harnesses, can you speak to how those codes relate to on-stage scenery and theatrical performers?