Theatre Safety Curriculum

[Matthew Overturf]

I am looking for some Tech Theatre safety curriculum that is easy to understand. I am taking my Basic Theatre class through it so they can work on the set for our Spring Musical. They are High School students. Thanks!!

[Jacob Coakley]

Matt -- here's a good place to start, with a few basics: 

http://www.stage-directions.com/current-issue/65-td-talk/3807-lets-...

I'll also put the word out that you're looking for advice. 

[Ian Boze]

I would look at the OSHA safety standards and the "standards" that theaters are "required" to follow and distill them into a list of cardinal rules. I also think a big key would be to explain why, as they are old enough that telling them not to do something just because its a rule isn't going to work.

dont know that detali you are looking for but everony could use basic tool safety:

* using PPE

* knowing what is on the other side of a work piece

* proper clamping/securing

then you have the heigth rules:

* handrailings to prevent falling

*fall arrests/prevention

big thing I ran into at my high school were breaks, yes work has to get done, however when people get tired and hungry accidents happen. i have the scars to prove it.

I hope that is at least something to start with, I know its not much

[Dan Mellitz]

I made a powerpoint for my kids. Highlighting all the key safety features, and standard ones of the space. Location to the nurses office, what to do if there is an accident, ladder safety, cord safety, tool safety, etc. Every class watches it every year. Its really basic because its for my high school and middle school students. I am not sure how to show it to you, but if there is a way, I will. 

[Jim Utterback]

Dan: This sounds really interesting. One suggestion I would make for showing your powerpoint, if you don't mind making it public, is to save it in Powerpoint as a movie, and then upload the resultant file to Youtube. If you have any problems with that, no doubt your kids can help :-)

[Nathan A. Wyman]

Matt,

All of the suggestions below are great, but another section to add is MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets).  I make this a fun activity and ask my students (undergraduates) to find a chemical product they use daily in the dorm/home and look up the MSDS information for that product.  My students will bring these sheets to class this week and we'll read through the important bits to understand what to do if it is eaten, on skin, in eyes, etc. 

Does anyone else here know of a "theatre specific" resource for safety?  I generated a safety manual for my school based on another college theatre's manual, but it seems in my research I didn't find a central resource.  Maybe we need to work together on creating one? 

Best Wishes,

Nathan

[Erich Friend]

One of the key words you use here is 'curriculum' - this implies (or should imply) that the information exchange will be ongoing through-out the school year.  It is important to start with the basics and the 'thou shalt' and 'thou shall not's', however it is the constant integration of safety discussions in every step of the production process that is more important.

It is vital to help the students (and the administration!) to learn hazard recognition skills.  Each task that is approached (blocking, costume design, set design, rigging, sound, lighting, mounting a show, striking a show, etc.) should stop and ask: "What could possibly go wrong?" (Cue the Toshiba Laptop computer commercials)

The ability to recognize a hazard empowers them to address it.  They must know that there will be no retribution for reporting near misses, accidents, injuries, dangerous equipment or building components, or the actions of others.  These reports can be used to learn from and to get things fixed.

Additionally, it is important to understand that not all safety rules may apply or be legally enforceable, but they may be a good idea so using them and treating them as if they were legally enforceable may be a best practice.  Remember:  the published rules and standards are only a MINUMUM - you can do more!

If your venue is, for example, a public school in Texas, then OSHA regulations do not apply, and thanks to legal mandates like 'Sovereign Immunity', the school can't be sued if someone is injured or killed.  However, as soon as you go into a private school, OSHA regulations do apply and the facility owner / managers can be sued should someone be injured or killed.

In other states there are other rules, so the students should be prepared to behave safely and legally should they move between the public and private sector, or from state to state.  These are skills that they can apply to almost any employment situation (unlike the ability to throw or catch a ball).

Understanding safety is not just about rights it is also about obligations.  So getting your students and staff to be interested in protecting other people and equipment, not just themselves is important, too.

Curriculum Resources:

www.TheatreSafetyBlog.blogspot.com

www.nfpa.org (get a copy of the Life Safety Code 101 and Standard 80 for Fire Doors)

www.osha.gov

www.cdc.gov/niosh

www.safetyinentertainment.org/

www.usitt.org/Commissions/HealthSafety

www.artscraftstheatersafety.org/

www.actsafe.ca/

Your particular state's OSHA web site if your State is a 'State Plan' OSHA State.  The State Plan States frequently have rules that are more strict than those of the Federal OSHA regulations.

[Davin]

One well established resource for educational theater is Practical Health and Safety Guidelinesfor School Theater Operations by Dr. Randall Davidson (aka Dr. Doom).  This is a program that comes out of the International Secondary Education Theater Health and Safety Associa....

 

After you have a good grasp in identifying hazards in theater, you may want to get into more specifics of OSHA, NEC, etc. but I would recommend asking your AHJ (Athority Having Jurisdiction) as to the codes that are applicable for your area. 

[Erich Friend]

Here's a short discussion with a few ideas:

www.theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/theatre-safety-where-to-...