A pat on the back is only a few centimeters away from a kick in the butt.

[Erich Friend]

Good intentions count very little if your solution doesn’t solve the problem.  “I was going to do that”, “It was on my ‘To Do’ List”, and “Well, it was better than nothing” are common phrases you hear for half-assed attempts to resolve an issue.  A change of attitude might be to look at Paul McCartney’s theme music lyrics to the James Bond movie ‘Live and Let Die’:

“If you got a job to do, you better do it well.  You’ve got to give the other fella hell.”

This can apply to many aspects of life and theatre, and it applies particularly well to safety issues around the theatre plant.  How many times have you stepped over a trip hazard?  Or maybe walked around something so that you could get through a door?  Simple stuff, usually, but it all can have significant consequences if left to be.  Sure, it’s a hassle to haul a box of light bulbs up to the grid or a catwalk so you can replace all the expired / broken lamps.  However, doing so may just keep you, or some other unfortunate soul, from banging their head in the dark, or mis-stepping and twisting an ankle, or maybe falling and sustaining more serious injuries.

Just like a Twelve Step Program, the first thing you have to do is recognize that you have a problem.  Work with your staff and students to build a ‘Can Do’ attitude about addressing safety and inconvenience issues.  A little bitchin’ and moanin’ session can be a light-hearted way to kick this off.  Casually start it off (hey, they don’t have to know that this is really a planning meeting) by seeding the conversation about some safety or inconvenience issue that keeps bugging you, then let the rest of them play off of that to complain about something that they find annoying about the building or equipment conditions.

Keep notes about the conversation, not as evidence to persecute people, but to use as a basis to evaluate the root causes of the complaints.  You can then formulate action lists to resolve the items and document the problem.

Document the problem first so that you can evaluate it for possible solutions:

• Take some pictures of the scene so that others can view it and understand it.
• Verbalize the problem.  Write it down on a Hazard Report Form.  Describe the issue it causes in terms of personnel safety and labor efficiency.  Describe the possible ‘worst case scenarios’ that might arise as a result of the problem.
• Research it to see of there are any building codes that apply, ADA compliance requirements, OSHA requirements (even if you are not subject to OSHA rules, treat it as if you are), or fire / electrical code requirements.  Keep a record of each aspect that you considered, even if there are no requirements found.  A note that you looked and found nothing can be just as significant as the notes where you did find applicable regulations.  Cite all references by Source, Version or Edition, Section, Chapter, and Paragraph so that you can find it again when needed.  Looking for legal references may be insightful, too, as there may be case law documents that relate to similar circumstances and this can help to understand the legal ramifications.
• Formulate a list of possible solutions.  If you know other people or venues that may have similar problems, find-out how they resolved it.  Not all ideas may be feasible, but give them some consideration as they may have some merit.  Document both the acceptable solutions and the unacceptable solutions so that there is a record of their consideration.
• Research the financial impact of both the problem and the solution, and possibly even the cost of not fixing the problem.  Work-arounds can cost you man-hours of time, so fixing the problem may save you time and/or money on labor.  Fixing the problem may have costs for materials, labor, hiring consultants / engineers / architects, and facility down-time.  Not fixing the problem may have financial consequences, too:  Lost labor resources due to injuries, legal fees, medical bills, fines, increased insurance costs, refusal of staff and/or artists to perform, or loss of use of the facility because it was shut-down.

Hazard mitigation can be accomplished several ways, and some are more feasible than others.  There are several ways to accomplish the end goal, and sometimes the answer will be a combination or several approaches.

• Engineering Solution – Eliminate the hazard by changing the building and/or equipment.
• Administrative Solution – Institute policies, procedures, training, record keeping, and/or reporting systems.
• Isolate the Hazard – Install guards, barriers, and/or safety interlocks to keep personnel away from the hazard.  This can also include the addition of PPE to protect workers.  Instituting PPE programs has equipment, training, and record keeping costs.
• Hazard Communication – Install Signage & Markings.  This may include warning stripes to delineate areas that should be kept clear of equipment or to define specific storage areas that are pre-approved.  Signage may need to be placed on floors, walls, equipment, doors, railings, and even ceilings.  Signage should be selected that meets international (ISO) graphic standards for color, size, pictograms, wording, and language.  Some locals may require multi-lingual signage, signage that has tactile components for the blind, and/or special requirements to illuminate the sign and/or the hazard.

Theatre people are notorious for ‘Making Do’, however, many of the ‘make-do’ solutions are not well thought-out in terms of building codes, fire codes, or the other ripple effects that it may cause.

Evaluate, Plan, Act (act on the problem so the actors can act safely).

[M. Yichao]

Well said! I've definitely caught myself in "making do" scenarios. The worst was a trip hazard on a platform in a show I acted in--I jumped over it all through tech thinking "I'll tell someone...after this run." Opening night, the trip hazard was fixed--by someone cutting the entire platform shorter by 6 feet. No one had made a note of it, and I ran right off the edge of it (the platform extended just off stage--or at least used to) and fractured my foot on the spot. Didn't know it was fractured until I danced on it for the rest of the production either, of course. 

 

Evaluate, Plan, and Act indeed!