Venue Safety

Went in to work at a new venue today. I had been asked to help a group design and set up the lighting. Walked into the venue and started to have a bit of a look around. What I saw amazed me. There seemed to be no concept of safety. Surely the managers of the venue know what the regulations are, and surely these venues get inspected at regular intervals to make sure they comply. Or maybe I have a high expectation for safety in theatre.

This venue  had lighting truss hung in very strange ways with slings at one end and bolted to the wall at the other end. A non rated strap in the middle of the 9 metre span going up to a roof joist.

They had installed tiered seating, not to bad i hear you say, pity the steps leading up the one side of the tiered seating were not even heights. Anybody of a frail nature could stumble easily down them causing serious injury. At the back of the tiered seating was a scaffold tower used as the control position. There are two ways into this section, climb up a ladder from the floor and then clamber over the hand rail. This is even more interesting as the ladder is not fixed to the scaffold or the wall it leans on. The other way on to this position is to clamber over the last row of seats.

Now that I come to think of it I did not even notice and exit light in the venue.

Basically the client was left to do what they wanted in the venue. There was no guidance from staff, not even a technician available to help.  So the client could climb ladders, play with electricity and basicly find new ways to kill themselves.

It is time that some venues woke up to themselves and realised that they have a duty of care to thier hirers. If they kill to many of their customers nobody is going to hire the venue again.

Clients also need to know what to expect safety wise so they can raise issues with the venue. A lot of dance schools, clubs and small theatre groups have no understanding of the legal implications if they do not follow basic occupational health and safety requirements.

We need to start teaching clients and some venues the laws involved with occupational health and safety. I will in later blogs will start publish infomation for people to read.

Managing Volunteers

Amateur or community theatre relies very heavily on people giving their time freely. Whether they are cast or backstage. These types of theatre would not exist without them.  These people may not be perfect but they try their hardest to put on a very polished and professional production. So people should knock these hard workers. People need to realise that they are giving their time freely, so people in management should take the time to thank them, give them small gifts, thank you letter. Some of these people will actually take time off from work to do their jobs on the production. Now I know what it is like to give up paid work to help on a production. in my situation if I am not working I don’t get any money. I am a casual so no holiday leave etc.. So those in management need to always remember to be grateful.

The volunteersa knows that the show has to go on, but if you pressure them to hard, what is to stop them downing tools and going home. The organisation has no hold over this person. In fact managing volunteers is harder than manageing paid employees. and unfortunately some theatre companies management staff think they are there at their beck and call.

The realaity is that all companies need to put into place a code of practise in looking after and nurturing volunteers.