Helmets - Protecting your noggin at a fraction of the price of brain surgery

Typical 4-point suspension
ANSI type I protection

Traditional hard-hats used by construction workers aren't much more than a skid lid to keep your hair on your scalp.  That isn't to say it isn't a good thing, especially for us 'folically challenged' folks.  However, when you flip one of these over and study the inside you suddenly realize that the shock absorption mechanism is anything more than a few nylon ribbons that are supposed to 'predictably' fail and take some of the wham! out of the slam!-bam! of a falling object.

There is no joy in scraping your skull along the bottom of a low-lying air duct, sprinkler pipe, or cross-bracing steel.  The pain is excruciating, and dripping blood from the catwalk is poor manners.

A few years ago, well actually ALOT of years ago, helmet manufacturers realized that adding a layer of crushable foam (typically styrofoam) to the inside of a helmet would increase the energy dissipation significantly.  We first saw this technology applied to motorcycle and auto racing helmets, and then to bicycle helmets.  It eventually made its way into rock climbing helmets, and from there into the world of construction helmets.

KASK Super Plasma Helmet interior view - ANSI type II protection.
Note the two layers of padding:  both Styrofoam and a fabric covered foam cushion.

Conventional hard hat with 4-point chin strap

Although you can buy accessory chin straps for cheap hard-hats, the chin straps don't always stay attached, they are difficult to find and buy, and they frequently cost more than the hard-hat itself.  In the theatre and show production industry we seem to spend a lot of time either bent over (hold the jokes please . . .) or working at height.  Both of these work situations demand that your PPE remain secured to your person.  You don't want you hard-hat falling into the scenery that you are painting, and you don't want it to fall from the truss or catwalk you are working upon.  Either way, when your hard-hat departs your head you are exposing yourself to injury AND you may be exposing the inattentive and unwilling participant below you to the full impact of your helmet on their head.  Hopefully, they are wearing some head protection, too!

Single chin strap accessory

So, if you drop you helmet to the stage floor below, will it damage it?  Yes, it will.  The next stop for that hard-hat is the dumpster.  You probably can't see the micro-fractures that impact set-up in the plastic, but I'd never trust the helmet to protect my brains again.  So, for a $5 big-box ANSI type I hard-hat, this is no big deal, but when you start wearing a $85-$150 ANSI type II hardhat, then protecting your investment (both your PPE and your brains) is a bit more of a concern.

KASK Super Plasma - ANSI type II protection

Myth:  Rock climbing helmets aren't OSHA compliant.  Any helmet that meets the ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2009 or 2014 standard is acceptable.  It may not look like Bubba's typical construction site hard-hat, but if it meets the standard and is labelled as such, then it's legal.

So, what can yo do to keep a cool head and be stylin' on truss?  Get one of those really protective and 'I'm a professional' looking ANSI type II helmets and wear it!  The two most popular climbing helmets are the Petzl Verex Best and the KASK Super Plasma.  Bright colors are recommended.  If you need to black it out for a show (common for truss follow spotlight operators), just have your costume department sew-up a black spandex cover for it.

Bottom line:  Unless your want your brains to become Zombie food, protect them.  No replacement parts are currently available.

There is no shame in protecting your brain!

Spring Storm in Thailand Topples Stage and Kills One

June 17, 2013 - Phuket, Thailand.  A poorly built stage canopy and adjacent speaker towers fell-over during high winds at Paphan Hin public park.  One person seeking shelter near the stage was crushed and killed instantly by the weight of the speakers that fell on him.  The stage was erected for a Prison Fair where furniture and other goods fabricated by the prisoners are sold to benefit them.

Witnesses say a 62 year old man that was a motorbike taxi driver, Mohammad Poksakul, sat near the stage and when a 60 kph wind gust pushed the canopy sideways, it forced the 10m tall speaker tower over, which in-turn, fell on to him and killed him.

The victim lies covered-up, stage canopy at right, stage left speaker tower in background.

Toppled Speaker Tower at Stage Left - Note lightweight scaffold framing.
The base does not appear to haven any anchor plates.

View of Stage Right Canopy Supports - Note that they only provide vertical support - no lateral stabilizers, the base was not anchored to the ground.  The orange straps appear to have been guy-lines that tore loose from their attachment points.

Concert season is windy season everywhere.  Be alert to bozos that do not understand how to secure the stage.  Be alert to promoters that don't evacuate the area when storms approach.

Bucket Bails Break Bones

The ubiquitous plastic bucket - it shows-up unannounced, hangs around like an unwanted house-guest, and finally spills it guts and gets thrown in the trash.

Aside from the obvious bad rigging (you did see that, didn't you?), plastic buckets have a serious weak point:  The metal bail that forms the carrying handle.  This is nothing but a piece of bent steel wire that hooks into the plastic rim of the bucket.  Given sufficient (over)loading, the plastic bucket can deform and let-go of the bail (literally tearing the plastic), and/or the metal bail can bend and lose it's grip on the bucket.  Either way - this thing is going down.

We just love to over-stuff our carry-alls, and when you add-up the weight of hand-tools, nuts & bolts, drills, and all that other crud you forget to clean-out, the weight can become significant.  This wouldn't be such a big deal if you were just carrying this across the stage or shop, but there are times we forget logic and tie a rope on thee a try to hoist them up to elevated work locations.  Not such a good idea - What was once just going to fall  a few inches onto your foot now becomes a bomb falling from overhead - maybe 20 feet, maybe 50 feet, depending where you are going with it.  Either way, this can be deadly should the handle fail.

Safe lifting of materials is usually best accomplished when the lifting system encompasses the load, this places the load on the lifting device and not on the object being lifted.

The folks at The Circus Company (I guess circuses use these things to haul food and water for the animals) have a simple, yet effective solution:  Build a load-rated sling designed to fit those 5-gallon buckets we are so fond of.

These slings are rated for 200 Pounds and are inexpensive (relative to the cost of a new noggin').  The handle is constructed of reinforced Nylon, and has an extra layer across the hoist point.  It's pretty snazzy, too!

Don't be a doofus and drop your load  - secure it!

More info at: www.thecircuscompany.com

Fly the friendly skys . . .

Keeping Dents Out of Co-workers Noggins

Ty-Flot, makers of tool restraint lanyards, has introduced a new way to work with drop prevention equipped tools and tool belts.  The Quick-Switch system allows the use of a short lanyard that fits between the tool and the worker's wrist so that long floppy lanyards are eliminated.

Conventional lanyards that are tied-off to work belts and climbing harnesses must be long enough to facilitate using the tool at extreme reach positions.  These longer lanyards allow dropped tools to travel farther and pick-up more speed before they are restrained.  If the tool lanyard loops over a railing, it can swing back and strike a worker severely.

The Quick-Switch lanyard connection on the short lanyards allow tools to change hands, and be stored without presenting large loops to snag on protruding objects around the worker.

More info at: www.ty-flot.com

Actress Injured by Falling Lighting Equipment

Actress Kristin Chenoweth was rushed to a New York hospital after she was injured on the outdoor set of "The Good Wife" that was shooting in Brooklyn, NY on Wednesday afternoon, July 11, 2012.

A source connected to the production of the CBS show said that Kristin was struck by a piece of lighting equipment that was dislodged from a scaffold due to a strong gust of wind.

The 44 year old Tony Award-winning actress immediately fell to the ground and her head impacted the concrete.

A witness said that Chenoweth was hit "square in the head" and appeared to be "knocked out cold. I thought she was dead at first."

A crew member called 911 around 5:07 PM ET to report a woman who had been hit in the head by a scaffold.  The item that struck her was later identified as a ‘Lighting Silk’ (a metal frame with a fabric lighting diffusor media) and the boom stand that supported it.  Paramedics treated Kristin on the set fitting her with a neck brace and putting her onto a stretcher.  She was quickly taken away from the set in an FDNY ambulance and was admitted to a nearby hospital in Manhattan.

 A representative for the New York Fire Department said that Kristin was being treated for "minor injuries" connected to the accident.

Chenoweth later said that she had been hit in the face by the lighting instrument and then hit the back of her head on the curb, which knocked her unconscious.  She said that she had a 5½” skull fracture, possibly cracked or bruised ribs, some additional injuries to her hip, back, and neck.  Two months later she was still requiring some physical therapy and wears a neck brace from time to time.

On August 13th she resigned from the cast of the show. "It is with deep regret to inform everyone that due to my injuries, I am unable to return to 'The Good Wife' at this time," Chenoweth said. "[I’m] Getting better slowly, and thank you, everyone, for your concern.”

The accident not only caused Chenoweth physical injury, but mental as well. The actress described how she struggled forming sentences and remembering words. She told the NY daily News that “I couldn’t really form a sentence after it happened.  I’m the queen of multi-tasking.  I’m not so good at that right now.   I’ll be like, ‘Mom, are you talking on the thing that you push ... the phone?’ ”

“That’s been interesting, but that’s getting better. I’m grateful.  It could have been much worse.”

The actress has been involved in other performance-related accidents, too.

• She injured her neck during the pre-Broadway engagement of "Wicked" in 2003.
• She fell off an elevated section of the stage during a rehearsal of the Broadway revival “The Apple Tree” in 2006.
• She injured her back on the set of “Glee” when she tumbled down a set of concrete stairs in 2011.

Don't Drop What You Are Doing - Get a Grip

Objects at Heights: Love Stinks But Gravity Hurts. 

Free Webinar • Duration: 60 minutes

With the exception of Chuck Norris, hurricanes, and halitosis, there’s little more dangerous than a plummeting object. Unfortunately, most tools don’t come with wings, so when you have a butter-finger type of day (and we’ve all had ‘em), the tools and equipment you rely on can quickly turn into plummeting little (or big) bombs of destruction. Aerial safety goes beyond your standard fall protection. In the past, objects at heights hazard-planning has been an afterthought – or not even a thought. Today, regulators and professionals acknowledge the serious, life-threatening risks of falling objects and are instilling rules to ensure proper precautions are followed in the workplace

This educational webinar will overview:

• Objects at Heights Safety and how it is part of Safety at Heights planning
• Awareness of the costs of dropped objects and other Objects at Heights hazards
• Best practices for Objects at Heights within the Hierarchy of Controls 

Seminar brought to you by: EHS Today (The Magazine for Environment, Health, and Safety Leaders) and Ergodyne Work Gear.

Register at: Love Stinks But Gravity Hurts

Protecting Performers AND the Audience

Unruly spectators can pose a risk to themselves, those around them, crew, and performers.  In rowdy rock concerts with drugs and/or alcohol added to the mix, it can be even more unpredictable.  On May 24, 2010, the lead singer for the heavy metal band Lamb of God, was performing in Abaton, a nightclub in Prague, Czech Republic.

In the course of the show, fans were allegedly enticed to come onstage and dive into the audience for a little body surfing.  Things got out of control and one patron went off of the stage backwards and was not caught by the crowd.  He supposedly struck his head on the floor, but was able to get-up and walk out of the club.  He later collapsed, was taken to the hospital, and remained in a comma for several weeks before dying.

The band's promoter said that they had not heard anything about the pending arrest and had booked dates without any knowledge that the performer might be held accountable for the incident.  The lead singer, Blythe, was arrested June 27th, 2012 as he entered the country to promote the bands newest album.  Blythe has been held by the Czech Republic police awaiting a bail bond hearing since entering the country.  He has been charged with manslaughter.  Several web sites have followed the incident and some have posted cell-phone videos from that night's concert.  Depending who you believe, it may have been an accident, or there may have been other people involved or responsible for the circumstances.

It is important that performers can work safely on stage and not worry about being assaulted by guests, and it is incumbent upon venue managers to see that proper controls are placed between artists and fans.

 ---------------------------------

However, it is not just artists and fans that require protection, either -- on October 30th, 2004 there was an incident in a Dallas, Texas nightclub where the lead guitarist Vince Neil (formerly with the rock band MÖTLEY CRÜE was unhappy with the stage monitor mix operator.
After motioning for for more guitar volume during his headlining set at Gilley's Dallas, Neil ran across the stage, leaped onto the monitor mix sound board and swung a leg at sound man Michael Talbert, but missed; then Neil struck him with a "closed fist."

Talbert, who was looking down, saw only the monitor mixing console and Neil's foot next to him before losing consciousness for about 45 seconds after Neil's punch knocked him to the ground.  He said a CT scan revealed that he had suffered a mild concussion. "He tried to kick me and missed, took a swing and connected.  He clocked me pretty good on my eyeball," said Talbert, who works at Gilley's. "He just went cuckoo nutso."  An arrest warrant was later issued for Neil

More information can be found at:

www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lamb-of-god-singer-still-imprisoned-in-czech-republic-20120705

www.randyblythe.posterous.com

www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=176308

Related Blog Post:

theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/performers-need-some-limits-and.html

Stage Canopy Collapse in Toronto Claims One Life

Saturday, June 16, 2012 - Toronto, Canada - Workers erecting the stage for a Radiohead concert scattered as the framework above the stage came crashing down, pining and killing one worker.  The weather was calm and wind did not appear to be a factor.  Arial shots of the aftermath show a scaffold style framework that did not involve portable concert trussing.  The incident occurred at around 4:00PM before the concert and any audience had been allowed into the venue.  The concert was cancelled.

According to Ian McClellend with the cities' EMS department, one man was extricated from under the wreckage and pronounced dead at the scene;  another was transported to the hospital with head injuries; and two more were assessed with minor injuries and released on the scene.

The Canadian Ministry of Labour will be investigating to see what the root cause of the structure collapse was.

More information can be found at:
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/16/world/americas/canada-stage-collapse/index.html

Things that go Bump in the Dark

Boom-Boom, Out Go The Lights! (Stray Cats covering Pat Travers covering Little Walter)  Well, that's what happens when you bonk your head really hard (yet another reason to wear a hard-hat!).

Maybe this will help:  Knuffi (www.knuffi.com) soft edge bumper guards are a product that is available in both  Photoluminescent  and  Fluorescent.  These foam wedges, angles, and rounds are designed to fit over beam edges and around corners.  They have self-adhesive tape backing so that you can peel-and-stick them to clean surfaces.




You can get these from:

American Permalight (https://americanpermalight.com/safety-bumper-guards/), or

Knuffi. (www.knuffi.com)

These create a personal crumple zone around low-lying beams, shelves, brackets, conduits, air ducts, or other junk stickin'-out around the theatre.  Don't be bonkin' your noggin'!

Weebles Wobble - But They Don't Fall Down

What better time to talk about Ghost Lights than during the Halloween season?  One of the prime reasons to have a Ghost Light on your stage is to prevent accidents.  Stages have places you can fall off of like trap openings and the front of the stage, and they have plenty of things to bump into and trip over, or at least bust-up your face or shin real good.  Ouch!  Halloween scars that are permanent.  Just what every aspiring actor needs.

One of the most common reasons for not having a Ghost Light is that they aren't commonly available from theatrical supply houses.  All of the Ghost Lights I've ever seen have been cobbled together by well meaning shop craftsmen. The problem with this approach is that whenever you manufacture something you assume the liability for it as well.  When you combine this with poor electrical knowledge and make-shift adaptations the results can be electrically hazardous as well as physically hazardous.  So where is the safety in that?

I was at the local big-box hardware store the other day and I noticed this gizmo:
Item 212004, Model GL600 (www.lowes.com/pd_212004-337-GL600_0)
[Update 2015-08:  This product is no longer available.]

Lowes sells it under their Utilitech brand (made by Cooper Lighting), it is UL and CSA safety listed, fairly inexpensive, and most of all, pretty darn indestructible.  The unit has a weighted base that houses the fluorescent lamp ballast, and incorporates a groove around it to wrap-up the cable when it is not in use.

The case is plastic and has a tie loop at the top if you need to hang it up for storage or suspend it. The clear plastic tube that house the lamp acts as a container to keep broken glass off of the stage should you give it a really significant whack.

Fortunately, the unit does NOT come equipped with a lamp (yes, this is a GOOD THING).  When you outfit it with a lamp you can choose the color temperature (CCT) and color rendering index (CRI, or Ra) so that it doesn't clash with your other work lighting, and if you elect to beef-it-up a bit you can install a hard-use lamp like those made by ShatRShield (www.shatrshield.com/catt8page.html)

This unit uses less than 40 Watts of power and lights-up a pretty good area around the stage, so pop one out onto the proscenium line so nobody has to grope in the dark and fall off into the orchestra pit.  That's a dangerous fall to make unexpectedly, and many people over the years have been killed or received career-ending injuries this way.

And a note about the Energy Nazies:  There is always some well-meaning but oblivious-to-the-safety-implications individual that feels compelled to turn-off every light they find glowing.  For a  Ghost Light  to be effective, it must be left ON.  You have to twart them at their game.  What can you do?  Post a sign at both the on/off switch on the Ghost Light AND at the end of the cord(s) that supply the power.  Be polite, but be firm.

 "I want you to meet my little friend." said Al Pacino's character in Scarface.  This will confuse the energy Nazies for sure:  Add a  photoluminescent  tube over the lamp.  This will continue to glow for about 40 hours after you remove the power from the lamp - so it will give any stage marauders a bit of a chance see where they are going should the power go off (or be switched off).  The Lumenite® Light Sleeve is a semi-translucent,  photoluminescent  sleeve that fits readily over new or existing fluorescent tubes.

 

More Luminite info here:

www.lumenite.biz/shop.php/light-sleeves/c_12.html

Do you really want to keep it safe and confuse the Energy Nazies?  Add an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) to the Ghost Light.  At only 40 Watts power draw, a small UPS will keep the lights on for hours.  If you use an LED based lamp, then the darn thing could glow for a day or more.

Bangin' heads in the workplace

(OzMuseum.com)

At this time of year, football seems to dominate the the national attention as the Superbowl approaches.  Many types of sports present the performers (players) with opportunities for severe head injuries.  It seems like concussions have shown up in every corner of the football world over the past year:  on the field, on locker room posters, in Congressional hearings, in labor negotiations. There's even a blog devoted to them.  Whenever you talk about concussions, you inevitably end up talking about helmets.

Working in theatres is no different. We encounter low-lying beams, pipes, conduit, all-thread, the sharp edges and corners of stage lighting instruments, and the occassional metal flange or rebar sticking out where we least expect it. Of course, we also spend an inordinate amount of time around other people (Remember them? They are the most dangerous thing in the theatre!) that may not be watching where they are going with that oversized chunk of wood, scenery, ladder, or scaffolding.

Wearing a hard hat doesn't make you a geek. Get over the concern about making a fasion statement.  In fact, many theatres REQUIRE that they be worn.

The nature of our work in the theatre causes many of us to spend alot of time bent over working on stuff, so keeping a hard hat on your head can be a bit of a problem.  There is an easy fix for this:  Get a chin strap to keep your hard hat in-place.m  they cost very little and they can keep you from calling HEADS! from the catwalk as your hard hat plumets to the floor below.

One thing to keep in mind when purchasing a chin strap is to look at the clips that attach to the hard hat.  Some products only have a bent metal 'U', while others have a clip type attachment like show here.  These are much easier to keep in place and are highly recommended.

 

ANSI standard OSHA approved hard hats are fairly inexpensive (usually under $10) and the chin straps are even less.  These shoudl be fairly easy to justify for your budget, as a football helmet cost between $50 and $400.

Dance the night away - but not your life.

Keeping, building, or replacing your stage floor so that it is properly sprung, free of cracks, splinters, protruding screw / nail / staple heads, and other little things that can cause serious injuries to dancers and actors should be a continuous process.  Keep the stage swept and clear of debris, watch for discontinuities between adjacent panel edges, floor pocket lids that don't close properly, are missing, or where the entire lid is not installed flush to the surrounding floor area.  Also watch for wall plates installed on floors and loose trim strips that join adjacent flooring areas.

If your stage floor is not sprung, then it should be a priority to have it replaced with a properly constructed floor that will work for your productions, dance, and other general uses.  There are many ways to construct floors that will last and be functional, so enlisting an expert (like a Theatre Consultant) that has experience in this area can be very helpful.  There are many possible materials to be used, and each has advantages and drawbacks.  Knowing what works, and what doesn't, can save money and injuries.

Another dangerous item on stage is old footlight troughs.  If they are not locked and you step on them, or maybe set a scaffoding leg or man-lift outrigger on them, they can fail or flip-over.  Equipment and people can topple and cause major injuries and damage.  This blogger knows of at least one dance instructor that had a career-ending spiral break of the leg bones that left them out of work for months and will never be able to dance professionally again.  That's serious stuff!

Resources:
http://www.danceusa.org/dancerhealth
ANSI E1.26 - 2006 - Recommended Testing Methods and Values for Shock Absorption of Floors Used in Live Performance Venues - http://www.ansi.org/
Dance This Dance That Blog - www.danceartkl.blogspot.com/2005/09/5-common-dance-injuries-how-to-treat.htm
Harlequin Floors FAQ - http://www.harlequinfloors.com/uk/dance-area/about-dance-injuries.html
Center Stage FAQ: http://www.centerstagellc.com/health/importance-of-proper-dance-flooring-injury-prevention-dancer-longevity/

206 Reasons for Fall Protection

This, of course, doesn't include the medical or funeral expenses,

loss of work or life, and the time spent cleaning-up the mess.

Resources:

Capital Safety - en.capitalsafety.us

DBI-SALA Safety - http://www.dbi-sala-safety.com/

FallTech - http://www.falltech.com/

Guardian Fall Protection - http://www.guardianfall.com/

Miller Fall Protection - http://www.millerfallprotection.com/

MSA Fall Protection - http://www.msanorthamerica.com/

RTC Fall Protection - http://www.fallprotection.com/

OSHA - http://www.osha.gov/

Get a new leash on life

Sometimes you need this:

when the folks above you don't have this:

You can get yours from:

www.setwear.com/ToolLeash.html

Painting the town

As wonderful as glow-in-the-dark photoluminescent tape is, sometimes it is just easier to paint something.  Odd shaped or textured surfaces, or just bulk application frequently makes it more economical to do this, too.  Another reason to paint rather than stick, is that the finish is more permanent.  Tape-based products vary in the type of base material they are made from, and adhesive backing provided.  In high traffic areas (for hands, too, not just feet) tapes can sometimes snag on the edge and either create a trip hazard and/or a peeling problem.  Curious vandals may want to re-appropriate your carefully applied glow-tape, too.

When looking for glow-in-the-dark photoluminescent paints, it is highly recommended that you verify that the products meet ot exceed the New York City MEA 451-05-M-2 Standard for LL26 Safety Evacuation Markings.  These aren't the only certification for products, but it is one of the most common and well publicized references out there.

Also, note that some products don't use the Stontium Aluminate (SrAl) based pigments, either.  The products by GloNation, although very cool and helpful for special effects, use phosphorescent dyes; and the Rustoleum 214945 'Glow-in-the-Dark' Latex paint, which uses zinc sulfide (ZnS).  Many of the cheaper photoluminescent Low Location Lighting (LLL) systems in use today are based on zinc sulfide (ZnS) as the main pigment. The advantage is relatively quick charging, but these products have a limited 'storage' life and the ZnS corrodes over time (2-4 years lifespan).  It also doesn't glow as long or brightly after being charged. However, the introduction of Stontium Aluminate (SrAl) as a pigment, has provided a much higher level of performance. Although it takes slightly longer to charge, it can 'store' more light, making it much more suitable for use in locations where ambient light levels are low, or dark for extended periods.

Lastly, in order to get a good bright glow paint treatment, it is very important to follow the manufacturer's directions (you know: RTFM! ).

• Most of them require a bright white base coat so that there is a reflective surface behind the paint to assist the glow.  If you paint the glow material over a dark surface, then the glow that emits from the back-side of the coating will just be absorbed into the background instead of reflected back out through the nominally transparent glow paint coating.
• Apply several coats of the material to build-up a few mils of  paint thickness.  One thing you will notice with most photoluminescent products is that the brightness of the product is related to the thickness of the product (it is also related the formulation).
• Apply a clear coating to protect the photoluminescent coating.  Otherwise it will eventually scrape-off or wear-off.  This stuff ain't cheap, so make the effort to keep it intact.

You can also apply traction grit additives to the coatings.  Ask your vendor what they recommend, and whether it should be mixed into the photoluminescent coatings, or into the clear over-coat.

Resources:
American Permalight (http://www.americanpermalight.com/) - Spray paint, Acrylic Wall paint, and 2-part Epoxy & Polyurethane paints
EverGlow (www.everglow.us/?everglow=&photoluminescent=6&signs=coatings-paints)
GloBrite (http://www.globriteltd.com/coatings.asp)
GloNation (www.glonation.com/pigmented-glow-paint.html)
GloTech International (www.glotechint.com/paint.htm)
KanKote (http://www.kankote.com/)
KryptaGlow (http://www.krypta-glow.com/)
GBC Coatings (www.gbcsafetyglow.com/glow-polyurea-photoluminescent-glow-in-the-dark-safety-floor-marking-coatings/industrial-photo-luminescent-floor-striping-and-coating.html)
Metal Safe Sign International (www.mss-int.com/prod01.html)
ProLayer Inc. (http://www.prolayerinc.com/)

Get samples.  Apply.  Test - for a really long time - say . . . 12 hours.  Buy the one that works best.

Could you sharpen that stick a little bit more - I'm not sure it will fully pentrate my skull!

All-thread rod that protrudes below the air duct mounting bracket - cut an an angle to ensure damage to anyone that dares to come near . . . yet another reason to wear a hard-hat!

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' - Raw Hide! (Well, at least Raw Brain)

I found this steel microphone base up on the elevated locking gallery in this theatre. The gallery has no kick-plate around it's perimeter to keep heavy things from rolling or sliding-off onto the unsuspecting crowd below (which is a whole 'nother issue), and is about 10 feet above the stage floor.

Not setting round rolly things on edge over people's heads would qualify as a "no-brainer" to most folks. But you can never tell what somebody else might do. So, to keep from becoming a 'no-brainer' - always wear a hard hat around places like this. Pick one up at the local hardware stor or safety supply - they are less than $10 bucks and could save your life.

Pardon me while I trip over this pipe and impale myself...

This is a good example of where NOT to have a fire sprinkler pipe installed: Running right across the floor of a walk-on wire tension grid. Not only is it a huge trip hazard, but the hold-down calmps they used were left with bolt ends sticking up far enough to impale someone. Clearly, the bolts should be trimmed-off and the pipe maked with a bright yellow / black OSHA hazard marking tape.

Poor coordination in the design and installation phases cause things like this to happen. In reviewing the site, it was obvious that the sprinkler contractor just took the easy way through, as there was plenty of room overhead to run the pipes above even the tallest person working on the grid.

Not seen in the picture: right above the pipes were 2'x4' fluorescent work-lights that were suspended with the bottoms at about 5-8" above the grid deck. So, while you were busy looking down to keep from tripping, you hit your head on the sharp metal corners of the light fixtures (painted black to hide them). Yet another good reason to wear a hard-hat in the theatre!

Round and round we go . . .

Occasionally we'll run into these in really old facilities. Although quaint and historic, they are really dangerous. These are round counterweights. Note that there is no top clamp, and nothing to keep them from sliding off of the center rod. They really belong in a stage equipment museum display, not on a stage.

Heads!

Just because there is a flat spot somewhere doesn't necessarily mean it's available for storage. Storing stuff, particularly heavy stuff, on a ledge over a doorway is just not a quality decision. Stuff moves, it gets snagged, it shifts, it rolls -- the next thing you know: you wake-up in an ambulance with your noggin' throbbin'. And here you have to lean out over a railing on a spiral staircase to get to the 'stuff'. A geat opportunity for a fall, too!