Guess what? - OSHA is looking at theatre shop operations

Below is an article published on the Department of Labor's OSHA.gov web site:

Region 3 News Release: 13-1492-NEW (osha 13-72)
July 25, 2013
Contact: Leni Fortson      Joanna Hawkins
Phone: 215-861-5102      215-861-5101
Email: uddyback-fortson.lenore@dol.gov      hawkins.joanna@dol.gov

Jersey City, NJ, theatrical equipment company cited by US Department of
    Labor's OSHA for exposing workers to workplace safety and health hazards

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Acadia Scenic Inc., which builds scenery for the entertainment industry, with 22 safety and health violations, including two willful. The citations followed an April inspection, prompted by the agency's Health-High-Hazard Top 50 Local Emphasis Program and its Amputations and Combustible Dust Emphasis Program. Proposed penalties total $49,600.

The willful violations, with $28,000 in penalties, were cited for a lack of guarding on hand-fed circular ripsaws and crosscut table saws. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health.

The 19 serious violations, with $21,200 in penalties, include the company's failure to keep the workplace clean and orderly; prevent accumulations of explosive dust; provide railings on stairs; establish or implement a written respiratory protection program for workers required to wear respirators; have fire extinguishers mounted and readily accessible for use; and provide an educational program on the general principles of fire extinguisher use and hazards involved for workers expected to fight incipient stage fires. The company was also cited for failing to provide machine guarding for a miter saw; provide spreaders and nonkickback devices on two hand-fed circular ripsaws; properly adjust a work rest on grinding machinery; determine each employee's exposure to methylene chloride; provide appropriate gloves and eyewash facilities for workers using methylene chloride-containing adhesives; and develop and implement a written hazard communication program that includes training for workers exposed to hazardous chemicals. A serious violation occurs when there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

"Each of these hazards threaten the company's ability to provide employees with a safe and healthful work environment, and should be corrected immediately," said Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA's Parsippany Office. "OSHA will continue to hold employers responsible when they fail to protect their workers."

Inspectors also cited the company for one other-than-serious violation, which carries a $400 penalty, for not recording a workplace injury on the employer's OSHA Form 300 Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

Acadia Scenic Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, ask for an informal conference with OSHA's area director in Parsippany or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's area offices.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

You light up my life, er, ah, Hardhat!

Hard hats are great, but they don't offer a lot of options for attaching headlamps. We work in near darkness many places in the theatre, and holding a pen-light in your mouth for any length of time can result in drooling all-over yourself and the flashlight - not mention the yech factor of where it may have recently been.  The typical elastic band type headlamps that hobbyist wear won't stay-put because the elastic band will slip across the slick surface of the hardhat and fall off at the most inopportune time.  Securing your flashlight to your hardhat frees-up your hands for more productive work.

Streamlight Rubber Strap Mount on firefighter's helmet, and Streamlight Clip Mount (inset).

Streamlight, makers of industrial strength flashlights for fire and rescue teams has a good solution:  The Haz-Lo Helmet Lighting Kit.  In includes a clamp bracket so you can secure the flashlight to the helmet rigidly with a pivoting mount, a rubber helmet strap with holes you can thread the flashlight through, and a 3AA LED flashlight with a tail cap type switch.  The clamp bracket has a captive screw so you won't be loosing those tiny parts.

More info at:  www.streamlight.com/en-us/product/product.html?pid=283

A pair of these lights provides redundancy and doubles your work light to 240 lumens, each running 6-1/2 hours.  Remember:  It is still a good idea to safety cable the flashlight to your hard hat, and safety cable you hard hat to your gear belt.

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 . . .

Shackle Pin Safety

When working at height, even the smallest of dropped objects can become deadly projectiles.  Show riggers working in arenas and stadiums can sometimes be more than 100' above the floor, so even a shackle pin can achieve a terminal velocity that could penetrate a hard-hat.  Ty-Flot, maker of all things to do with securing your tools, has announced the availability of a safety lanyard for shackle screw-pins.  Set-up with a mini-pivoting joint in the cable, it allows the free rotation of the shackle pin for installations all-the-while keeping it safely attached to the shackle bow when disengaged.  The device quickly installs using one field crimp.

Ty-Flot LAN-SHKL-CR

 When used in conjunction with a safety lanyard attached to the worker, it can prevent dropped shackles while they are being installed / removed, too - just clip your lanyard onto the shackle lanyard.  Check out their Retractable Wrist Cuff Lanyard:

More information at www.Ty-Flot.com

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

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

Less junk to carry, less junk to drop

When you climb up over people's heads you have to keep the tools you carry to a minimum, otherwise you'l be doubling your work-out and you may be getting your "thangs all tied in a knot."  The guys at StageJunk aim to make your life easier and safer.  They introduced the Racheting Ultimate Focusing Tool at LDI 2009, and they had it out in full force at USITT 2010 in Kansas City, too.  It continues to delight and amaze those that use it.

This tool is machined from billet aluminum, so it's really strong, lightweight, and dang near bullet-proof.  It'll lighten you wallet by a c-note, but it's worth every penny.  They put a lot of thought into this little bugger:  It fits most focus knobs known to mankind, breaks screw pin shackles loose, fits a wide variety of C-clamp and other cheeseborough securements, and has a built-in continuity tester with an LED indicator for checking lamps and power plugs (not receptacles).  It has a machine-cut knurled traction surface on most faces, too, so it won't slip out of your sweaty hand.  The corners are all rounded so it won't poke you either.

Put this on a lanyard and you'll be carrying a whole lot less up the ladder with you.  Less stuff up - less stuff to fall back down.

Find-out more at: www.stagejunk.com

Fork Lift Safety - There's an App for that

Select Equipment has launched Forklift Safety Pro, the first ever Forklift Daily Inspection Mobile Application for Apple’s iOS platform to run on iPhone, iPod, and iPad.  A version for Google’s Android operating system will be launched shortly.

The Forklift Safety Pro application allows lift truck operators to complete their daily or pre-shift inspections electronically using their iPhone or iPod mobile device.  The completed inspection reports are then transmitted electronically to the email address of your choosing, typically a supervisor or dedicated inspection form repository.


According to Dale Verseput, Select Equipment’s Director of Sales, “The daily and pre-shift inspection reports as required by OSHA under Section 1910.178(q)(7) really lend themselves to the portability of a mobile application.  With Forklift Safety Pro, the employer has an inspection report which is Date/Time Stamped, is secure and durable, and can be archived in a paperless format.”

Other features of the application include a daily safety question, a counter which lets the operator know how many days are left before he or she is required to be “re-certified”, and if needed, an OSHA incident report form, a service request form, and an unsafe vehicle reporting form.

Additional Resources and Safety Video:
http://theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/forklift-incident-drops-led-screen-on.html

Life's a Grind - Don't go Blind

Bench Grinder Safety Checklist

Standard
29 CFR 1910	Description	YES	NO²
	From the Abrasive Wheel standard:
215(a)(2)	Do side guards cover the spindle, nut and flange and 75% of the wheel diameter?
215(a)(4)	Is the work rest used and kept adjusted to within 1/8-inch (0.3175cm) of the wheel?
215(b)(9)	Is the adjustable tongue guard on the top side of the grinder used and kept to within  1/4-inch (0.6350cm) of the wheel?
215(d)(1)	Is the maximum RPM rating of each abrasive wheel compatible with the RPM rating  of the grinder motor?
215(d)(1)	Before new abrasive wheels are mounted, are they visually inspected and ring  tested?
	From other OSHA standards:
22(a)	Is cleanliness maintained around grinders? (Clean-up dust and scraps.)
94(b)(2)	Are dust collectors and powered exhausts provided on grinders used in operations  that produce large amounts of dust?
133(a)(1)	Are goggles or face shields always worn when grinding?
212(b)	Are bench and pedestal grinders permanently mounted?
304(f)(4)	Is each electrically operated grinder effectively grounded?
305(g)(1)(iii)(A)	Are fixed or permanently mounted grinders connected to their electrical supply  system with metallic conduit or other permanent method?
305(j)(4)(ii)(F)	Does each grinder have an individual ON and OFF power control switch?

Footnotes:
1.  Extracted from OSHA Publication No. 2209. This check list does NOT include ALL elements of
     29 CFR 1910.215; it is a only a guide.
2.  A mark in this column indicates a need for corrective actions.

A Bench Grinder Safety Gauge is available from Rockford Systems:
http://www.rockfordsystems.com/online/safeguarding/grinder-safety-gauge.cfm

An example list of injuries involving Bench Grinders can be found here:
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/machineguarding/grinder_accidents.html

Remember to wear proper PPE - Face Masks, Eye Protection, and a leather apron to protect your torso from flying parts and pieces.

NEVER GRIND ALUMINUM - The resulting dust can be explosive!  Use a hand file to clean-up rough edges.

Power Play

Each year, thousands of injuries occur when an electrically powered tool or machine unexpectedly starts after a power interruption. This preventable hazard is caused when a tool's switch is left "ON" after a power outage, circuit breaker trip, or accidental unplugging from the wall outlet.  A button that locks the power trigger ON on many tools can become a dangerous feature when a cord is accidentally pulled from an outlet or a power drop-out occurs.  Drills, saws, grinders, sanders, and routers frequently are equipped with this 'feature' that can launch the tool off a workbench or across the floor when the power is unexpectedly restored.

The Safety Gate™ Professional Retrofit is a UL Listed, simple, low cost, safety product that attaches to your tool's power plug in seconds, providing restart protection wherever and whenever you use it.  It locks in-place using the tiny holes in the plug prongs, yet can be simply removed and used on other tools or stored away.

The Safety Gate™ works by recognizing when a tool's power switch is left "ON" and prevents power from being delivered to the tool.  The bright yellow LED indicator tells you that your SafetyGate is in "protect mode."  To reset it, you just turn the tool's power switch to "OFF".  It's completely automatic and there are no buttons to push or switches to reset.

The patented SafetyGate™ design complies with OSHA, NFPA, and CSA standards in eliminating the hazard of dangerous restarts. Hand tools and small machines can have the same safety restart protection that are mandated for larger industrial machinery.

More product information at: www.safetygatestore.com/professional

Other related post:
www.theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/stop-in-name-of-love-of-keeping-your.html
and
www.theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/stopin-startin-power-control-for-your.html

Be a carpenter with a magnetic personality

Screws, nuts, bolts, nails, tacks, staples, bent nails, and even small tools can be pesky items to keep-up with on stage and around the shop, and if you are up on a ladder (or maybe higher, too) you don't want to drop little items -- it's bad for the people below (yet another reason to ALWAYS wear a hard hat around the shop and stage), you don't want to climb down to get them, and you don't want to find them later by kneeling down on them and imposing significant pain on your kneecaps.
So what's a person to do?  As the 6th century B.C. Chinese military stratigist Sun-tzu wrote in The Art of War:  Keep your friends close, and your enimies closer.  This is pretty easy:  Buy some magnetic wrist bands and tool pouches to keep track of those metal bits that are so easy to drop or mis-place.

MGD Tools (www.MGDTools.com) makes a group of products called Magnogrip.  Made from red and black Cordura with Velcro closures and super stron magnets, they are handy and comfortable to wear.  They offer wist bands, nail pouches, and other handy items.

And for those of you that watch too much late-night TV, the former master of TV huckstersim Billy Mays promoted the Tool Band-it.  Info here: https://www.asseenontv.com/tool-band-it-the-official-site-of-asseenontvcom/detail.php?p=296691&v=daily-deal_20110705

Similar tool bands by Pro-Hold can be found at: www.fastcap.com/estore/pc/ProHold-Magnetic-Wrist-Strap-4p27.htm

Key things to remember:

• Magnetic parts holders are NOT a substitute for lanyards.  DO NOT rely on them at height to protect others below from dropped tools.  Use buckets and pouches that are secure to hold hardware when working at height.  Use buckets with webbing net slings - don't rely on the pail handle to stay secure in a plastic bucket's rim.
• Magnetic wrist bands can really mess-up credit cards and driver's licenses that have the magnetic data stripes on them.  Keep them away from your wallet / purse.  They can also mess with the data on Hard Disk Drives that are in MP3 players, computers and stand-alone data back-up drives.
• Magnetic wrist bands should NOT be worn when working near saw blades or anywhere that moving machinery might draw your hand / arm into the tool.  These magnets can be more powerful than you might think!

Nailed It! Will someone please dial 911?

Just because you have one doesn't mean that you know how to use it.  OSHA and NIOSH have teamed-up to publish a Nail Gun Safety Guide.

“Nail gun injuries are responsible for approximately 37,000 emergency room visits annually. In some cases, workers have died from their injuries,” said OSHA Administrator Dr. David Michaels. “This document will help construction employers make necessary changes to improve nail gun safety and protect their workers from preventable injuries and death.”

While nail guns are easy to operate and can increase productivity, they also can cause internal and external bodily injuries, according to OSHA. These injuries occur as a result of unintended nail discharge; nails that bounce off a hard surface or miss the work piece and become airborne; and disabling the gun’s safety features, among other causes.

The guidance outlines six steps to prevent nail gun injuries:

1. Select the proper product: Use full sequential trigger nail guns.
2. Provide training and keep a log of approved users.
3. Establish written Nail Gun work procedures.
4. Provide PPE and see that it is properly worn.
5. Encourage reporting and discussion of injuries and close calls.
6. Provide first aid and medical treatment.

 Download the guide here: www.osha.gov/Publications/NailgunFinal_508_02_optimized.pdf

Play nice.  Share your tools.  Share your knowledge.

Be careful where you point that thing.

Protecting your hairy eyeball: Safety Glasses with Magnification

For those of use that lack perfect eyesight, wearing corrective lenses and safety goggles at the same time can be a real pain. Put on the goggles and you can't read the manual or see the fine detail of your workpiece, or try to wear them both and get dust leaks and/or fogging. Dang!  No good deed goes unpunished.  Until now.

 

Sperian Protection (www.sperian.com/), a world leader in personal protective equipment (PPE), announced that its flagship eyewear brand, Uvex, has launched the Uvex Stealth® Reader Goggle, the industry’s first safety goggle with reading magnifier lenses.  The lenses are available in five diopter strengths ranging from +1.0 to +3.0.

“The Uvex Stealth family of safety goggles . . . combines modern design with the best technology and materials,” said David Iannelli, senior product manager for Sperian Eye & Face Protection. “Now workers can enjoy the added benefit of magnifying fine details with comfort and safety.”

The Uvex Stealth Reader Goggle is available in a clear lens with Uvextreme® anti-fog coating, and its economical lens replacement system extends the life of the goggle.  Made in the USA, this goggle meets the ANSI Z87.1-2010 standard for high impact protection as well as the CSA Z94.3 safety standard.  Like all Uvex® lenses, the Uvex Stealth Reader Goggle offers 99.9 percent ultraviolet protection.

Works for those with unibrows, too.

The Uvex Stealth Reader Goggle’s low profile and wrap-around style delivers complete coverage and unobstructed vision on the job. Its wide, adjustable slide headband features pivoting clips for an easy-to-adjust fit for complete comfort, even when worn with hard hats.  Its soft elastomer body conforms to facial contours for a secure, gap-free fit to provide optimum all-day protection.  With multiple models to choose from, the Uvex Stealth family offers workers the protection they need and the selection they want, helping promote a culture of safety in the workplace.

More information about the Uvex Stealth family of safety goggles is available at: www.uvex.us/

A friendly reminder:  No spare eyeballs are available at this time.
You loose 'em, scratch 'em, or poke 'em, and you are S-O-L.

Gimmie a push, will ya?

Keeping all your fingers attached can come in handy in life, and one way to do that is to be very careful when working around table saws.  ADS Tool Designs (http://www.tablesawpushstick.com/) offers a nifty push-stick for helping you run your wood materials past the blade in your table saw.  The easy to see orange plastic won't tear-up your saw blade if it gets nicked, and it's big enough to keep your hand away from the blade.

And here is an even more stable pushstick system that reduces the potential for kick-back and board lift from Rockler Tools (http://www.rockler.com/)

GRR-Ripper

And there is a great bunch of Saw Safety Videos at:

www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-table-saw-push-stick-keep-those-fingers-173847/

www.ehow.co.uk/video_4427492_using-push-sticks-table-saw.html
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=push+sticks+for+table+saws&aq=f

And Saw Safety Posters at:
www.sawdustmaking.com/Table%20Saws/TSposter.pdf
www.deltaportercable.com/uploads/PCD/Documents/DeltaSafetySheets/A16356-01-20-06-Rev%20A-TableSaws-English.pdf

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

STOP! In the name of love (of keeping your body parts intact)

I don't know about you, but when it comes to power tools, they can be a bit scary when you realize that they can grab your cloths, hair, or the part you are working on and tear them-up in a fraction of a second.  Drill presses, router tables, planners, and table saws are some of the most powerful tools in your shop, so having a shut-off switch that is extremely visible and easy to slam a hand or knee onto is a really good idea.

Grizzly Power Tools (http://www.grizzly.com/) makes the H8243 mondo power switch for this application.  For the price of a good pizza this dual voltage, single-phase Paddle Switch is rated for 110 Volt, 2 HP motors up to 35 amps, and 220 Volt, 3 HP motors up to 20 amps. The large paddle makes this switch ideal for emergency shut-offs.  It fits a standard single-gang electrical box, so you can mount it just about anywhere.

ANSI Standard 535.1 requires that the RED switch be mounted on a yellow background for maximum visibility, so slap a coat of yellow down before you mount that switch.

Do I have to have this?

According to most international machinery safety standards you probably should.  Here is a listing of relevant requirements for E-stops:

• 98/37/EC The Machinery Directive - Clause 1.2.4 in annex 4 gives requirements for the emergency stop function for new machines. See also clause 1.2.2 Control devices (chapter “Standard and Regulations”).
  
  Council Directive 89/655/EEC of November 30, 1989 concerning the minimum safety and health requirements for the use of work equipment by workers at work, Clause 2.4 gives the requirements for the emergency stop function for older machines. See also clause 2.1 (chapter “Standard and Regulations”).
• EN ISO 13850 Safety of Machinery - Emergency stop—Principles for design.  A harmonized standard that gives technical specifications for the requirements on the Machinery Directive.  Can also be used for older machinery.
• EN 60204-1 Safety of Machinery - Electrical equipment of machines —Part 1: General requirements.  This is a harmonized standard that gives requirements for the electrical equipment of machinery including the emergency stop actuator/function. See clauses 9.2.2 and 9.2.5.4.2.
• OSHA publication "Safeguarding Equipment and Protecting Employees from Amputation" can be downloaded here: www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3170.pdf

For industrial safety switch systems that meet a much higher level of performance, you need to look toward systems that are engineered solutions that utilize specialized sensors, switches, relays, and annunciators.  While the Grizzly paddle switch is a huge step in the right direction, there is still much more you can do to safeguard your shop workers.

Also see:
www.theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/power-play.html 
and
www.theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/stopin-startin-power-control-for-your.html

Get a grip - a really tight grip

Tools for crimping compression ovals onto wire rope cable can be, shall we say, a bit unwieldy at times.  Actually, almost always.  An if you are not built like a linebacker, they can flat wear you out if you have dozens - nay hundreds - of crimps to perform.  Enter a really workable solution from Nicopress:  The
Nicopress® Model 5606.  Much cooler than Luke Skywalker's Light Saber (but only because you can actually own one of these).

Features:
• One hand operation; lightweight & slim
• Visible orange weather resistant housing
• Audible bypass when predetermined pressure is achieved
• Crimping jaws can be opened mid-cycle to adjust connection
• Crimp cycle time:  Less than 6 seconds
• Battery charge time: Less than 1 hour, about 250 sleeves for 1/4" wire rope can be compressed per charge.
• Jaws rotate 360 degrees for ease of use in confined spaces.
• Weight: 6.75 lbs. with Lithium Ion Battery
• Dimensions: 20.5" L x 4" H x 2.5" W
• Wire Rope Die Sizes: 3/64" thru 5/16" diameter

The top button (thumb) initiates the crimp action, and the bottom button releases the jaws.

Interesting side note:  The crimp dies for 1/4" wire rope only require two compressions, unlike the hand tool's three, so when you are doing inspections, and find fewer crimps, it doesn't necessarily mean that it was done wrong, but instead it may have been done with a different tool / die than what you are accustomed to seeing.

Info at:  www.nicopress.com/products/toolh-wr-5606

Boxes full of booty (no, not that kind of booty!)

As I perused the Stage Manager's exhibits at the theatre conference I found some other items of interest, too.  Most of the kits had some sort of First Aid section, and several had Flash Lights and/or Spare Batteries, and a few had Chemical Light Sticks stowed-away.  All good things to have if the lights go out.

However, what was really interesting was that all of the portable kits I saw were BLACK.  All black.  Barely a fleck of color anywhere.  It reminded me of the picture below:

"Polar bear in a snow storm"

Now I know that black is the color of choice for all things theatre, but this doesn't make any sense.  It's not like you don't want to be able to find your tool box.  It's not like your tool box is going to be flirting around the wings and might be seen by the audience.  And guess what?  If the lights go out - you wouldn't be able to find your flashlight or Calume light sticks!  A black box in a black backstage environment with the lights out is nothing but a trip hazard or shin-buster.

Not  black ? Sacrilege!  Keel-haul the scallywag! At the very minimum, place some photoluminescent marker tape around the perimeter so that you can find it when the lights go out.  A bit of highly reflective (i.e. retroreflective) marker tape along side the photoluminescent tape would be a good idea, too - this way if you shine even the weakest of flashlights in the general direction of the toolbox, it'll light-up like a fireworks display and you can grope your way toward it a bit easier.  There is a reason that Firefighters and Liferafts both have SOLAS* type marker tape on them - so they can be seen under the worst of lighting conditions.

*SOLAS - Save Our Lives At Sea - Solas type marker tape is commonly used on road signs and highway barrier marking because it does such a darn good job of blinding you with your own headlights.

So, how about some alternatives?  OK. Lets try these:

DuraTool D00403

DuraTool D00407

Stanley 2-in-1 Mobile Work Center

(a bit black, but nothin' a bit-o-tape won't fix either)

Stanley 3-in-1 Mobile Work Center

Theatre Safety - Where to start with the students?

"In the dark the innocent can't see." - Melissa Etheridge. Theatre Safety for the very young starts with hazard recognition. The younger the student, the less aware they are of potential dangers around them. One of the first dangers a child learns is thermal. Start there with stage lights.

You can expand your Fire & Emergency Training to have fire exit drills in the middle of show rehearsals. Start out easy and get them to understand that getting out of the building is a priority, then later you can 'complicate' their decision making by making them find and take a different route by declaring the 'obvious' or 'regular' route as "not available." People tend to exit buildings the same way they came in. You have to challenge them to find and know alternate routes should their typical or normal one be blocked.

Respect for property and others is also an important safety item. Students that 'tear things up' and harass others can be a danger to themselves and others. They are frequently the ones that don't listen to instructions, distract others so they can't listen, and go climbing or pulling on things that may fall down. These students go on to disrespect property and can damage important safety systems.


Don't just say "NO!" Explaining to the students why and how signs, ladder guards, PPE, and other safety equipment is there to protect them helps them understand why damaging that equipment may injure themselves or others. Actions have consequences. So do inactions.

Curiosity killed the cat. Although most elementary schools don't have counterweight rigging systems, it is still a good idea to familiarize the students with what they are and how they work. They have to know what the equipment is and see the potential danger so if they are visiting another venue that has that type of equipment, they don't reach-over and release a rope lock 'just to see what it does.'

From there you can start working on tool safety. Most kids never get any real instruction on basic tools like hammers, screwdrivers, pliers, and wrenches. If they can use it, they can misuse it. First-up is keeping the work space clear of nails, tacks, screws, splinters, and trip hazards. From there, go through basic tools like hammers (here is a good chance to show them why they should always be wearing safety glasses around anyone stapling or nailing. Show them how far a nail or staple can go when it ricochets - that's always an eye opener (not to be puny). Kids like "gross" - get a cow eye from the biology teacher and poke a nail through it - eewe!

Painting can also be hazardous. Help the students understand the difference between oil-based paints, latex-based paints, and water based stage paint (Green-ness, chemical hazards, clean-up hassles, skin damage, fire retardancy, etc.). Get them to wear gloves to protect their hands, safety glasses to keep the paint splatter out of their eyes, aprons to protect their clothes, knee pads if they are working on the floor (to protect them from jamming-up their knee-caps with a nail or screw someone left behind).

1000 ways to die. For each tool there is a correct way to use it, and a thousand ways to misuse it. Tunnel vision. Show them what can happen when you don't see past your work-surface (what is behind the board, under the flat, around the corner) or surroundings.

As you approach each task of building a set, or moving it, or striking it; challenge them to think about safety. Is there a safer way to do this? More people, better tools, different PPE...

And of course, keep a record of each student's training and skills. If they injure themselves or others later, it can help to know what they were permited to do verses what they took upon themselves to do.