Foaming at the mouth? Well, that's better than on the stage.

Foam materials are used in many different ways on the stage, and many times no forethought is given to the legality, safety, or potential consequences that accompany these choices.  Many foam materials are very combustible, and when they do ignite, they produce an enormous amount of black toxic smoke.  This is smoke so thick that it can kill you in seconds.  Need proof of this threat?  Here are three prime examples of recent fires that were all largely foam fire related:

• The Station Nightclub Fire (2003-02-20) - 100 dead
• Kiss Nightclub Fire (2013-01-26) - 233 dead
• Cosmopolitan Hotel Patio Fire (2015-07-25)

At left is the pool deck of the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.  You can see the fake palm trees that are sculpted from foam burning wildly.  NOTE THE AMOUNT OF BLACK SMOKE BEING PRODUCED.  If this was inside a theatre it would completely fill the stage house and audience chamber.

In each case, the primary source of fuel for the fire was foam based products, and in each case the smoke they produced was thick and deadly.  All too common is the use of foam insulation board like "Foamular" (see below) and "Rmax R-Matte".  This blogger sees it used for props and set walls with no attempt to enclose it or treat it with any fire retardant.  What are these people thinking!?

Also be aware that the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code specifically addresses foam materials uses in scenery and props in Article 13.4.6.11 Flame Retirement Requirements.  If you work in a theatre you should have a copy of this book.  It is fairly inexpensive and full of relevant information for theatre operations - particularly Chapter 13, but other Chapters and Annexes are very important, too.

Fireworks Storage Building Explodes and Kills Assistant Stage Manager

Amarillo, Texas - 2015-07-31, 5:54PM - 21 year old Peyton Trueblood was killed Friday evening when a fireworks storage building exploded and sent flaming debris over 200 yards from the blast site.  Peyton worked in the Palo Duro Canyon park amphitheatre where the musical "Texas" is presented.  Reports say she was taking inventory between two storage building when the explosion occurred.  Peyton was from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Peyton Trueblood (on left) (from facebook)

The Texas State Fire Marshal is investigating to find the cause of the incident.  Kris Miller, executive director of the Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation, which produces the show, said that about 1,600 rounds of fireworks — enough to last until the end of the show’s season on August 15th, plus rounds stored for homecoming at West Texas A&M University — went up in the explosion.

Miller added “She had talked about what an honor it was to work with the fireworks and being certified to do that.  And when I spoke to her mother last night, she said something about how Peyton felt proud about that.”

Palo Duro Canyon Park Superintendent Shannon Blalock says the park has resumed normal operations following yesterday's tragic accident.  2015 marked the 50th season for the popular musical located about 25 miles south of Amarillo.  Information about the show can be found at: www.texas-show.com

Park officials say they will continue to working with the State Fire Marshal and the Randall County Sheriffs Office as the investigation continues.

(Updated details 2015-08-05)
Follow-up:  OSHA issues fines:  http://theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2016/02/osha-issues-fines-for-stage-manager.html

Storms sweep through midwest, one event attendee killed when tent collapses

Wood Dale, Illinois - Sunday, August 2, 2015, about 2:40PM - Like many summer storms, this one popped-up quick, dumped rain and hail, and blew hard.  Unfortunately, the city of Wood Dale didn't learn any lessons from the numerous storm-related disasters over the past few years, and completely failed to evacuate the Prairie Fest site before the weather hit.  There was a Junior High School immediately adjacent to the event site that could have been used as a durable shelter.  A tent structure on the site was filled with about 100 festival goers seeking cover from the onslaught of hail, and then the wind up-ended the tent tearing it from it's anchors.  One of the main tent support poles fell and struck 35 year old Steven Nincic in the head and killed him.  He is survived by his wife of three years and two daughters.

Other events in the region had watched the weather front more closely and had evacuation plans prepared and in effect.  Winds of up to 60mph were reported in the area.  The festival site is very close to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, so presumably excellent weather radar feeds were available for monitoring had the city elected to do so.  The city claims to have had an emergency plan, but no sign of it being implemented was visible.

First Responders had to cut through the tent to get to people trapped under the wreckage.  The remainder of the festival was cancelled after the weather passed, as police and ambulances came to treat the numerous injuries.

Lawyers for the family of Steven Nincic are filing an injunction to keep the tent site intact until a complete investigation can be completed, but many vendors and carnival ride owners have already packed-up and left.  An attorney representing the family released a statement contending that “the true tragedy” is that incidents such as the tent upheaval “are not only potentially predictable,” but “preventable with prudent caution and control of events in the face of available meteorological information.”  Attorney Louis C. Cairo said the weather and “the propriety of the tent materials and its installation” will be “litigated extensively.”

The city said that the tent was supplied by a vendor, and it had been inspected for electrical compliance, but not structural integrity.  This blogger finds this information to be more of a smoke screen to deflect attention away from the lack of weather monitoring and assigning someone the authority to close-down the event and evacuate people to hard shelters.  A safety plan, when implemented, reduces the need to rely on an emergency plan.  Safety plans address issues before they get to the point of being an emergency.

IATSE Launches Safety Hotline

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) recently launched its safety hotline so members can report hazards on the job.

When an IATSE member calls the toll free number 844-IA AWARE, (844-422-9273), the caller can either leave a message for or talk to a safety representative who will help handle the issue. Sometimes the safety representative will contact the IATSE Local’s representative and assist them with the issue, or call the employer directly.

Because IATSE members commonly work for many different employers, the system of employers reporting hazards to OSHA sometimes breaks down. The IATSE Safety Hotline is a safety net.

The IATSE Safety Hotline is not intended to take the place of an employer’s hazard reporting plan or to relieve the employer from their responsibility to keep jobs safe.

In The Official Bulletin, the IATSE monthly newsletter, Kent Jorgensen, IATSE's Chairman of the Safety Committee, provides more details on the safety hotline on page 42.  This also includes guidelines for members to follow.  See: http://iatse.net/member-resources/publications/official-bulletin/official-bulletin-2015-q2-no-648

It’s a great time to review electrical safety practices.  You know, things like unplugging a lighting instrument BEFORE you try to change the lamp . . .
 

The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is dedicated exclusively to promoting electrical safety in the home, school, and workplace, and is the proud sponsor of National Electrical Safety Month each May.

 

In celebration of Electrical Safety Month 2015, ESFI announced the launch of the second edition of its National Electrical Safety Month publication, Electrical Safety Illustrated.

 

In this magazine ESFI addresses timely electrical safety issues to equip the public with the knowledge to better protect their home, family and communities from electrical hazards.

Click here to read the Electrical Safety Illustrated May 2015 magazine.

Click here to visit the ESFI Home Electrical Safety page for more resources and information

Theatre Safety Workshop at Shanghai Theatre Academy

Workshop is April 14-16 (Monday thru Wednesday).  For more information contact Shanghai Theatre Academy, Department of Stage Design, Theatre Management and Arts Management Lecturer, Vanessa Chenzi Xu (徐晨子) at: nownowxu (at) hotmail (dot) com

Orchestra Pit Cover Collapse During Performance Injures 28

Anaheim, California 2014-03-10 - Students performing an energetic dance routine on the extended forestage at Servite Catholic High School were injured when the stage collapse into the Orchestra Pit below.  The auditorium was originally constructed in the 1980's and the stage extension / pit cover was added in 1996.  Images from the accident scene show what appears to be a modular structure that was built by the school, not a commercially available staging system.

Local Police and Emergency Rescue were called to the scene to extract injured performers and transport them to the hospital as needed.  Some injuries were minor scrapes and bruises, and sprained ankles, while 24 students were transported, some on back-boards with possible neck and back injuries, and a report of broken bones.

Looking into the Orchestra Pit after the Stage Extension Collapsed
(Photo Courtesy of the Anaheim Police Department)

The structure will be inspected to discover the exact nature of the failure.  Although persons interviewed by local papers said that the collapse was unforeseeable (blogger comment: not likely), and later comments (in the follow-up section of this post) show that there was some forewarning (visible sagging) prior to the floor giving-way.

The Anaheim Fire Marshal and Building Inspectors were on scene Sunday investigating what caused the collapse, said Lt. Tim Schmidt of the Anaheim Police Department.  “It looks like, on its face, that too much weight was on the stage than what it was originally built for,” Schmidt said Sunday night.

The high school's platform stage was previously permitted for use, Schmidt said.  Now investigators will be rechecking that permit to see if it included a weight restriction or a limit as to the number of people who could safely be on the stage at one time.

Schmidt said he expected the investigation, which is being led by the Anaheim Fire Department, to take up to two weeks.  He added that Servite has been cooperative in the investigation.  “They want to find out what happened as much as we do.”

Follow-up 2014-03-14:

A news article by the local NBC4 I-team reveals that no permits were ever made for the stage extension addition.  Also from the article we quote:

Carly Yates, a former ballet student and a current NBC4 intern, had danced on the stage for years.
 
She said she and her fellow dancers were always concerned about the safety of the stage.
 
“There was something wrong it,” says Yates.
 
She says dancers would wait below the stage until it was their turn to perform.
 
"When you were underneath the stage in the [make-shift] Green Room [(orchestra pit)], you saw the boards were flimsy," she said.  "They would bend and down as the dancers on top if it danced on it."