Theatres Must Prioritize Volunteer Safety As Much as Paid Workers
OnStage Blog Editorial
Those of us who have volunteered to build or strike sets for high school, college, or community theatre have all been there. We’ve been asked to work with power tools without safety equipment, walk the catwalks without fall protection, and work in old theaters without proper ventilation or masks with dust flying everywhere.
After all, “The Show Must Go On!”
We never say anything because no one likes a complainer, and we’re under a time crunch. Besides, what are the odds that an accident will ever occur?
Well, as we’ve said before, the show actually doesn’t actually have to go on, not when safety is an issue.
According to OSHA’s database, many theaters have been cited for OSHA violations in the last five years. Several investigations responded to complaints about fall protection and unsafe equipment use.
Remember when perusing the database that OSHA only investigates theatres with complaints involving paid workers by the theatre. Theatres with an all-volunteer workforce are not subject to OSHA regulations.
But if accidents can happen to paid workers who know what they are doing, we sure as heck know it can happen more easily for unpaid volunteers. In productions we were involved with as volunteers, we could remember dozens of instances of reckless use of equipment or unsafe working conditions without trying too hard.
We, however, are realists balanced with idealism. Combining all the OSHA rules and regulations into a single printed book would likely be thousands of pages. Community theatres have a hard enough time getting their blocking right, never mind trying to figure out compliance with federal agency rules on anything.
However, that doesn’t mean community and school theatres can’t insist on safety while working towards opening night.
June is National Safety Month (in addition to Pride Month), so in honor of that, we will list a few basic areas every single community theatre and high school theatre should prioritize for the safety of their volunteers. We will reference OSHA regulations, even though OSHA doesn’t apply to community theatre environments with an all-volunteer cast and crew, because we believe all high school and community theatres should hold themselves to the highest possible standard regarding safety.
(By the way, if even just one person building a set is paid by the theatre, then OSHA regulations apply to everyone, including unpaid volunteers.)
1) Fall Protection
OSHA regulations state that you must have some form of fall protection if you work at 4 feet or higher above the ground. This applies to catwalks and any elevated surface 4 feet or above. Fall protection could mean safety harnesses and lines, safety nets, stair railings, and handrails, among other solutions.
We could count, on one hand (if that), the number of times we have seen fall protection in community theatre environments for catwalks.
Falls are the #1 accident type in workplaces across America.
In a volunteer environment, at minimum, there should be a person whose sole responsibility is standing next to and monitoring anyone on top of a 4-foot or higher ladder. Ideally, much stronger measures should be taken whenever someone works at greater heights than that.
Theaters should ensure people working at great heights work as safely as possible, with no excuses.
2) SDS Sheets
According to OSHA regulations, paid theatre employees MUST have Safety Data Sheets (SDS) available to review for any chemical agents, including paints, solvents, and cleaning agents, used in a work environment for specific work purposes.
We think everyone working in theatre set construction and strikes, not just paid workers, should have access to them as well.
If an accident happens, you must know how to handle it.
3) Personal Protective Equipment (e.g. masks, safety glasses, gloves, ear plugs/muffs, etc.)
This is big for theatre set design, where painting and woodworking is often a must
OSHA requires an employer (in this case, the theater) to provide PPE when workers are exposed to chemicals requiring SDS sheets or even sawdust at significant levels. Long-term exposure to fumes from paints, other chemical agents, and yes, even sawdust at significant levels, can cause respiratory issues, among other potential health risks.
No show is worth that risk.
Volunteers should insist on PPE during set construction, especially in areas without proper ventilation, and theaters should provide it without being asked.
4) Electric Safety
We’re not experts here, and OSHA rules regarding electric safety are lengthy, so we’ll talk common sense. Don’t use long electric cords (they can be a tripping hazard), check the wattage capacity, never daisy-chain power strips or extension cords (they can start fires), and call a professional when you’re even in the slightest doubt.
5) Fire Safety
Again, let common sense prevail here. Know your exits; make sure they are properly marked, not blocked, and can be opened by a panic bar on the inside. Check local requirements for fire extinguishers. Ensure the sprinklers work, etc.
One bit of uncommon sense: check those theatre curtains if you have any! Curtains should be inspected annually to ensure they work correctly and are properly cleaned and maintained. They are a major fire and safety hazard!
The broad point is we all look the other way because no one wants to stop the train from reaching its destination.
But we all know that tragedy ensues when the train goes too fast, the rails aren’t inspected, and no one says anything.
And it's time volunteers started speaking up.
Change often doesn’t happen until tragedy hits, but we’re too advanced a society to require a tragedy to be our change agent.
If you see something, say something. You can be a hero by preventing an accident before it happens, not just saving someone after it happens.
As we have alluded to, theatres have been cited for OSHA violations.
We have decided not to call out any by name here in this editorial (since that’s not the point of this exercise), but you can look through some of the theatres cited here.
We spotted theatres cited for lack of fall protection, asbestos exposure, and even using a ripsaw without proper protection, deemed an amputation risk.
Again, we’ve been there. Most volunteer theatre people think it is no big deal to work 10 feet above the ground or not wear PPE when using chemical cleaning agents or power equipment.
It’s not a big deal until it becomes a big deal
Theaters MUST prioritize employee safety, whether paid or volunteer.
And if they don’t, well, say something. If you are being paid by the theatre to work under unsafe conditions, say something to OSHA here.
And if you are an unpaid volunteer, don’t be shy. Speak up loudly and repeatedly. If you must, walk away.
All it takes is one second to change someone’s life for the worse forever.
All it takes is one person to speak up to save someone’s life.
The show must go on, but it must go on safely.