Risk Analysis and Risk reduction

Thu, 24 July 2008, 10:10 am

Don Allen42 posts in thread

How many risks are you aware of when working in a theatre or even being in a theatre onstage or backstage. Electrocution Cuts Broken Bones Eye damage Hearing damage Community theatres have a responsability under the WA Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 and WA OSH Regulations 1996 to provide a safe working environment. There may also be additional responsabilities imposed by local councils. As an individual you have the same responsabilities. These following links will provide usefull and productive information: Why productive ? if you maintain your venue and its equipment to a safe standard, you greatly reduce the setup times for shows and remove a lot of the glitches that may affect a performance. I did not use the work "accident" as I do not beleieve there is such a thing as an accident, anything that goes wrong is as a direct result of someone being incompetent or using unsafe work practices.! WA Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 http://www.slp.wa.gov.au/pco/prod/FileStore.nsf/Documents/MRDocument:7379P/$FILE/OccupSftyAndHealthAct1984_05-g0-00.pdf?OpenElement WA OSH Regulations 1996 http://www.slp.wa.gov.au/pco/prod/FileStore.nsf/Documents/MRDocument:7552P/$FILE/OccupSftyAndHealthRegs1996_06-b0-00.pdf?OpenElement Risk Assessment (UK) http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/fivesteps.htm The backsateg Information Guide - Bath University http://people.bath.ac.uk/su2bc/infoguides/index.shtml ABTT Theatre Essentials http://www.abtt.org.uk/PDFs/Theatre_Essentials.pdf Guidelines on the Application of the Health (Public Buildings) Regulations 1992 http://www.population.health.wa.gov.au/environmental/resources/Public%20Buildings%20Guidelines%20Final.pdf Safety Guidelines For The Entertainment Industry (Australian) http://www.entservices.com.au/pdfs/theatrereqs/AustnEntertainmentIndustrySafetyGuidelines.pdf In the absence of any formal training for amateur theatre technicians, then self education is the way to go. I suggest you download any of these documents that allow you to, as it is an excellent start to a library and sometimes web resources tend to dissappear. I always notify actors who walk under ladders when someone is working above them, that it would be a pity to waste all of their rehearsal time, only to miss out on performing because they have been injured during a tech rehearsal, so keep clear and be aware of their surroundings.

Closing the gate

Sat, 26 July 2008, 10:33 am

Taurean

As Neville and Joe have eloquently pointed out, people (particularly those "in charge") have a ridiculous habit of closing the gate AFTER the horse has bolted. It seems that people are unable to see a potential hazard and refuse to take any action to prevent things going wrong until they actually do. As Don has stated "anything that goes wrong is as a direct result of someone being incompetent or using unsafe work practices.!"

I sometimes wonder if this "Hazard blindness" is an extension of the popular premise that "it will never happen to me"? Or even worse... the great Australian "She'll be right, mate" attitude. Perhaps we all have been (since our earliest colonial heritage days) making do with dodgy repairs and home fixes for so long that it is now considered the norm to be able to get by without having to do it correctly? Maybe that is why people object so strongly to changing when the SAFE way of doing things is pointed out to them.

As a personal for instance: My "9-to-5er" involves a fair amount of above ground work (5 to 12 metres up) and all too often I catch my crew "not having the time" to buckle into a rigging harness or if they do wear it, they don't hook up to the safety bars because "the lines get in the way". One that I did not catch out a few months ago is still in hospital in traction with a broken spine from literally stepping off the work platform while 10 mtrs up! His reasoning for the "accident"? "I felt really safe and comfortable up there, I forgot where I was."

Incidently, he is NOT covered by workers comp because the safety gear was there, he didn't use it - and he had not closed the barrier gates behind him (EDIT: He had actually jammed the self closing/latching gate open!) because "he was coming straight down again"...... He certainly did!

Moral: If the safety gear is there USE IT!

If it isn't - refuse to do the job until it is!

Thread (42 posts)

Threaded Flat

Risk Analysis and Risk reduction— Don Allen24 July 2008

Can we also gather up the— Na24 July 2008
Sorry Na, had a look but— Don Allen24 July 2008
- No worries - I'd hunt for— Na24 July 2008
Your on target as usual— JoeMc24 July 2008
- I've had a case of this— Na24 July 2008
At the last heads of— David Ashton24 July 2008
Theatre is one of the most— JoeMc25 July 2008
I remember— Neville Talbot25 July 2008
Closing the gate— Taurean26 July 2008
- Blimey mate! I think I— JoeMc26 July 2008
It happens all too often— JoeMc26 July 2008
Safety chains— jeffhansen27 July 2008
A good point Jeff!I think— JoeMc27 July 2008
- Emergency Lights— jeffhansen29 July 2008
  - Maybe hard cover log books— Na30 July 2008
  - I have used these log books— JoeMc30 July 2008
For those who need to use— JoeMc28 July 2008
Gel frames are something— JoeMc28 July 2008
I don't know if this— Na28 July 2008
- Hehehe Having learning— Sean B28 July 2008
  - Wait til you get to the— Na28 July 2008
    - I worked at the Maj— JoeMc28 July 2008
      - ···
        Was this before or after— Sean B30 July 2008
        ···
        It was a fair while ago— JoeMc31 July 2008
- Multi purpose venues are— JoeMc28 July 2008
At risk of being a grammar— David Ashton28 July 2008
- Whoops, I did it too... so— Na28 July 2008
No wonder spell check— JoeMc28 July 2008
Dressing Lighting Bars— Don Allen28 July 2008
- Orange Oil is great for— JoeMc29 July 2008
Joe your idea of a single— Don Allen30 July 2008
- Good idea Don, a group with— JoeMc30 July 2008
Dear old Aunty ITA— Taurean1 Aug 2008
Electrical work— jeffhansen1 Aug 2008
- "When at home, you may put— Na1 Aug 2008
  - Not only overseas Na! I'm— JoeMc2 Aug 2008
  - Yep...Seriously. The rules— jeffhansen6 Aug 2008
    - That's ludicrous... How is— Na6 Aug 2008
      - ···
        Rules are rules. I don't— jeffhansen6 Aug 2008
    - I remember well over over— JoeMc7 Aug 2008
I had my first stroke— JoeMc1 Aug 2008

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