A bulletin on safety in the theater
Sponsored by the Amateur Theater Division
A few years ago I got hyperconscious of safety in community theater. People who pursue a hobby for a few hours a week commonly don't regard it as posing any hazard to their health, and commonly they are right. But I've had things fall on my head (painful) and dropped things on other people (less painful); one time I nearly coldcocked a cast member with a big ladder, and on the same show a kid almost took himself out by running under a moving scenery piece. So I began reading and making notes, and in the end I wrote up a lot of what I learned.
This safety bulletin never became an official publication of Town & Gown Players, but I held onto it and now offer it to you in the form of a PDF. Click here to view it with your Adobe Acrobat Reader (you can get a free, legal copy from adobe.com).
Other papers in this series:
Please note: I created this bulletin as a way of sharing experience. You must not take my statements for official rules, specifications or standards. What I say about strength and safety is based on observations, not on codes, regulations or standards. If you have not made observations of your own that enable you to evaluate the statements in this guide, you should consult other sources of information before going any further. You will understand that I cannot guarantee your results and that I cannot accept liability for any damage or injury that results from your work, whether you follow my suggestions to the letter or not. Follow the manufacturer's instructions when using any power or other tool, and observe all safety precautions found in those instructions.
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Theater safety bulletin