TheatreFace: "I travel about quite a bit visiting many different types of theatres and arenas. In my climbing about if find one particular hazard time and again: Open ladder wells. These can be present at the ends of catwalks, on the floor of a gridiron deck, or at the edge of a storage platform, and sometimes at loading docks, too.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Watch that first step – It’s a doozey!
TheatreFace: "I travel about quite a bit visiting many different types of theatres and arenas. In my climbing about if find one particular hazard time and again: Open ladder wells. These can be present at the ends of catwalks, on the floor of a gridiron deck, or at the edge of a storage platform, and sometimes at loading docks, too.
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I think an interesting point that is made here is that there are different thinks that we can do to make an unsafe feature of our physical theater buildings safer. It wouldn't take much effort to paint the steel around the ladder opening on a grid yellow- and it could mean saving someone's life. I think that the addition of ladder railings is a really great idea to provide for ladder safety, but I do understand that it is not practical in all spaces. Again, I really think the point that hits home here is that preventative measures can be inexpensive, easy, and fast, and can really make the difference when it comes to staying safe in the theater.
Woof, I realize safety is usually third in a great deal of theatre spaces but that last picture of the lock gallery drop kind of make my tenders clench up...
Despite what we all know to be safety hazards still not dealt with, I was happy to see his suggestions to make them safer was actually quite simple. Paint the perimeter of the opening a bright color that no one but the people ON that level can see. Huh. That's horrifically simple and easy and CHEAP and I cannot think of a reason it couldn't be done. Something to think about.
It is pretty ridiculous how far the everything being black goes. So many ladders and hidden places in theaters are painted black that will never be seen by audience members ever. It may be for the look, or the consistency, but not for the safety. These present a lot of great ways to protect people from falling, but it seems like painting everything something other than black would be a great first step.
This brings to light an interesting issue that never really crossed my mind before but now that I think of it, open ladder wells can be quite dangerous. Some of the fixes seem a little extreme light the bright yellow version but some of them seem quite more feasible and they may be able to be added to existing theatres at a minimal cost which would be a good way of retro-fitting existing theatres and making them safer.
YES. Ohhh this is just what I needed. I am very prone to falling down ladders, and what's worse is when I can't even see them! It might sound funny, but it's not.
I think that unless the ladder is seen by the audience, there should be some way to visibly and physically mark the open hole. I think installing a gate is a great idea because it is an actual physical barrier, and can be painted black if that is a concern.
I am always afraid of falling into an open hole in a theatre, I think finding a way to mark open holes (even just with glow-tape) is important.
This article puts in perspective the types of safety issues which we overlook daily in everything we do. The simple act of ascending or descending a latter is not an action, which i would consider to be unsafe, but obviously there are injuries which are caused every day by even simpler things. how far should we o to promote safety? when is suspension of disbelief more important than the preservation of safety? Never? always? there is a balance, but where?
I have always wondered about the gigantic openings in the floor that I may fall through while walking around the grid. It is surprising how much we want to be black when you dont see it. Like everyone else agrees a little paint would be cheap, easy and not much work. Sometimes its the smaller items we forget about, like large gapping holes with ladders, because if we use the space we are used to them, but others arent. This problem can be easily solved, hopefully more people will work on solving their ladder issues.
It surprises me that OSHA hasn't really cracked down on the use of these ladders, which are so commonly seen to get to grid or fly lofts in theatres. Although adding paint would help make the hole visisble, it still doesn't help the person who trips and falls or isn't closely watching their step. I think some type of self-closing gate around the cage would be a great solution. I don't know how costly it would be, but it would probably be less costly than a lawsuit if someone did fall down the hole.
Joe is absolutely right - the paint doesn't do anything to prevent someone from falling through the hole. In my opinion, these openings are not truly safe unless they have a railing or a gate around them. It is unacceptable to have an unprotected open hole, especially in an often-dark area. I am surprised there are not accidents involving ladder wells more often.
I am afraid of heights so falling through one of these holes is a terrifying thought. I don't like to be on anything that is unsolid or without a railing. I think ladders are frightening at the best of times, but this article shows that they are a legitimate safety concern. I agree with Joe Israel that it is surprising that OSHA hasn't already mandated the railing and color marking of these openings. As for why people haven't applied these simple safety measures on their own? I see as pure laziness and ignorant apathy. When they are painting everything black it is easier to not have to change, as simple as that. Even though a small railing even if it didn't completely encircle the opening could save someones life. I do think that paint alone would not be enough but it would help. It is often that the fount of house in a theater is remodeled, and remodeled again without any changes to the backstage. In trying to make things pretty people often ignore safety. This article does a good job of making people aware of that.
Everyone is bringing up excellent points about safety issues in the theater. After all year after year I hear these awful stories about stage hands dieing backstage or getting seriously injured. Things should be reconsidered backstage and changed. I remember at my high school there was this ladder that I was always afraid to climb but it was the only way to get up to the grid. It shook the whole time and I really thought I was going to die. I hope somethings are reconsidered in the backstage.
In an industry like ours where we're constantly working in spaces that weren't intended for theatrical use, safety becomes even more of a concern than it already is. Working in a converted warehouse with a grid installed and railings that are too short to protect a person isn't ideal, but at the same time safety should fall into the individual's realm of responsibility. We've all worked in dangerous spaces and fared well enough so far. I think accident proofing a space only gets you so far, while most of the responsibility is your own.
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