Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2000 - 69

ENFORCEMENT
The hard part-enforcement-comes after
the program is written and everyone is trained.
Asafety program is only as good as its enforcement. A safety program that is not followed
protects no one. Enforcement includes never
permitting persons to do work for which they
are not trained or otherwise qualified and
never allowing shortcuts.
Over the years I have heard many excuses
why safety training is not possible. These include, "not enough time," "not important,"
"have nothing to do with the job." As for "not
enough time" my answer is always: "You will
have plenty of time after the accident to do the
training." These excuses are just that. Being
able to do a job includes the knowledge and
ability to do it safely. Stages are very dangerous
places. No performance, including all the
work leading up to opening night, is worth
risking life or health.
I believe we owe it to our theatre students
to teach them how to participate safely in this
acti\~ty. Should we not be providing the same
level of training and safety equipment we provide sports participants? 10 one would send a
football player on to the field without proper
training and conditioning, or without protective gear like a helmet and pads. We need to
insist that everyone who walks onto a stage
knows what the hazards are, where they are,
and how to avoid them.
You must lead by example. If people see
you taking risks and shortcuts, they will do the
same. If the supel"\~sor doesn't take safety seriously, why should workers be expected to take
it seriously? I am aware of one supervisor who
admits to removing guards from power equipment when he is alone in the shop. Exactly
whom is he fooling?

in the area they are overseeing? Do they have
enough experience to supervise the activities
for which they are responsible? An autborized
person is one who is approved or assigned
by tbe employer to pm/orm a specific ()pe of
du()' or duties or to be at a specific location
or locations at tbe job site. Anyone who has
an activity in his or her job description or is
directed to do something by his or her employer is authorized, but that does not automatically make that person competent. The
two things are distinct. In the majority of
school related accidents I have studied, the
person or persons supen~sing the acti\~ties

did not have the training or experience to
realize that a hazardous condition eXisted.
Frequently even if they recognized the hazard, they failed to take proper corrective action because they did not understand the
seriousness of the hazard. Remember, after
the accident, you, your qualifications, your
associates' qualifications and your safety
program will be placed under a microscope.
An effective safety program and proper
training and supervision of all stage personnel may save you from that examination and
most importantly save someone from being
injured or killed.

COMPETENT V5.
AUTHORIZED
The final consideration is the competent person. A competent person is one who is capable of identifj'ing existing or predictable
hazards in tbe surroundings or working
conditions wbich are unsanital:)I, hazardous, or dangerous to emplo.)'ees, and who
bas authorization to take prompt corrective
action to eliminate them. OSHA frequently
cites employers for failure to have a competent
person at the work site. This is also frequently
cited as one of tlle most common factors in accidents. Look closely at the people supervising
the activities that take place on the stage. Do
these people have formal training or education
T7>&T

MER

000

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2000