Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2008 - 59

Three views of The Tribute Communities Recital Hall:
(left) student Tamara Protic sets up for the Jazz Orchestra;

YORK UNIVERSITY
PERfORmaNcE facIlITIES

Health & Safety Procedures Manual (Excerpts)
(manual created by anna Graham)

York University is committed to the prevention of illness and injury through the
provision and maintenance of healthy and safe conditions on its premises. The
University endeavours to provide a hazard free environment and minimize risks by
adherence to all relevant legislation, and where appropriate, through development and implementation of additional internal standards, programmes and
procedures.
York University requires that health and safety be a primary objective in every
area of operation and that all persons utilizing University premises comply with
procedures, regulations and standards relating to health and safety.

The Occupational Health and Safety act (OHSa) came into force on October 1,
1979. Its purpose is to protect workers against health and safety hazards on the
job. The act sets out the rights and responsibilities of all parties in the workplace.
It establishes procedures for dealing with workplace hazards and it provides for
enforcement of the law where compliance has not been achieved voluntarily.
The act is based on the principle of the internal responsibility system in which
workplace parties work together to identify health and safety problems and
develop solutions. The internal responsibility system involves everyone, from the
Board of Governors of the University to the individual worker.
Several provisions of the act are aimed at fostering the internal responsibility
system. Two of these are: (1) the requirement for employers to have a health and
safety policy and program; and (2) the direct responsibility that officers of the
corporation have for health and safety. The Joint Health and Safety committee
or the Health and Safety Representative, has a role to play by monitoring the
internal responsibility system.
a copy of the act is available for the York University Department of Occupational Health and Safety Web site(www.yorku.ca/dohs) . any questions regarding
specific details of the OHSa should be direct to the Department of Occupational
Health and Safety

theatre

design

technology

S U M M E R

2008

sponse is required. Communication is an important
part of our safety training, and teaching students to
call out everything, all the time, using the same proper
terms and with proper etiquette, makes a big difference
in maintaining a safe working environment. The following conversation (with minor variations) would be typical in our proscenium theatre:
"Lineset 23 coming in."
"Thank you."
"Pipe is yours."
"Thank you, Lineset 23 going out."
"Thank you."
This leads some of our first-year students to assume that we are running the most polite theatre crew
in history. It may not be true all the time, but the more
experienced staff and students are willing to let that image ride until first-year naivety wears off.
Safety Gear Fashion
Having several performing arts departments that operate differently poses a challenge. Following the Province
of Ontario's Safety Guidelines and Construction Regulations, we require stage crew students to wear steel-toed
shoes during a load-in or fit-up. It seems a no-brainer,
but since many students will not ultimately continue in a
production program and some take only a very limited
number of first-year assignments, requiring expensive
steel toes for all 175 students needs a strong rationale.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2008