SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES/POLICIES

SAFETY SHOE POLICY

It is the responsibility of each and every Production Student to provide, for their own personal use, one pair of comfortable, good – fitting, safety shoes or boots for when show calls require foot protection. A student must purchase CSA Z195 Grade 1 shoes or boots and the footwear must display the CSA green triangle patch (indicating both a steel toe and shank) and the white rectangle with the orange omega symbol (indicating electric shock resistance).

Where safety footwear is NOT a requirement, only substantial (leather or leather substitute), closed – body, rubber – soled shoes in good condition shall be considered appropriate

FAILURE ON THE PART OF THE STUDENT TO COMPLY WITH THIS SAFE WORK PRACTICE WILL RESULT IN THE STUDENT BEING REMOVED FROM THE CALL AND MARKED ABSENT, UNTIL THEY HAVE OBTAINED THE REQUISITE FOOTWEAR.

CONTINUED NON – COMPLIANCE WILL RESULT IN THE STUDENT BEING REMOVED FROM THE PRODUCTION, AND BEING PENALIZED ACADEMICALLY.

For all production work, Production student technicians, Resident Staff and Faculty shall wear safety shoes or boots when performing heavy lifting, scene construction, scene changes, large prop construction, materials handling, on – deck rigging, on – deck electrics, audio and projection set – ups, or at any other times a clear hazard exists.

For light props, paint and wardrobe work, and rehearsal and performance duties, substantial (leather or leather substitute) closed – body, rubber – soled shoes are to be worn.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE OPEN – TOED SHOES, SANDALS, LIGHTWEIGHT CLOTH SHOES, OR SHOES WITH MORE THAN A ONE – INCH HEEL, PERMITTED ON STAGE DURING A TECHNICAL PRODUCTION CALL.

HARD HAT POLICY

It is the responsibility of each and every Production Student to provide, for their personal use, a CSA Z94.1 Type 1, Class E or Type 2 Class E hard hat and chin strap.

The colour of the hat is left to student choice. Do not paint or write on the plastic shell. Because stickers and decals may obscure cracks and defects, only one small label, for identification purposes, may be used. Do not use metal labels.

Hard hats are to be worn during all “Construction” calls on deck. Following Ministry of Labour regulations, these calls will include set construction on – deck, set installations, lighting and sound hangs, rigging and drapery work, and all strikes.

In addition to these times, students on deck will wear a hardhat when working as scissor lift spotters during focus calls, or when work is being performed above them.

FALL PROTECTION AND HARNESS POLICY

It is the School’s position that, although students are not covered under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations in Ontario, the working conditions on stage must resemble a professional work environment as much as possible. Therefore all students who work at heights over 3 metres, FOH, Loading Floor, climbing the ladder to grid, and who work in the scissor lift must be trained in Working at Heights and must wear a multi-purpose full body harness.

• As per Ministry of Labour regulations, all students performing work that requires the use of a harness will be required to attend a training session prior to their first harness call
• Training will take the form of a lecture/demonstration/hands – sessions will be delivered by a Ministry of Labour-certified trainer
• Students will have their names recorded upon completion of the session and forwarded to the Production and Operations Manager
• Only students who have attended a training session will be allowed to work at heights; students who have attended external training sessions will be exempted only by submitting written proof of successful completion of a Working At Heights course from an approved training provider within the past 3 years to the Production and Operations Manager
• When using the scissor lift, a harness must be worn and attached to the designated anchor point on the platform at all times.

The School will provide training and a harness to student workers during production calls; however, it is recommended that if a student wishes to pursue freelance employment outside the School, they purchase one of their own. Ideally, every worker requiring a harness on a work site should have a personal one.

GUIDELINES

• Fall Arrest is not Fall Protection
• Fall Arrest is using specialized equipment to protect the worker in the event of a fall
• Fall Protection is choosing the appropriate method of remaining safe while working at a height

Some work in a scissor lift may fall under Industrial regulations on a professional job site and not require the worker to wear a harness, due to the presence of the railing. HOWEVER, the School always defaults to the more stringent Construction guidelines, requiring a harness in a lift.

A harness IS currently required:

• In the scissor lift
• In the front of house cove
• On the loading floor
• At heights under 3 metres if there is a unusual risk of injury
• Up the ladder to grid

A harness is NOT currently required:

• On the catwalks over the auditorium (accessible from the booth)

The Legal Requirements

Ontario Construction Regulations 145/00, s. 13, subsection 26.2 (1) states: “An employer shall ensure that a worker who may use a fall protection system is adequately trained The Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training Regulation (O. Reg. 297/13) requires that employers ensure that workers on construction projects successfully complete a working at heights training program if those workers are required by the Construction Projects Regulation to use specified methods of fall protection (travel restraint system, fall restricting system, fall arrest system, safety net, work belt, or safety belt). The program must be approved by the Chief Prevention Officer (CPO) and must be delivered by a training provider approved by the CPO (sections 6 and 7 of O. Reg. 297/13). Employers must also keep a record of the working at heights training and make it available to an inspector on request (section 10 of O. Reg. 297/13).

Ontario Construction Regulations 145/00, s. 13, subsection 26.2 (1) states: “An employer shall ensure that a worker who may use a fall protection system is adequately trained in its use and given adequate oral and written instructions by a competent person”

At the School, training shall take place as follows:

• a short overview lecture as to why, and under what circumstances, fall protection is to be used
• a practical exercise involving the examination of a harness for defects, followed by instruction in the proper methodology used in putting on a harness
• a practical exercise of hanging in a harness
• a short, written examination

Ontario Construction Regulations 145/00, s. 13, subsections 26.2 (2) and (3) further state: “The employer shall ensure that the person who provides the training and instruction referred to in subsection (1) prepares a written training instruction record for each worker and signs the record”

and

“The training and instruction record shall include the worker’s name and the dates on which the training and instruction took place”

At the School, the instructor shall make the appropriate records and they will reside in the office of the Production and Operations Manager.

Overview Notes

The CSA (Canadian Standards Association) sets the standards in Ontario and all equipment must bear its certification

There are 4 categories of Fall Protection

• Work Procedures

Includes specific, written instructions that outline safe work practices and prohibit other, potentially hazardous practices

• Conventional (or Traditional) Fall Protection Includes guardrails, handrails and ladder cage loops

• Fall Restraint Systems

Includes harnesses with anchors and lanyards that prevent a worker from physically getting to the falling hazard

• Fall Arrest Systems

Includes harnesses with anchors and lanyards that will arrest a fall

If eliminating the hazard is not an option, the above 4 categories shall be used in order with (4) as a last resort

At the School, most commonly-performed work in the scissor lift and in the front of house cove will be covered under “Fall Restraint”, and not “Fall Arrest” procedures, as the worker is prevented from reaching the edge of a falling hazard.

Components of a Fall Restraint/Arrest System

• Anchor
• Connector
• Body Holding Device (harness)
• Self-Rescue or Retrieval mechanism/procedure

The Anchor

• The fixed object or point of attachment for the whole fall arrest system can be floor, overhead I-beam or other permanent structure
• May be engineered, meaning signed off be an engineer, or improvised, meaning created by the worker using slings or cables
• Anchor must have a minimum breaking strength of 5000 lbs.
• Anchorage must be as directly over the work area as possible
• Avoid sharp edges on improvised anchor points – pad if necessary
• Maximum of 90 degrees where the anchor sling eyelets meet

The Connector

• The means of connecting a harness to an anchorage point

• At Ryerson, this consists of 2 parts:
• An auto-locking carabiner or snap hook
• A shock absorbing, webbing lanyard
• Shock absorbers deploy to a maximum of 4 feet and must keep the forces of the fall below 900 lbs

The Harness

• The School uses a multi-purpose, full body harness
• Attachment point for Fall Arrest is always the dorsal D ring at the back
• Ensure a proper fit to prevent injury in the event of a fall
• Always have a partner check your harness and connection after putting it on

Self Rescue or Retrieval Mechanism/Procedure

• All work performed using Fall Protection must take into account rescue operations in the event of a fall
• This must be documented and be available on the work site
• All members of the crew must be aware of the rescue procedures

Summary

• Always inspect every component of your system prior to use
• Any damaged component must be immediately removed from service and tagged
• Always follow manufacturer’s instructions and never alter a component
• Always consult a professional if unsure of proper practice