Contrary to popular belief (myth), there is not a 'theatre exemption' in the Building and Fire codes. In many circumstances these codes are actually MORE stringent than 'normal' commercial or residential building codes. This is for good reasons: Production spaces are packed with people and they all need to be able to rapidly exit the building in the event of a fire. The Building and Fire codes are written to minimize the spread of smoke and fire, and maximize the rate of egress for people. This translates to the fireproofing requirements that have been in the codes for the last 100 years (you can't say "Oh, that must be new, I've never heard of that before". You may have elected to ignore it, but it is not new. Do a bit of research on the tragedies of the Iroquois Theatre Fire, The Station Nightclub Fire, and the Kiss Nightclub Fire - the mistakes made that lead to these events are commonplace in every theatre I visit, and particularly prevalent in High School theatres.
Every theatre production department should have a hard-copy of the current NFPA 101 Life Safety Code and the NFPA 70 National Electric Code. (Resource: www.nfpa.org) These are your basic minimum requirements for safe construction and operations. You can and should do more.
Having a copy of the current (2010) ADA Guidelines is also helpful. The basic requirements for accessible construction outlined in the ADA apply to everyone, not just those that are wheelchair bound. Most building codes have incorporated all of these requirements into their text, but this is a nice concise summation for reference. These requirements applied to the backstage and set construction can make for safer stairs, hand railings, and ramps where your performers and technicians work.
With regard to the structural requirements - the reason these codes were developed were to ensure that floors, walls, ceilings, and guard railings don't collapse under loads. Do you recall the stage floor collapses in High Schools over the past two years? These were the direct result of theatre staff believing they could defy the laws of physics and build substandard structures. The result was that many students were injured unnecessarily. Similarly, stairs and railings must be constructed so they do not sag, bow, or give-way under use.
Yes, most building code inspectors and Fire Marshals do not have a good understanding of theatre production needs, but more often than not, it is the theatre person that has a lesser understanding of what is required to construct and operate a theatre in a manner that is code compliant.
Work with them to get a better relationship over how you ply your craft, but don't go to the meeting empty-headed - get the code books and read them before you challenge their expertise. You may find that they are correct and you will have to re-think your past approaches to set construction and budgeting. Just because 'that's the way we've always done it', doe not mean it was correct - it just means that you got away with it, and hopefully no one had a career-ending injury as a result of it.
Build your personnel safety and fire safety into your sets, don't try to scab them on as an afterthought. Plan and budget for these elements from the get-go.
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Erich Friend
Theatre Consultant
Teqniqal Systems
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