Attached are a couple of pictures from a Costume Shop in a college I visited. One shows a rolling work table (which could be made in two halves for flexibility), and the other shows a sewing station table.
Other notes for Costume Shops:
Good Lighting: This means 75-100 fc at the work surface to prevent eyestrain, and high color quality (CRI 90+, particularly in the Ra 9 red band) to facilitate color matching under lighting similar to stage lighting. Color temperature (CCT) of the lights should be 2700-3000K (most school fluorescent lights are CRI 70, RA 9 about 3-5, and 4400K CCT), so this means a complete re-do of the lights. Solid state lights (LEDs) can do this and save energy. If your building is older it may have magnetic ballasts for the old fluorescent lights. These flicker at 60 Hz and the stroboscopic flicker can cause the moving parts of saws and sewing machines to appear to stand-still, which can in-turn lead to someone sticking their hand into the moving machinery and being injured. Very modern electronic lamp ballasts use a higher frequency operating rate so this doesn't happen.
Color Neutral Surfaces: This means that the floors, walls, ceilings, and cabinetry should be a neutral white. Take a photographer's 3200K white balance color reference card to the paint store and have them match that. Greens, blues, reds, etc. on the surfaces will tint the reflected light and create a bias in your color selections. Note that the 'Green' painted sewing workstation in the attached picture is not a recommended color finish. The replaceable muslin top on the rolling work table should be bleached muslin so it is white, not the tan unbleached muslin.
Floors: Tiled floors with cushioned floor mats at workstations where workers stand. This is to allow easy clean-up. Pins get embedded in floor carpet and can be hazardous for people kneeling or not wearing shoes (shops are not places to go bare-foot!). Buy a magnetic broom to go over the floor regularly and pick-up dropped pins, tacks, staples, nails, screws, etc.
Power Drops: Note the ceiling power drops in the rolling workstation picture. These can be retractable reel types, too. The idea is to let your tools be powered from above so that you don't have cables running across the floor creating trip hazards.
Fire Retardants: Maintain a stock of fire retardant treatments for your costumes. Different materials require different treatments. Make it a Standard Operating Procedure to treat garments (self-made or otherwise) and keep a record of the treatment for each garment by attaching some sort of a label to each one showing the date and treatment type.
First Aid Kit: Include a first aid kit to treat puncture wounds (needle sticks, pin pricks), cuts (mat knives, scissors), burns (hot glue guns, heat guns), and eye wash (glitter); as well as having students wear eye protection (PPE safety glasses) when anyone is sewing or cutting in the area (pins and tacks can shoot a long way when hit by a piece of machinery).
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Erich Friend
Theatre Consultant
Teqniqal Systems
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