The Safety Prevention in the Theater Management and Operation

WU Sheng

（Beijing Poly Theatre Management Co., Ltd., Beijing 100027, China）

The Safety Prevention in the Theater Management and Operation

WU Sheng

（Beijing Poly Theatre Management Co., Ltd., Beijing 100027, China）

Take the operation and management experience as examples, the author discussed how to formulate a set of complete and effective equipment management system, operating rules, procedures and standards, as well as the safety prevention and control measures, according to the national or trade related laws and regulations and combining the operation and performance characteristics of theatre management, in order to ensure the safe operation of theatre and stage equipment.

new media; performance concepts; performance forms; performance vocabulary; interactive experience

Safety is a top priority for theater construction and operation performance management. Security is directly related to the success of the management and operation theater. In recent years, with the rise of the theater building, security management performances and cultural activities, prosperity, safety equipment and facilities for theater, stage equipment and facilities to run more and more aroused widespread concern industry and society. I have engaged in theater, stage equipment and facilities management operations and theater construction engineering consulting for many years, gained some experience and lessons learned. Now on theater construction and performance management and operation safety prevention stage equipment and facilities, the following three aspects to talk about a few experiences, and share.

1 Safety control measures stage equipment

Theatre equipment and facilities including the stage machinery, stage lighting and stage three professional audio and video systems. Among these three subjects, safety of stage machinery and equipment is more prominent. For this country and industry-related departments for theater stage machinery systems and equipment safety formulated a number of strict standards and specifications, such as "Stage Machinery Stage Equipment Safety Requirements", "Equipment under Stage Safety Requirements", "Stage Equipment Acceptance Test Procedures", "Stage Machinery Equipment Operation and Maintenance Guidelines" and so on. With these advances in the implementation of industry standards and technical norms, in recent years, new domestic theaters’ on-stage and under-stage machinery safety has improved greatly improved. Safety control measures are more reasonable, perfect, to better protect the stage using the function and the safe operation of machinery and equipment and facilities requirements. But part of the stage set-up and design of machinery and equipment in the secondary aspects of security measures, yet to be further improved. Since the construction of interface design interface or other reasons are not clearly demarcated, and the industry has not yet attracted the attention of design units. These risks to the management and operation theater stage machinery equipment use and performance brought some insecurity, or even result in a major security incidents to lift orchestra pit as an example:

1.1 The three main problems in auxiliary safety protection measures of lifting Orchestra

(1)When orchestra pit is used as a temporary auditorium, orchestra pit lift table and desk lip presence 600mm-700mm between holes along, could easily lead to the orchestra pit provisional front row auditorium audience, especially children accidentally dropped and broke, causing the accident. Recommended lip lift station near the edge (three faces) the addition of pluggable security fence to ensure the safety orchestra pit in front of the audience. This security fence should be the stage machinery design and construction units design and construction.

(2)When the orchestra rises to the stage plane, Taiwan lip orchestra pit under a fixed table (channel) security and safety interlocks on both sides out of the orchestra pit access door. Recommended for orchestra rose to the stage rises or countertop, under the orchestra pit in Taiwan lip fixed table (channel) near the edge of the orchestra pit pluggable additional safety barriers, access roads on both sides of the actors door interlock device installed, make sure cast and crew out of the orchestra pit and safe operation.

Music library pool temporary seats should also be set pluggable safety railing. (Example 1)

Recommendation: Taiwan lip orchestra pit under a fixed table (channels) and music library pool safety fence temporary seat appropriate for the decoration design,construction units responsible for the design, construction, mechanical interlocks Stage design, construction unit design, installation.

(3)The orchestra fell security orchestra position, because at present the majority of the new music theater sets lip fixed pool table (channel) from the stage of the table are in the clear height of about 2400mm-2500mm, net height of the theater here, even about 2800mm, the actual performance use, between the orchestra pit lift station and lifts, lift orchestra pit will form a large height difference between the station and the station lip fixed table under the orchestra pit. This elevation should cause the actor playing time, accidentally dropped, although not cause this highly actor falls, but will affect the normal performance of the instrument or cause damage. Recommendations should take additional security measures in the edge of the orchestra pit lift, to avoid such accidents fall.

1.2 Other problems in auxiliary safety protection measures is not in place

Here we list only orchestra pit lift supplementary safety measures to be further improved problem. In the current domestic new construction or have been built in part in the theater opened, there are still a lot of one kind or another supplementary safety measures in place of the phenomenon. Such as: the stage lateral layers Ma did not install skirting fenders, Main stage curtain lifts and fire counterweight fence is not installed, The main stage station warehouse layers of the channel is not installed protective railings, The orchestra pit to the stage on both sides of the auditorium at the safety railing channel is not installed, Stage lifts the safety latches and other settings and is valid.

These have a design problem, there is construction and installation of quality problems, there are missing issues, as well as design and construction interface issues are not clearly demarcated. These problems gave the safe use, management and operation of stage machinery brought a lot of hidden dangers, they hope to attract attention to the construction units and design units.

In summary, the stage machinery stage, auxiliary equipment safety is very important, directly related to the safe management and operation performances and stage equipment, to be further refined and improved. It should arouse the stage technology design units and construction units’ attention, avoid these secondary safety measures in place designed or omissions to the safe use, management and operation of machinery and equipment and stage performances bring hidden dangers or cause an accident.

2 Use and safety prevention of stage equipment management

Proper use of stage equipment, rules and regulations and establish contingency plans and performance, loading station, effective prevention and control of security during defeating, each stage of the system is to protect the safe operation of equipment and smooth performance; and also prevention to avoid accidents, especially major an important responsibility to ensure the safety of the accident. I would like to talk about use and safety prevention of stage equipment management in the following aspects.

2.1 The establishment of management systems

To ensure the safe operation of the theater and stage equipment, theater managers to be based on national or industry-related laws and regulations, combined with the theater management operation and performance characteristics, the development of equipment to establish a complete and effective management system, procedures, work procedures and standards and safety prevention and control measures. Beijing Poly Theatre Management Co., Ltd. now operates more than 40 national governing seat theaters, concert halls and other venues, each year more than 5,000 performances in recent years. Beijing Poly Theatre Management Co., Ltd. to ensure the safety and smooth operation of the show's stage equipment and facilities, make perfect dozens equipment safety management system, procedures, work procedures and standards and safety control measures. Safety management systems, procedures, work procedures and safety control measures establishing these make use of equipment and facilities management of the theater, more standards, norms, orderly and efficient equipment and facilities to ensure the safe operation and performance of safety.

These safety management systems include:“Stage machinery operation and management system”, “Stage lighting equipment operation management system”, “Stage audio and video equipment operation management system”,“Control room / room management system”, “Equipment warehouse management system”, “Stage-gate topmanagement system”, “Stage curtain management system”,“Performed own lighting safety management system”, “Stage temporary electricity inspection system”, “Stage interim distribution cabinet management system”, “Stage wooden floor management system”, “Field security managementsystem to replace the light bulb”, And so on, a total of twelve.

Procedures and standards include: loading stations, rehearsals, performances, defeating work procedures and standards, procedures and standard sound system, a digital mixer systems work procedures and standards, the stage Communications systems work procedures and standards, video surveillance systems procedures and standards, audio and video production system working procedures and standards, build sound device system variable work procedures and standards, lighting control procedures and standards, dimmer cabinet work procedures and standards, procedures and standard stage lighting, signal transmission network with standard procedures, field lights, task lights work procedures and standards, temporary power distribution box stage work procedures and standards, procedures and standards CG work, track lights work procedures and standards, procedures and stage machinery console Standard, lift orchestra pit work procedures and standards, the stage curtain working procedures and standards, stage fire curtain working procedures and standards, acoustic shell work procedures and standards, procedures and standards of electric boom, boom manual work procedures and standards, elevating Taiwan work procedures and standards, car turntable work procedures and standards, side car station work procedures and standards, the ballet stage work procedures and standards, the ice wagon with standard procedures, the band platform, chorus station work procedures and standards, flight-agency working procedures standard, side lighting hoists work procedures and standards, lighting boom (lighting bridge) procedures and standards point hoists work procedures and standards, proscenium work procedures and standards, the power switch cabinet work procedures and standards, maintenance, commissioning procedures and standards, stage machinery fire safety procedures and standards common thirty-six.

At the same time improve the operation of various types of recording equipment and facilities of the stage, basically reaching a quantitative assessment of management requirements. Such as: equipment operation record table, control room / computer room and out the registration form, the Treasury out of the registration form, the registration form items out of storage, equipment rental registration form, shift records. So a total of six.

Here are some of our equipment and stage performance management, security, prevention and control measures and practices:

The electrical censorship: For important performances (two more than defending performances), large-scale performances, a greater amount of electricity (more than 300kW electricity performances) performances, we require the performance side is entrusted to professional seized power unit for electrical equipment seized power stage;

Another example is the lighting, especially troupes own safety inspection lamps and cables, etc (Example II).

These measures and practices are to effectively ensure the normal operation theater equipment.

2.2 The show, mounted units, equipment inspection system during defeating and emergency response plans.

The establishment and implementation of an effective management system is to ensure the safe operation of stage equipment and facilities. so that the stage equipment and facilities management more standardized operation. But the show, loaded station, patrol checks during defeating, emergency response and effective security incident prevention and control is more important. It that is the test of the safety management system, the implementation of the procedure, but also real-time monitoring of equipment and facilities during the running of the show, it can be run in the early detection device hidden dangers, in time, to avoid all types of accidents, in particular of major safety accidents. Beijing Poly Theatre Management Co., Ltd. according to security management requirements, developed a safety inspection and emergency handling mechanism and a set of performance for the period. In 2009, we also established a 1-2 times a year to implement Poly Theatre safety management, quality management system of safety inspection and safety inspection system into theaters this annual performance management assessment, effective guarantee of safety equipment operation and emergency response in case of incidents. (Example III, for example four or five, for example)

During a performance troupe mounted units, since the check is not fine, the troupe comes lamp connector failed, illegal use of thin lead wire lashing tail light line, resulting in thin lead wire and socket contact ignition, resulting in distribution cabinets out of the gate, had not resulted in more accidents, but there are significant security risks;

In an opera house, accident happened due to the back light bulb caused by quality problems

Lifts falling accident at Guizhou Bijie Theater has some reasons of the accident, although there are design,construction and installation quality and other technical reasons, there are some problems in the use and management of devices. Such as: theater technician know lifts of dynamic and static load? Why overload to use? If the chorus takes on two sets of the lifting platform, the elevator falling accidents might be avoided.

3 The maintenance and technical training of stage equipment and facilities

3.1 Development of equipment and facilities maintenance and overhaul system and training programs

Stage equipment and facilities on a regular basis daily, annual repair and maintenance of professional training and technical personnel, the system equipment is in proper working condition in time is to ensure that the basic conditions for the safe operation of equipment and facilities and stage performances in normal use and powerful guarantee. Beijing Poly Theatre Management Co., Ltd. has developed a set of stage equipment and facilities daily, annual, medium and large repair and maintenance repair plan, schedule annually based on performance schedule regular theater equipment and facilities will be 1-2 times centralized maintenance and overhaul work, and improve stage equipment and facilities to ensure intact, safe and normal operation.

Beijing Poly Theatre Management Co., Ltd. stage equipment and facilities repair and maintenance program and records include: annual maintenance plan stage machinery, lighting annual maintenance plan, stage audio and video equipment annual maintenance plan, stage machinery and equipment inspection records, stage lighting equipment inspection records, inspection records audio and video equipment stage, stage machinery and equipment maintenance records, maintenance records of stage lighting equipment, stage audio and video equipment maintenance records, maintenance records and stage machinery equipment, stage lighting equipment maintenance records, maintenance records audio and video equipment Stage and so on.

3.2 Develop stage technician training programs

Organize regular annual stage technician expertise, practical operation and sudden failure of emergency equipment, and constantly improve the basic theoretical knowledge and technical personnel, professional skills and deal with emergency situations in the ability to exclude faults, avoid improper disposal or due to human Factors leading to the occurrence of safety accidents. (For example six, seven, for example)

Examples of VI: theaters in the side of a cage when the lights malfunction, technicians check troubleshooting, since the systems are not familiar with the equipment, this equipment brake man mistakenly opened, causing side hoists fall, had not resulted in personal injury, but caused damage to the imported moving light hanging at cage bottom.

Examples of VII: A theater accident due to equipment emergency switch is pressed by mistake. Therefore a foreign show was delayed more than 30 minutes. This brought some negative impact on the theater reputation.

Wu Sheng：

Chief Engineer of Beijing Poly Theatre Management Co., director of Engineering and Technology Commission at Beijing Poly Theatre Management Co., Ltd., chairman and director of stage technicians at Poly (Beijing) Theater Construction and Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd., standing member of Venues Equipment Professional Committee, China Entertainment Technology Association, editor of the Entertainment Technology. In 1978 he began working in professional sound reinforcement and stage technology management. He participated in the Beijing Workers Stadium sound reinforcement system expansion, the China International Cultural Exchange Center sound reinforcement system, the Beijing Poly Theater renovation project and many other projects. He participated in the Beijing Asian Games closing ceremony, the 50th anniversary of the National Party and other kinds of performances in sound reinforcement work of more than a thousand times. He also participated in the technical consulting work for National Grand Theater, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Dongguan Yulan Theatre and dozens of theater projects. He also participated in more than ten countries and industry standards review and the development of the standard "Stage Machinery and Equipment Operation and Maintenance Guidelines" organized by the Ministry of Culture.

（編輯 杜 青）