For theatre equipment manufacturers
CCQS can provide safety advice to manufacturers of theatre equipment. We are experts in CE marking requirements and can provide on relevant Directive and standards, as well as requirements for marking, documentation and user instructions. If you are designing new stage machinery or a rig for a special performance, it is advisable to engage our advice at an early stage of design to ensure that safety is built in right from the start.
Like any other workplace, theatres and performance venues are subject to workplace regulations, performers can be a special case and higher levels of risk can be mitigated by the performer’s skill but theatre crew and other staff are in a working environment and are subject to the same requirements as those working outside the theatre. It must be recognised that performance venues present very different working conditions to industrial or commercial premises; although the environment is generally relatively benign, there are unusual challenges such as working in the dark, in cramped conditions and at height.
Risk assessment is a fundamental part of a modern approach to Health and Safety. Done properly, a risk assessment is a useful tool which helps you to identify hazards and risks and allows you to prioritise improvements to give the greatest benefit for cost.
CCQS can carry out documented risk assessments of theatre backstage areas, new fixed installations or arrangements for particular shows or sets.
Read more about risk assessment here
Although a CE marking is generally perceived as a safety marking, it is in fact a Free Trade marking. The intent of CE marking Directives is to ensure that the same product can be offered for sale anywhere in the EU by ensuring that technical requirements are the same for all EU member states. If a product carries a CE marking, the manufacturer or importer is claiming access to the EU market because the product meets all the relevant requirements of all relevant Directives. CE marking Directives cover a variety of different types and aspects of equipment. The current list is Not absolutely all products are covered by CE marking Directives but, those which are not still fall within the scope of the General Product Safety Directive. This places a duty on manufacturers and importers of equipment to ensure that these products are safe in normal and intended use. CE marking Directives contain Essential Requirements which are the fundamental basis of conformity. Technical details of how the requirements can be met are provided by EN harmonised standards. For most equipment, manufacturers can make their own assessment of whether their equipment meets the requirements of the Directives but in some Directives or for some classes of equipment it is necessary for a Notified Body to inspect the items and give some kind of certification. In theatres the equipment most likely to require third party certification is equipment used for lifting persons more than 3m in the air. Equipment for lifting performers is excluded from this requirement, but it is still subject to due dilligence and risk assessment. Equipment used for lifting crew and technicians does require third party certification. CCQS is a Machinery Directive Notified body and so is able to carry out that certification.
Authoritative opinions from an accredited expert can be helpful in providing a co-ordinated safety overview of a project. Authoritative opinions can also be useful in the event of contractual disputes or disagreements.
Although there are a variety of standards and codes of practice for theatre and performance venue equipment, there is more national variation than in some other fields such as manufacturing.
Expert advice can help you ensure that your equipment meets all relevant standards and requirements, avoiding last minute problems or challenges.
For more about standards and codes of practice click here.