Prohibited, Supervised and Unsupervised Activities

The following policies apply to all production work performed at the Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies Black Box or in association with the Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies Program.  This list is meant to serve as a base line and should not be considered all-inclusive.

General Safety Policies
  • Students must wear hard hats, closed-toed shows, and appropriate clothing for strike and load in, and appropriate PPE for all production work.
  • Students may not use the ladders or scaffolding without receiving training from Undergraduate Production or the Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies Technical Director.
  • STUDENTS MUST NEVER WORK ALONE IN THE THEATER.

Prohibited Activities

Scenery/Construction

  • Unsupervised use of stationary or hand held power tools with the exception of jig saws, hand-held drills, screw guns, and orbital sanders.
  • Use of personal (non-Yale-owned) power tools.
  • Construction of audience structures higher than 24 inches without permanent 42-inch guard railings.
  • Construction of audience structures higher than 8 inches without intermediate steps.
  • Use of more than two intermediate steps without permanent 42-inch hand railings.
  • Use of any non-swaged termination in structural cables (such as cable clamps or clips).

Rigging

  • Flying or rappelling
  • Use of any overhead lighting, sound, or projection equipment without safety cables.
  • Use of any non-swaged cable termination (such as cable clamps or clips).
  • Use of lighting towers or booms over 10 feet without top support.
  • Use of any lighting tower or boom without sand bags or other weight at bottom.

Electrical

  • Installation, alteration, or repair of theatrical lighting or sound equipment without pre-approval from the Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies TD.
  • Use of devices, fixtures, switches, outlets,. etc., that are not UL listed.
  • Use of flat (EIC) extension cords (“zip cords”).
  • Unsupervised wiring of devices, fixtures, switches, outlets, etc.
  • Use of effects that produce electrical discharges, sparks, etc.

Fire Safety

  • Use of flammable materials or processes. This includes:
    • Use of combustible fabrics, woods, papers, etc. without flame retardants
    • Aerosol spray paints, sealers, and adhesives.
    • Open flames, pyrotechnics, flash powders, smoking materials, etc.
  • Use of aisles less than 44 inches wide and exit doorways less than 30 inches wide.
  • Blocking or impeding aisles or doorways.
  • Use of seating rows with fewer than two seats, rows with one aisle and more than 7 seats, rows with two aisles and more than 14 seats; and any seat not secured to adjacent seating.
  • Use of seating risers without 1 ½-inch chair guards.
  • Tampering with, disabling, or blocking any fire protection device or sign.
  • Attaching anything to sprinkler pipes or sprinkler heads.’

Production

  • Leaving any theater, shop, or rehearsal space unlocked while unattended.
  • Working alone in any theater, shop, or rehearsal space.
  • Working in a theater, shop, or rehearsal space before 8:00 am or after midnight.
  • “Standing-room” audience at rehearsals, staged readings, or performances.
  • Photo calls between last performance and strike.
  • Parties or receptions in theaters, shops, or rehearsal spaces.

Supervised Activities

Scenery/Construction

  • Use of hand held power tools. This includes:
    • Cordless tools greater than 18v
    • All pneumatic tools
    • Routers
    • Circular saws
    • Miter saws
    • Table, track or panel saws.
  • Construction and installation of all structural elements, including platforms and stairs.
  • Construction and all installation of guard railings.
  • Construction of doors and windows.

Rigging

  • Installation and strike of all rigging systems and components.
  • Use of Nicopress and hanging hardware.
  • Ladder and scaffolding work over 15 feet.

Production

  • All load-in calls, performances, and strikes.
  • Certain technical rehearsals, as determined by the Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies TD.
  • Rehearsals involving staged combat or the use of stage weapons, as determined by the Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies TD.

Unsupervised Activities

Scenery/Construction

  • Use of the following hand held power tools:
    • Cordless drills
    • Jig saws
    • Orbital (“palm”) sanders
    • Glue guns
  • Materials acquisition and delivery, as coordinated with the Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies TD.
  • Scenic painting.
  • FR treating of materials.
  • Installation of windows, doors, moldings, etc.
  • Set dressing.

Rigging

  • Installation of lighting on booms under 10 feet and on floor mounts.
  • Operation of rigging systems and components, as approved by the Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies TD.
  • Ladder work under 15 feet, as approved by the Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies TD.

Production

  • Technical rehearsals, as approved by the Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies TD.
  • Sign-out and sign-in of lighting, sound and prop equipment.
  • Clean-up of theater, shop, rehearsal and green room spaces.