# High School Scene Shop



## peacefulone61 (Oct 4, 2011)

I am A TD in a Boston area private school. I was wondering if anyone knew of any specific regulations or guidelines for operating a shop in a High School with Students. I have my own rules and SOP's that I have used for the past 5 years and never had a problem, I based them on all the other shops I worked at growing up. But I am curious if there are formal standards that I should also be adhering to as well. Thank you for any help you can offer.


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## Van (Oct 4, 2011)

Being in a High School you are going to have a lot different standards and practices than I will. I would suggest consulting with your schools Shop teacher< if they have one> as well as the Insurance provider for the school. Might seem weird but they may already have guidelines in place and they may be willing to modify or re-codify them to fit a Scene Shops needs. As long as your looking check out Yale University. they have most of their shop standards and practices posted on teh net and they make a great starting place.


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## derekleffew (Oct 4, 2011)

If you don't have it already, have your library purchase the book _Practical Health and Safety Guidelines
for School Theater Operations 
Assessing the Risks in Middle, Junior and Senior High School Theater Buildings and Programs_ by Dr. Randall W. A. Davidson, aka "Dr. Doom."


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## josh88 (Oct 4, 2011)

I'm at a school like yours not too far away. All of our power tools stay locked up, and the saws and such have boxes and locks over their plugs. I have a set of trusted students that I have personally observed and deemed safe, they'll get access to the stuff you can lose a finger to, but with me still in sight. there's more in place, but that's the quick run down of the real big issues we have.


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## Sony (Oct 4, 2011)

peacefulone61 said:


> I am A TD in a Boston area private school. I was wondering if anyone knew of any specific regulations or guidelines for operating a shop in a High School with Students. I have my own rules and SOP's that I have used for the past 5 years and never had a problem, I based them on all the other shops I worked at growing up. But I am curious if there are formal standards that I should also be adhering to as well. Thank you for any help you can offer.



We just went through the whole process of setting up our new high school shop last year. The two biggest things were the safe storage of flammable liquids and our new table saw was required by Massachusetts law to be a SawStop. We were required to get a flammable liquids storage cabinets for all of our flammable liquids. I.e. Spray Paints, Stains, paint thinners....etc. We have two of them but we only have enough flammable liquids for one of them to be useful, the other has become latex paint storage. We are also required to keep MSDS sheets of all hazardous substances we have. (we have two of these http://www.labsafety.com/justrite-s...gal-capacity-65h-x-43w-x-34d-yellow_s_143074/ )

The purchase of a brand new table saw meant we were required to purchase a SawStop table saw, Massachusetts education laws regarding shop area's and construction programs require the any new table saws to be SawStop's or equivalent safety type saws. http://www.sawstop.com/products/industrial-cabinet-saw/

Those were the only two major requirements that we found when setting up our new shop.


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## Footer (Oct 4, 2011)

Sony said:


> We just went through the whole process of setting up our new high school shop last year. The two biggest things were the safe storage of flammable liquids and our new table saw was required by Massachusetts law to be a SawStop. We were required to get a flammable liquids storage cabinets for all of our flammable liquids. I.e. Spray Paints, Stains, paint thinners....etc. We have two of them but we only have enough flammable liquids for one of them to be useful, the other has become latex paint storage. We are also required to keep MSDS sheets of all hazardous substances we have. (we have two of these JUSTRITE® Standard Door Sure-Grip® EX Flammable Liquid Safety Cabinet, 90-gal. Capacity, 65"H x 43"W x 34"D, Yellow, 143074 | Lab Safety Supply )
> 
> The purchase of a brand new table saw meant we were required to purchase a SawStop table saw, Massachusetts education laws regarding shop area's and construction programs require the any new table saws to be SawStop's or equivalent safety type saws. SawStop - The World's Leading Maker of Safe 10-inch Table Saws » Industrial Cabinet Saw
> 
> Those were the only two major requirements that we found when setting up our new shop.


 
Where is the law stating it has to be a saw stop? I'm not doubting you, but I would like to see how it is written. MSDS and flamable materials cabinets are standard issue with any fire code/OSHA standard nationwide from education to general industry. Eye wash stations and first aid stations are usually a must as well. Paint traps are also great if you can get one installed. You should also have a flammable rag storage can that gets emptied daily. When I taught in Atlanta I had no state mandated standards that I could find.


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## Sony (Oct 5, 2011)

Footer said:


> Where is the law stating it has to be a saw stop? I'm not doubting you, but I would like to see how it is written. MSDS and flamable materials cabinets are standard issue with any fire code/OSHA standard nationwide from education to general industry. Eye wash stations and first aid stations are usually a must as well. Paint traps are also great if you can get one installed. You should also have a flammable rag storage can that gets emptied daily. When I taught in Atlanta I had no state mandated standards that I could find.



I don't think it says SawStop specifically, it probably says something like "All table saws must be equipped with an emergency blade stopping device in case of contact with the blade" or something to that effect. Up until just recently, the SawStop was the ONLY table saw that complied with that regulation. 

I know there is a law because we originally wanted a regular Delta Industrial table saw but the school said we had to have a SawStop due to regulations, so they bought us a 5hp 3-phase SawStop Industrial Cabinet Saw. I like it so far, very nice saw, haven't tripped the brake yet but we are super careful about not sawing through metal stuff.


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## milan (Oct 5, 2011)

Hello friends,

I've just become a High School TD myself. It's a bit of a change from a small theatre where myself and one assistant built the sets, did rigging, and focused lights! I have to say that SawStop looks very nice. I walked into my shop this year and am working to upgrade our band saw and table saw as both are at least 12 years old and in need of parts that are not manufacturered anymore. Luckily, I can goto a local sears supply to get them usable again. 
I have found the toughest part is to stay on task when trying to watch multiple students working on a set. This year is the first time the returning students were actually able to build. Apparently, during the previous year, they just got the previous TD tools, screws, and such as needed. Has anyone else done a stagecraft class that way? Is it worthwhile to do that and give the students smaller hand creation projects so they don't use powertools?


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## chausman (Oct 5, 2011)

milan said:


> Is it worthwhile to do that and give the students smaller hand creation projects so they don't use powertools?


 
In my opinion, that is _almost_ defeating the purpose of a lot the stagecraft class. 


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## mstaylor (Oct 5, 2011)

Operating a scene shop should be no different than a school shop or votech. Yes, there are dangers and they need to be watched but there is no reason to make them toolless. I learned to use a lathe, scroll saw and table saw in eigth grade. Our local votech school builds a house each year, there are welding classes and auto tech. My son graduated HS with a welding certification. Why would a school think theatre students couldn't do the same thing.


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## Footer (Oct 5, 2011)

mstaylor said:


> Operating a scene shop should be no different than a school shop or votech. Yes, there are dangers and they need to be watched but there is no reason to make them toolless. I learned to use a lathe, scroll saw and table saw in eigth grade. Our local votech school builds a house each year, there are welding classes and auto tech. My son graduated HS with a welding certification. Why would a school think theatre students couldn't do the same thing.


 
Agreed. When I taught the students did everything, including welding. If a 16 year old can drive a car, I think they can run a circ saw.


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## Blacksheep0317 (Oct 6, 2011)

Also consider labor laws in your state. Some states have limits on certain tools for certain age groups. For example, students in my state under 16 are limited to cordless tools 14v or less.


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## Footer (Oct 6, 2011)

Blacksheep0317 said:


> Also consider labor laws in your state. Some states have limits on certain tools for certain age groups. For example, students in my state under 16 are limited to cordless tools 14v or less.


 
Could you cite that?

All I see is this: http://www.labor.ny.gov/workerprotection/laborstandards/workprot/stprhboc.shtm

Circ saws and band saws are prohibited except in a school if your at least 16.


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## chausman (Oct 6, 2011)

Footer said:


> Could you cite that?
> 
> All I see is this: State Prohibited Occupations - New York State Department of Labor
> 
> Circ saws and band saws are prohibited except in a school if your at least 16.


 
We've got WAC 296-125-030

> (13) Occupations involving operation or repair, oiling, cleaning, adjusting, or setting up of power-driven circular saws, band saws, and guillotine shears.



But, just like what you found,

> ...are prohibited for all minors, provided that exemption will be allowed from subsections (5), (8), (9), (11), (13), (15), (16), and (23) of this section when the minor is participating in a bona fide cooperative vocational education program...


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## mstaylor (Oct 6, 2011)

Blacksheep0317 said:


> Also consider labor laws in your state. Some states have limits on certain tools for certain age groups. For example, students in my state under 16 are limited to cordless tools 14v or less.


 
That has to be the dumbest law I have ever heard. That is a law written by people that don't have a clue about the abilities of kids. We can not wrap kids in bubblewrap and protect them from everything and then expect them to be adults at 18. Kids will succede, they will fail, they will get hurt playing sports, it is called life and growing up. The idea that we can't allow kids to fail is stupid.


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## tabithakeeling13 (Oct 6, 2011)

When I was in HS, our TD was always bouncing from the costume shop, to the light/sound booth, to the shop. We had student foremans, who ran the shop and helped to teach the underclassmen. Hell, if you were a foreman, the TD required you to take a Red Cross First Aid class. 

I agree, most laws are written by people who have never worked with kids and have no idea of their abilities. In my four years in the scene shop in HS, we never had a major accident. Ever.


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## zmb (Oct 6, 2011)

Blacksheep0317 said:


> Also consider labor laws in your state. Some states have limits on certain tools for certain age groups. For example, students in my state under 16 are limited to cordless tools 14v or less.


 
And cordless tools are safer because?


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## chausman (Oct 6, 2011)

zmb said:


> And cordless tools are safer because?


 
They can be used EVERYWHERE! Instead of just in a shop. [/sarcasm]

My serious guess is that they would assume cordless tools would have less power then corded ones. I don't personally think that is necessarily true though. 


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## Chris15 (Oct 7, 2011)

The way I interpreted that was that they weren't allowed to use say 18v or 24v cordless tools rather than neccessarily saying they could not use corded tools...


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