Ensuring Safety with Proper Footwear for Theatre Stagehands

Stagehands are exposed to numerous hazards that can lead to severe injuries. Proper footwear is crucial to ensure safety and compliance with occupational health standards. This post will review steel toe, composite toe, anti-slip, and electrical hazard footwear, highlighting relevant OSHA codes and ANSI standards.

Importance of Protective Footwear

Theatre stagehands engage in tasks that include lifting heavy objects, handling electrical equipment, and moving swiftly across various surfaces. Each of these tasks presents unique risks that can be mitigated with appropriate footwear. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employers must ensure that employees use protective footwear when working in areas where there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects, or objects piercing the sole, and where such employees’ feet are exposed to electrical hazards (OSHA, 2023).

Steel Toe Footwear

Steel toe boots are designed to protect the toes from heavy and sharp objects. These boots feature a steel cap in the toe area that can withstand significant impact and compression. ANSI Z41, which has been replaced by ASTM F2413-18, specifies the standards for protective footwear, including impact and compression resistance. The standard requires that the toe area of the footwear can resist an impact of up to 75 foot-pounds and a compression of up to 2500 pounds (ASTM, 2018).

Composite Toe Footwear

Composite toe boots offer similar protection to steel toe boots but are made from non-metal materials such as Kevlar, carbon fiber, or plastic. These boots are lighter than steel toe boots and do not conduct electricity, making them ideal for environments where electrical hazards are present. The ASTM F2413-18 standard also applies to composite toe footwear, ensuring they meet the same impact and compression requirements as steel toe boots (ASTM, 2018).

Anti-Slip Footwear

Slip-resistant footwear is crucial in a theatre environment where stagehands often encounter wet or oily surfaces. According to OSHA’s Walking-Working Surfaces standard (29 CFR 1910.22), employers must ensure that walking-working surfaces are kept clean and dry to the extent feasible. However, when conditions are not ideal, anti-slip footwear provides an additional layer of protection. The ANSI/ASSE A1264.2-2012 standard specifies the criteria for footwear traction, ensuring that anti-slip footwear meets specific slip resistance requirements (ANSI/ASSE, 2012).

Electrical Hazard Footwear

Stagehands frequently work with electrical equipment, making electrical hazard (EH) footwear essential. EH footwear is designed to protect the wearer from electrical shocks by providing insulation from the ground. According to the ASTM F2413-18 standard, EH footwear must be capable of withstanding 18,000 volts at 60 Hz for one minute with no current flow or leakage current in excess of 1.0 milliampere under dry conditions (ASTM, 2018). This level of protection is critical in preventing electrical accidents in the theatre setting.

These are often required for ETCP Certified Entertainment Electricians while performing critical tie-ins and other electrical tasks.

Conclusion

Ensuring the safety of theatre stagehands through proper footwear is not only a legal obligation but also a moral imperative. Employers must provide and enforce the use of appropriate protective footwear to mitigate the risks associated with the various tasks performed by stagehands. By adhering to OSHA codes and ANSI standards, theatre production companies can create a safer working environment and reduce the likelihood of foot injuries and electrical accidents.

References:

• American National Standards Institute (ANSI) & American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE). (2012). ANSI/ASSE A1264.2-2012: Provision of Slip Resistance on Walking/Working Surfaces.
• ASTM International. (2018). ASTM F2413-18: Standard Specification for Performance Requirements for Protective (Safety) Toe Cap Footwear.
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). (2023). Walking-Working Surfaces and Personal Protective Equipment (Fall Protection Systems), 29 CFR 1910.22.
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). (2023). Personal Protective Equipment, 29 CFR 1910.136.