Storage is rarely treated as a safety topic in performing arts programs. It should be. A theater facility’s storage areas — for scenery, props, costumes, electrical equipment, rigging hardware, and chemicals — concentrate combustible materials, fall hazards, ergonomic risks, and chemical exposures in spaces that are often poorly maintained, inadequately lit, and infrequently inspected. Storage practices directly affect fire risk, emergency egress, worker injury rates, and the facility’s compliance with fire and safety codes. This article provides the framework for managing storage safely across a performing arts facility.

Always be sure to keep the area immediately in front of all electrical panels free and clear of storage items. Electrical rooms should never be used as storage.

General Storage Principles

Housekeeping and Organization

The most fundamental storage safety principle is maintaining order. Disorganized storage creates physical hazards (items falling from shelves, trip hazards from items on the floor, blocked egress) and management hazards (chemicals stored incorrectly, incompatible materials mixed, items placed beyond safe reach without an appropriate means of access). A storage area should have a defined place for every category of item, and items should be returned to those places consistently. This is not merely an organizational preference: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.22 (Walking-Working Surfaces) requires that all places of employment, including storage areas, be kept clean, orderly, and in a sanitary condition. A storage area filled with random items on the floor, blocking aisles, and obscuring exit pathways is an OSHA violation.

Aisle and Egress Clearance

Storage areas must maintain clear egress pathways at all times. NFPA 101 (Life Safety Code) and OSHA 29 CFR 1910.36 (Design and Construction Requirements for Exit Routes) require that egress pathways be unobstructed and maintained clear at all times. Specific requirements:

• Minimum aisle width: 28 inches for single-person egress; 36 inches where two people may need to pass; 44 inches where carts or equipment are moved through the aisle.
• Exit door clearance: the area in front of any exit door must be kept completely clear of stored items.
• Sprinkler clearance: where automatic sprinklers are installed, stored items must be kept a minimum of 18 inches below the sprinkler deflector. Items stored higher than this obstruct the sprinkler’s discharge pattern.
• No storage against walls adjacent to exits: materials placed against exit doors or exit corridors obstruct emergency egress and are prohibited.

Shelving and Racking Safety

Shelf Load Ratings

Every storage shelf unit has a rated load capacity, either on a per-shelf basis or a total-unit basis. Exceeding this rating risks shelf collapse, which can injure anyone who is retrieving items or who is below when the shelf fails. Required practices:

• Obtain and document the rated capacity of every shelf unit in every storage area.
• Label each shelf with its maximum load. This makes it practical for anyone storing items to know when the shelf is approaching its limit.
• Do not add shelves to existing units beyond what was designed by the manufacturer — additional shelves may increase the load on the vertical members beyond their rated capacity.
• Anchor tall shelf units to the wall to prevent tipping. Racking units more than 4 feet tall should be anchored, and all units more than 8 feet tall must be anchored in most jurisdictions.

Storage Height and Access

Items stored above shoulder height create ergonomic hazards (reaching overhead to retrieve heavy items) and fall hazards (items dislodged during retrieval falling on the person below). Requirements:

• Store frequently used items at accessible height (between knee and shoulder level).
• Store heavy items at waist height — never overhead.
• Provide an appropriate means of access (rolling step stool, library ladder, or small stepladder) for items stored above shoulder height. Never climb on shelving to reach items.
• Store the lightest items at the highest positions.
• Protect high-shelf items from falling: use lip rails, shelf stops, or bins for small items that could fall and injure someone below.

Scenery and Set Piece Storage

Theatrical scenery creates specific storage hazards because of the size, weight, and irregular shapes of many pieces:

• Flats stored vertically: flat scenery is commonly stored upright on its edge. Flats stored upright must be secured against tipping — either in a designated flat storage rack that prevents them from falling forward, or lashed to the wall or a structural frame. A flat that tips over can injure anyone standing in front of it.
• Three-dimensional pieces: three-dimensional scenic elements must be stable when stored. Irregular pieces that cannot stand on their own must be supported or laid on their side. Never leave a three-dimensional scenic piece in a position where a bump or vibration could cause it to fall.
• Hanging scenery: where scenic elements are stored on overhead battens (keeping them out of the floor area), the batten must be rated for the load, the scenery must be properly secured to the batten, and the batten must be stored at a height that prevents contact with pedestrians passing below.
• Stacking: scenery should not be stacked higher than the stability of the stack allows. A stack of soft goods (drops, legs, borders) can topple if stacked too high or if the bottom item is pulled out.

Chemical Storage

Chemical storage in performing arts facilities is governed by OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200), local fire codes, and the requirements of NFPA 30 (Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code) for flammable liquids. Key chemical storage principles:

• Segregation: incompatible chemicals must not be stored together. Acids and bases must be separated. Oxidizers must be separated from flammable and combustible materials. Reactive chemicals must be isolated from general chemical storage.
• Flammable liquid limits: NFPA 30 and local fire codes limit the quantity of flammable liquids that may be stored outside of an approved flammable storage cabinet in any single area. Common limits are 10 gallons for Class I flammable liquids (flash point below 73 degrees F) outside a cabinet. Amounts above the code limit must be in an approved flammable storage cabinet.
• Container integrity: chemical containers must be in good condition, tightly sealed, and clearly labeled with the original product label or an equivalent identification. Do not transfer chemicals to unlabeled containers.
• Safety Data Sheets: SDS documents for all stored chemicals must be accessible to anyone who may use them. An SDS binder or electronic SDS system must be maintained and kept current.
• Temperature control: some chemicals must be stored below a maximum temperature (peroxides, aerosols, some adhesives). Storage rooms containing temperature-sensitive chemicals should not be in areas subject to significant heat buildup.

Electrical Equipment Storage

Theatrical lighting instruments, cable, dimmers, and related electrical equipment are typically stored in large quantities. Electrical storage hazards:

• Damaged equipment segregation: instruments or cable that has been removed from service due to damage must be physically segregated from serviceable equipment and tagged to indicate they are out of service. Storing damaged equipment alongside good equipment is a recipe for it being put back into service inadvertently.
• Cable storage: coiled cable must be stored so that it does not develop permanent kinks (avoid very tight coils, especially for thicker cable). Cable stored on pipe racks or spools is preferred over cable dropped in piles.
• Battery storage: lighting systems that include battery-operated units (LED wireless fixtures, portable emergency lighting) require batteries to be stored appropriately. Do not leave batteries in fixtures that will be stored long-term — this allows them to discharge and potentially leak.
• Ventilation for charging: battery charging stations produce hydrogen gas during charging (for lead-acid batteries). Charging areas must be ventilated. Lithium-ion batteries can experience thermal runaway if damaged; do not charge damaged batteries in enclosed spaces.

Rigging Hardware Storage

Shackles, wire rope, slings, turnbuckles, and other rigging hardware must be stored in a way that preserves their condition and allows inspection before use:

• Prevent corrosion: store hardware in dry conditions, away from chemical exposure. Lubricate wire rope ends and hardware threads before storage.
• Do not co-mingle rated and unrated hardware: rated rigging hardware (with Working Load Limit markings) must not be stored mixed with non-rated decorative or utility hardware that could be confused with rigging components.
• Wire rope storage: wire rope must be stored on its own reel or coiled in a way that prevents kinking. Never store wire rope where it can be driven over or stepped on repeatedly.
• Inspection upon retrieval: always perform a basic visual inspection of rigging hardware when removing it from storage, before it goes to use.

Key Takeaways

• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.22 requires storage areas to be kept clean and orderly. Aisles must be clear: 28 inches minimum for single-person egress, 18-inch clearance below sprinkler deflectors.
• Label every shelf with its maximum load. Store heavy items at waist height, not overhead. Anchor tall shelf units to prevent tipping.
• Flat scenery stored upright must be secured against tipping in a dedicated rack or by lashing.
• Flammable liquids stored outside an approved cabinet are limited by NFPA 30 (commonly 10 gallons of Class I). Quantities above that require an approved flammable storage cabinet.
• Damaged electrical equipment must be tagged and segregated from serviceable equipment immediately.
• Do not co-mingle rated rigging hardware with unrated or decorative hardware.

References

Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (n.d.). Walking-working surfaces. 29 CFR 1910.22. U.S. Department of Labor.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (n.d.). Design and construction requirements for exit routes. 29 CFR 1910.36. U.S. Department of Labor.

National Fire Protection Association. (2021). NFPA 101: Life safety code. NFPA.

National Fire Protection Association. (2021). NFPA 30: Flammable and combustible liquids code. NFPA.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (n.d.). Hazard communication. 29 CFR 1910.1200. U.S. Department of Labor.

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