SCENARIO
A popular theatre is located in a city centre. It presents a variety of productions throughout the year.
It employs 65 workers across several production and hospitality departments.
The stage manager’s (SM’s) role is to manage the teams involved in the day-to-day running of the
theatre’s productions, from rehearsals through to performances. This includes managing the
following workers:
- sound technicians - who prepare and manage sound equipment;
- lighting technicians - who are responsible for rigging, operating, and maintaining stage lighting
equipment; - stage technicians - who build, maintain, and move props and scenery;
- wardrobe workers - who create, alter, and mend costumes.
The SM is also responsible for the health and safety of these workers. The SM is very proud of the
theatre’s productions. They expect workers to produce the best productions possible with the
available resources. This often involves working outside of their contracted hours to complete
individual tasks.
Recently, the lead lighting technician resigned, after a disagreement with the SM about working
outside of their contracted hours. Unfortunately, this was during a six-month run of a production.
However, the lighting for this production was already computer-programmed, so there was minimal
extra work required. The lead lighting technician had trained the only other lighting technician, a
young apprentice, to operate the lighting system.
During an evening performance of this production, the apprentice noticed that a section of the
overhead stage lighting was not working. They reported this to the SM who said “you are in charge
of lighting, so fix it by tomorrow”. The apprentice explained that it needed to be repaired manually,
but they had not been trained to do this yet. Frustrated, the SM shouted at the apprentice that they
would deal with it in the morning.
Contractor visit
The next day, the SM researched local lighting contractors and began telephoning to enquire about
whether a contractor would be available that same day to carry out the lighting repair. Out of the five
contractors that they spoke to, only one of these was available before that evening’s performance.
During the short telephone call, the contractor confidently assured the SM that they could complete
the work. What the contractor failed to report, however, was that they had never worked on theatre
lighting before.
The contractor arrived at the theatre and told a worker that they were there to carry out a lighting
repair. The worker found the SM backstage to inform them of the contractor’s arrival. The SM told
the lighting technician apprentice to co-ordinate with the contractor.
The apprentice showed the contractor to the stage area. Using a nearby control panel, the
apprentice lowered the motorised rigging that held the lighting in place above the stage. They
showed the contractor which section of lighting was not working and pointed out the nearby storage
area where replacement parts were kept. The apprentice was then called away to carry out another
task by the SM.
After examination of the faulty lighting, the contractor identified that the LED lights were overheating
and activating the electrical protection that switched them off. The reason for them overheating was
that one of the metal fans for cooling them, in the overhead rigging, was not cooling efficiently. The
contractor found a replacement fan from the storage area, removed the faulty fan and quickly
installed the replacement. Once finished, they used the control panel that they had seen the
apprentice use to raise the motorised rigging back into place. The contractor asked a nearby worker
to let the SM know that they had finished the repair and had to leave for another job
Lighting equipment accident
That evening, the stage and backstage areas were busy with workers preparing for the evening
performance. Workers from all departments were constantly walking across the stage area to
complete tasks. Two of the stage technicians were manually moving large props into position on the
stage.
At the same time, the apprentice was carrying out pre-show checks of the lighting equipment. When
operated, the previously-faulty lighting appeared to be working correctly. However, after being
switched on for a few minutes the replacement cooling fan became loose and fell from the rigging.
Unfortunately, the fan struck one of the stage technicians on the head. The injured worker was taken
to hospital, and the other stage technician was visibly distressed. Despite this, the SM instructed all
production workers to continue preparing for the evening’s performance.
As a result of the serious injury, the stage technician never returned to work.
Local labour inspector visit
Following the accident, a local labour inspector schedules a visit to the theatre. On the day of the
visit, they are greeted by the SM. The inspector asks for the accident and incident records, and risk
assessments for the production areas and activities. They note that there are very few accident and
incident records, despite the file dating back five years. They also note that the risk assessments
were reviewed over six years ago.
The inspector asks to see the scene of the recent accident. They ask the SM to lower the lighting
rigging. They examine the lighting section that was repaired by the contractor and take photographs
of the rigging and surrounding area. They identify that most of the lighting equipment looks worn and
is covered in dust. The SM explains that they have not had time to replace the lead lighting
technician, but the apprentice has been able to cover basic work tasks
The inspector asks to speak to all of the production workers privately. When speaking to the
apprentice, the inspector learns that they are not fully qualified. The apprentice feels that they are
under pressure to work without a lead lighting technician. They felt that their job would be at risk if
the SM thought they were being difficult.
After speaking to the rest of the production workers, the inspector identifies that workers often feel
pressured to bypass the set processes and carry out tasks beyond their skill levels. The inspector
also discovers from workers that this was not the first time that overhead equipment had failed and
fallen onto the stage. The inspector questions why these near misses were not recorded in the
accident book. They are told that the SM discourages recording such events if no one was hurt. As
this is a respected theatre in the industry, most workers do not want to risk their jobs by angering the
SM.
At the end of the visit, the inspector tells the SM that the overhead lighting is not to be used until
further investigation and issues an order requiring alterations. The SM objects, saying that it is
needed for the production, but the inspector confirms that the notice will stay in force. Copies of
maintenance procedures, accident records and incident records are taken away by the inspector.
Following the visit, the inspector decides that even though accidents involving the overhead lighting
are infrequent, they pose a significant risk. They arrange for a second visit to the theatre, with a
theatre lighting specialist, to further inspect all the stage lighting equipment. Once carried out, this
confirms that the replacement cooling fan had not been installed correctly. They also find other stage
lighting equipment has not been maintained properly, with some parts worn, and others showing
signs of deterioration. As a result of the investigation, the theatre, the SM, and contractor are
prosecuted and fined.
Task 1: Approach to selecting contractors
1 Comment on why the SM’s approach to selecting a contractor is inadequate. (14)
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant
information from the scenario.
Task 2: Identifying the influence of job factors
2 What job factors of the lighting repair task are likely to have contributed to the
accident? (10)
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant
information from the scenario.
Task 3: Labour inspection
3 Comment on how the local labour inspector exercised their powers