EM Lighting and other H&S requirements for an 80 seat venue

[JSalisbury]

Hi,

 

The amature group have moved into a small 80 seat venue in a deconsecrated church. The present EM lighting system has not been maintained for many years. What are the usual requirments in such a small venue regardinging emergency lighting and fire precuations?

Thanks

[Brian]

Talk to...

 

a) your local council who will need to issue you with a Premises Licence and

b) your local fire officer who will be able to offer you advice on fire precautions

c) a local electrician who should be up-to-date with what the current rules on emergency lighting are.

[Jivemaster]

It's easiest when your licensing officer prescribes accurately what the want you to have. However they will likely ask for your input too.

[kerry davies]

Combine; http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/fire/firesafetyrisk7 for small and medium places of assembly and

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/fire/firesafetyrisk8 for theatres along with the risk assessment guidance available from the same site. Take advice from your local council licensing officer at; licensing@southoxon.gov.uk 01491 823209 and spend a half-hour at: http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wps/portal/publicsite/councilservices?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=http://apps.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wps/wcm/connect/occ/Internet%2FCouncil+services%2FFire+and+public+safety%2FFire+and+Rescue+Service%2FAdvice+for+businesses%2FRegulations%2F

 

Start with reading ALL the advice and if it is too onerous then ask the council and the contacts at Oxfordshire fire service for advice. Under law it is the venues/groups responsibility and without detailed plans BR members can only give generalised advice, one of you has to be the "responsible person".

[Ynot]

c) a local electrician who should be up-to-date with what the current rules on emergency lighting are.

Except that many (most?) domestic sparks have little or no idea about emergency lighting as applied to a theatre premises and may well stick things quite literally where you really do NOT want (or, if you actually take advice from (b) ) actually NEED them in some cases....

[richard]

I would warn against asking the council to specify the emergency lighting for you to install - they will usually spec far more than is needed, and will spec units which don't give the required control of light (ie light spilling onto stage etc), my suggestion would be to get an entertainment lighting contractor, or a theatre consultant in to specify a system, which you can then put to the council for their agreement.

 

If it is just an 80 seat theatre I would expect you would need a box with running man above each door, plus maybe a maintained downlight over the seating. I would strongly suggest you dont't use plastic bulkheads with a sticker for the running man fittings above the doors as these kick out loads more light than would be needed, instead use a metal box type unit there (bear in mind with these units that you can ND down the front panel while still getting enough light out of the bottom).

 

If you get the emergency lighting install wrong it will ruin your blackouts and UV scenes for years to come, so it is worth spending a little time (and money) on it!