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When all your world's a stage |
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In her own words: Janet Sellery, COS Safety Manager of the Year |
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Written by Janet Sellery
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Monday, 03 December 2007 |
Have you ever considered the hazards and controls involved with twelve people in gold flight suits tap-dancing on the wings of an airplane over a cloud of fog? This is an issue that our Technical Director, Elissa Horscroft, had to resolve so that this spectacular moment could be included in the curtain call of My One and Only at the Avon Theatre. Try to imagine a business where these kinds of issues are common.
I am surprised and honoured to receive this award because it shines a spotlight on the health and safety work that has been accomplished, both at the Stratford Festival and within the theatre community. After a critical injury involving an actor in 1995, I became very concerned about prevention and, in 1999, with no formal training, I made the transition from Stage Management to Health and Safety. I began my Occupational Health & Safety Certificate at Ryerson at the same time as I began to develop our program. Little did I know my job would grow to include policy development, emergency procedures, drills, training, claims management, Return to Work, public health, wellness and so on for our staff of approximately one thousand, of which 85% are seasonal contract workers.
In my opinion, the most compelling reason for the arts community to
focus on health and safety is because we have something very special to
protect. Initially, I met with some resistance from people who said
that all of this health and safety would destroy art. "We're special,
we're different, we're not a factory." I agree. We are not a factory,
but it is not acceptable to me that our artists, our craftspeople and
our support staff should be any less protected than a factory worker.
Quality of life for people who work in the arts is of prime importance.
Creating
a program for a theatre involves unique challenges. Artists must take
creative risks every day and they must understand when a creative risk
crosses the line and becomes a safety risk. We live by the saying “the
show must go on” and it can be difficult to get people to speak up
about health and safety concerns. My approach is not to say no to
anything, but to make sure people stop, identify the risk, get
information and support, and take adequate precautions to control that
risk before going ahead. Sometimes the controls will be too expensive
or time-consuming so another option will be chosen.
Along with
the many challenges, I have also been fortunate to take advantage of
opportunities – artists, craftspeople and technicians who have shared
their tremendous expertise, innovation and dedication to their work. I
have a very supportive manager, Shelley Stevenson, Director of Human
Resources, and regular access to both senior management and the Board
of Governors. We have a large, multi-site Joint Health & Safety
Committee which includes dedicated staff members from diverse areas,
including twelve Certified Members.
We have many unsung heroes
who work hard at keeping our theatres safe. Over the past few years,
our Technical Directors, Simon Marsden, Elissa Horscroft and Sean
Hirtle, have become increasing skilled in conducting Risk Assessments
for their productions. The Facilities Department, led by managers Jeff
Heggie and Val Bielecki, keeps on top of hundreds of daily issues, as
well as large capital projects. My favorite moments are when I realize
that someone “gets it” and they are applying health and safety
seamlessly into their daily work and making decisions to protect those
around them.
I have been encouraged by Antoni Cimolino, our
General Director, to share my work with other theatres. This has
included working with Theatre Ontario on an initiative called “To Act
in Safety” and recently, with Theatre Alberta, on Safe Stages. I give
presentations to theatre students at the University of Waterloo, York
University and the National Theatre School and in September 2006, I
presented a session at the CSSE conference in Ottawa.
While I am
a department of one, I am able to hire people for a few hours or a few
months to work on projects; however, most theatres in Canada are
not-for profit and very few have a person to take care of Human
Resources, let alone Health and Safety. The formal health and safety
system can be difficult to navigate and it’s not always clear which
legislation applies to us. Conflicting interpretations are not unusual
and much detective work is required. Once I understand an issue, I’m
glad to share that info with other theatres who can benefit from it.
As
a volunteer on advisory committees for the Workplace Safety &
Insurance Board (WSIB), the Ontario Service Safety Alliance and the
Ministry of Labour Live Performance Advisory Committee, I’ve had a
fascinating opportunity to learn about their different approaches and
priorities. I’ve been fortunate to connect with people who have taken
an interest in our unique challenges and helped me to move our program
forward. These include Mary Wilson in Prevention at WSIB, Jack Minacs
at OSSA and Don Brown at the Ontario Ministry of Labour.
While I
may be one of the only full-time Health & Safety Managers working
in a theatre, I am not the only one striving to improve health and
safety. People at non-profit theatres across the country do this work
as a part of their “real” jobs. We talk to each other, share
information and problem solve together. I have especially appreciated
the help of Diane Gibbs, Human Resources Director, and Paddy Parr,
Operations Director, at the Shaw Festival. They had experienced a
Workwell Audit and have shared resources and ideas with me since I
began.
Our program was developed based on the requirements of
the Ontario Workwell Audit and, after years of dreading the auditors
visit, it was a relief to complete the Risk Management Plan that we
were assigned last January. I worry at times that our quest for
“compliance” may divert attention from the very real hazards that
theatres face which the “system” does not recognize.. The nicest
policy manual in the world means nothing if our prevention efforts are
not directed at our most serious hazards. That said, I have worked
with a Workwell Auditor and two Ministry of Labour Inspectors who have
been willing to look up from their audit checklists and green book to
really try to understand our hazards and the efforts we are making to
control them.
In my view, the theatre, film and TV industry in
Ontario needs a safe work association similar to SHAPE (Safety &
Health in Arts Production and Entertainment) in British Columbia.
SHAPE offers consultants with industry experience, industry-focused
research and publications, as well as a Safety Passport System that
delivers and records training for this highly mobile workforce. OSSA
can help with program basics, IAPA has a superb conference and trade
show and CSAO has an excellent Health & Safety Manual, but our
issues do not fit neatly into any of the existing associations. I look
forward to the day when there will be an organization to support
theatres in creating health and safety programs.
Thank you for
recognizing that this work is important and that we are making
progress. While I still have much to learn and implement, I know that
the arts are vital to the heart and soul of our communities. Together,
we need to take care of the people who devote their live to creating
productions for all of us to enjoy.
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