Fire Safety in theatres

[Davo]

Went here Sat night with the wife:

http://www.theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk/aboutus/


cursory glance shows no detection, no smoke seals, ply panel 'fire' doors , one MoE


asked floor manager about detection, saiod we have a good alarm system (oh no you don't )


Presumably listed so would there be restrictions?


davo

[kurnal]

Many theatres have beam detection at high level and duct detection in air handling plant, often 2 stage staff alarms with lights or pagers to alert staff to enable them to move to action stations thus preventing panic. But there is surely something!

Means of escape - there must be a choice of routes Davo. Most theatres are listed buildings but have adequate fire precautions. Allthose I have worked in have not been far off the mark though many have old fire doors and even older emergency lighting.

 

[Tom Sutton]

To add to Kurnal's list, are you saying they didn't have manual call points and a voice alarm. A common arrangement was the alarm would be raised by MCP or a detector in unoccupied areas. This would activate the staff alarm and the staff would go to their appointed locations. Then manager would stop the show, then make an announcement for the audience to leave the premises by the nearest available route. Has this concept changed?

[colin todd]

Kurnal, the concept of panic was discredited in the 1980s, and was found  by the committee of inquiry into Stardust to be something you should not worry about in fire warning.  I keep thinking to myself that Big Al is a sensible chap who has moved with the times since leaving Debyshire F&RS to their own devices, and then you go and spoil my illusion.

Tam , yes I am afraid that things have moved on since the old concept of the theatre manager coming up the trapdoor otherwise only used in the Christmas pantomime and saying dont panic Mr Mannering.

[kurnal]

Tom the guidance may have moved on to recommend voice alarms but I wager the majority of traditional theatres have not.

I have no professional experience of London Theatres but as far as I am aware most traditional provincial theatres have not yet moved away from the stage announcements as you describe them. The only major change is widespread use of radios to inform staff, a minority have the benefit of addressable alarms which greatly reduces the investigation time and often a non BS 5839 compliant PA wrongly figures in the emergency plan. Mr Sands is alive and well and still co-habiting with Colonel Bogey.
The Public still need to be firmly directed as to which exit to use as otherwise they will still all try and exit via the foyer.

[Dinnertime Dave]

Kurnal, the concept of panic was discredited in the 1980s, and was found  by the committee of inquiry into Stardust to be something you should not worry about in fire warning.

Well that has reassured me then.

[Tom Sutton]

Maybe the trapdoor CT but DCLG guide does not agree with you, they accept an updated version, but the principle still the same.


 

[Psuedonym]

I look after a "Royal" nameless theatre which has the minesweepers' galley (and that's from experience i.e. they are tiny) , sorry Restaurant Kitchen, in the basement with the Ansul automan (control panel) sat inches above a busy fryer - with no nozzle protection.

A very bizzare kitchen.......

[jayjay]

I have looked after a Theatre Royal for a number of years now and was previously involved with it in my FB licensing officer days.

It is a grade 1 listed building but this has not stopped upgrading all fire safety systems to current standards, granted a lot of this was done during refurbishments. It has a full safety curtain (iron) proscenium sparge pipe, and haystack lantern light providing smoke ventilation above the stage. Fire separation is by a minimum of FD30s or FD60s where applicable.

The alarm system is an addressable system and the two managers on duty carry pagers that display the address of the device activation.  The sounders are delayed for three minutes to allow for a staff search and then will operate if no action is taken. Evacuation will initially be aimed at a prompt by a manager addressing the public from the stage but could be initiated by the alarm sounders (regrettably not voice)

The majority of the upgrading was achieved by means of the required fire risk assessment which identified where fire safety standards could be improved and this was accepted by the management.

With regards the concept of panic mentioned by Colin the real issue is human behaviour in fire and crowd movement. I think the study talked about panic being thought of as mass irrational behaviour, however if suddenly faced by a serious fire then it is perfectly rational for a crowd to turn and move quickly, away the issue is can they move quickly and safely through the available exits. (I hope this does not start a massive discussion on panic) there plenty of studies available on this.

For interest the last major restoration costing millions of pounds was replacing gilt work on plaster, chandeliers, original pattern wallpapers, colour scheme and seating.

After the work I was asked to inspect and update the FRA. On walking into the auditorium it was immediately obvious there was not one exit sign visible from any area. Great embarrassment by the architect, during the refurbishment the original illuminated emergency lighting had been removed and some one had forgotten to mention that they were to be replaced. Consequently the plasters had done there job filled in all the holes and then the decorators papered the walls with the expensive hand made original pattern wall paper.

I really felt sorry for the director when I said illuminated signs must be provided on top of his new wallpaper.

So it is possible to get old listed buildings brought up to current standards it just requires a sensible fire risk assessment, a management that cares and of course money.