Practice Physical Distancing (Standing)
This poster was created to remind patrons to remain 2 metres (6.5 feet) apart.
This poster was created to remind patrons to remain 2 metres (6.5 feet) apart.
This poster was created to remind all workers to remain 2 metres (6.5 feet) apart when possible.
This poster was created to remind stage performers to practice physical distancing with one another.
What a wild journey we have all been on since the arrival of SARSCov- 2 in early 2020. Casting my mind back, I remember hearing reports of a deadly virus in China. Shortly afterward I began hearing about its detection in a variety of European countries with it moving swiftly toward us as Spring Break approached.
Will Heller, Safety Advisor, Performing Arts, Actsafe Safety Association
In the early days, not much was known about the virus, and we could not have predicted the effect it would have on the arts and entertainment industries.
The arts and entertainment industries paused following BC’s declaration of a state of emergency on March 17. Those who could work from home did, and those who didn’t have this option were unsure of what to do next. The Actsafe team’s inboxes were filled with questions from the industries wondering if we knew when they were going to be able to resume production.
To field some of the questions and open up the conversation, Don Parman, Actsafe’s Manager for Performing Arts Programs and Services, began holding virtual meetings, What Would Don Do (WWDD), with the performing arts and live events sector. Weekly, Don shared the information Actsafe had on next steps and answered any questions the industry had.
The numbers attending WWDD grew in May following the first public health order regarding the requirement for COVID-19 Safety Plans, which left our industries in a predicament. While the safety plans were required to be posted on websites and be available on site for various regulators, there was no way to tell if the plans were adequate.
Enter Actsafe.
Actsafe launched a COVID-19 Safety Plan review process for both the performing arts and motion picture industries. This all happened at the same time that the motion picture industry, in collaboration with Actsafe, developed a set of guidelines on how to keep productions running.
On the performing arts and live events side, the review process is an entirely confidential and voluntary process. While reviewing the safety plans, we do not provide an approval or disapproval of the plan but strive to provide means for an organization to improve their plans (something promoted now by public health and WorkSafeBC alike).
In the months since those initial requirements, we have reviewed almost 60 unique COVID-19 Safety Plans.
Compared to today, some of the plans in the early days had targets that were quite few and simple. As time progressed the requirements of the orders became more specific, and the release of the “Gatherings and Events Order” was not far behind. The goal posts for meeting the requirements of the orders have moved a number of times–in fact, in November there were updates to the order almost weekly–but we have continued to work hard and seek answers with our industry.
We continue to build our knowledge in the hopes it equips us for putting on shows in the not-too-distant future.
Despite the changes, our sector has remained resilient, adaptive, and creative in its approach. Daily, I see venues, shows, competitions, and event organizers create plans and work on doing their part to reduce the spread – not only among their workforce, but with an everpresent focus on our audiences.
The work is not complete. COVID-19 Safety Plans continue to come in for evaluation some for the first time and many after revision. They still face rigorous review against current requirements of WorkSafeBC and Public Health Orders. The feedback is designed to help you find the answers to questions that may arise based on the requirements of either regulator.
Right now, most events (with few exceptions) are prohibited. While reviewing plans and making plans is an important component to preventing transmission, so is our attention to making those plans come to life at your venue and during your shows. Hopefully one day soon we will be back to putting on shows for in-person audiences.
As the next steps of progression on this journey become clear and a vaccine becomes available, Actsafe will be here to help guide the way by listening to industry and regulators as we develop resources and make suggestions to help you along your safety journey.
Thank you all for your hard work towards safety, and we look forward to a brighter future.
This article was written for our quarterly newsletter, Safety Scene. You can find a link to the full edition below.
Sometimes workers know they have had exposure to a harmful substance at work. Yet they experience no immediate ill effects, as many occupational diseases are latent and only develop if there have been long periods of exposure. Often, symptoms may not present themselves for years.
WorkSafeBC’s Registry allows you to record any workplace exposure you may have had. WorkSafeBC maintain it as a permanent record. It’s an important tool that could help you if you need to file an occupational disease claim in the future.
This poster was created to guide individuals in properly putting on (donning) and taking off (doffing) PPE to avoid any contamination.
The information in this WorkSafeBC booklet applies to a wide range of jobs with exposure to rubber products.
This booklet explains:
Actsafe’s Toolbox Talks are intended as an informational resource for employers and supervisors to use to deliver a safety talk on a specific subject. A toolbox talk can be an effective way of refreshing workers’ knowledge of safe work procedures and sharing information with more experienced workers.
Actsafe’s Toolbox Talks are intended as an informational resource for employers and supervisors to use to deliver a safety talk on a specific subject. A toolbox talk can be an effective way of refreshing workers’ knowledge of safe work procedures and sharing information with more experienced workers.
Mental health is still a difficult discussion. For those that suffer from mental health issues, there is still a stigma attached.
– Don Parman, Manager of Performing Arts Programs and Services, Actsafe Safety Association
My story. I don’t tell it to gain sympathy. I don’t tell it to make a political statement. I tell it to help open the door a little bit further for the next generation of live event technicians.
Most people have no idea that I have struggled with anxiety and depression since my early teens. In my case, it manifested itself as violent physical outbreaks. Thankfully, it was never directed at people but inanimate objects. Hitting, throwing, and breaking was the pressure release valve for anxiety and anger. Throughout my elementary years and into high school I struggled to keep friends and relationships because of my erratic reactions to often simple issues. There was little to no help within the school system in the ‘80s and ‘90s. What little was available was so limited that it never had any effect on my situation.
Skip to March 2, 1996, and while I was coming home from the wedding reception of a good friend, I was assaulted. Blindsided as I exited a 7-Eleven, they knocked me out by kicking my head into the curb outside the front doors as my girlfriend (now spouse of 23 years) watched helplessly from the taxi. No MRI. No follow-up. No counselling.
I was released the next day but the effects would linger for years.
Forward to 2003. Now married with two amazing kids, we realized it was time for help. While my colleagues rarely saw the outbursts, they continued at home. This had to change. Stacey and I embarked on a mission to get me help. This is where things get really interesting. Because I wasn’t a threat to myself, my family, or the public, I was thrown into a system that has no place for me.
Since then I have been on waitlists for over three years for subsidized treatment, only to get one session a month for a maximum of a year. We added to our mortgage to afford paid professional help. That help took six to eight months to find, only to have them decline my appointments because of my insane schedule.
When I finally had benefits through my employers, I was able to utilise the Employee Assistance Program’s counselling services, but again, they were designed for people that were a threat to themselves or others. I attended six sessions and was then referred to a waitlist for further treatment. I’m still looking for help today.
It’s not all bad news. Out of all these experiences, I have found tools that do help. My family being number one, but the general theatre community has been a major resource for me and I, in turn, hope that I can be a resource to the community.
The irony in all of this is that I write this during a pandemic lockdown which has given me a rare opportunity to truly work on my own mental wellness. I do not think I could have written this piece six weeks ago. Exercise, reduced work hours, and more time with my support system (Stacey, Kaleb, and Shelby) has me in a better mind space than I have been in in years which is interesting!
This article was written for our quarterly newsletter, Safety Scene. You can find a link to the full edition below.
Actsafe Safety Association would like to acknowledge and honour that our workplace and classrooms are located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Qayqayt, S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō), Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group, səl̓ilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsleil-Waututh), šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmaɁɬ təməxʷ (Musqueam), and Stz’uminus peoples.
Actsafe is a not-for-profit health and safety association supporting British Columbia’s arts and entertainment industries.
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