If it is hands on, I see the issues as follows:
1. Inspect the WOOD shop and make sure it is not in violation of the OSHA and other safety regulations you will be teaching. Fix those problems or don't even start a safety class. Nothing is more disruptive to a program than putting people in a shop you have just provided lessons explaining why it shouldn't be used.
2. During proper inspection/remediation of the shop, it should become evident how many people can occupy the shop at one time safely. And that is your class limit.
3. If they also WELD, you need a separate shop for this, PERIOD. No tarping of all the woodworking areas and other nonsense. No separate shop? Point out that OSHA requires 35 feet of distance between sources of welding sparks and combustible materials. If they weld on stage or any other non-shop location, make sure all the on-site OSHA welding precautions are known and can be followed. Oy do I have stories on this.
4. You also need a module on paints. Many "water-based" paints actually contain enough solvents to be an issue around welding and need higher ventilation rates than for woodworking. Ideally, there should be a separate paint shop
5. And spraying requires a spray booth.
Monona
-----Original Message-----
From: Ralph Stuart <ralph.stuart**At_Symbol_Here**KEENE.EDU>
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
Sent: Thu, Dec 1, 2022 9:38 am
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Variation on a FAQ
I have been asked for an opinion on the safe class size for our theater department’s stagecraft class that builds sets for stage productions.
At first glance, this question appears to be even more site specific than the similar question we often see about how many students it is safe to have in a teaching lab. An Internet search did not turn up any resources for answering this question, in terms of either elements of a relevant risk assessment or professional associations with recommendations relevant to this question. I wonder if anyone has addressed this question or knows of good places to look for resources in answering it?
Thanks for any information on this.
- Ralph
Ralph Stuart, CIH, CCHO
Environmental Safety Manager
Keene State College
603 358-2859
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