The presentation discussed proper lighting for various work areas in a theatre setting. It emphasized the importance of sufficient, glare-free lighting to minimize safety hazards. Specific lighting recommendations were provided for backstage areas, the forestage, catwalks, shops and stages, and dressing rooms. The presentation stressed using lighting that provides accurate color rendition, high brightness levels, low glare, energy efficiency and low maintenance.

1. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Fumbling In The Dark
-or-
How to NOT go bump in the night.

2. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Presented by: Erich Friend
www.TheatreSafetyBlog.blogspot.com

3. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Work /Task Light Areas
Backstage / Run-of-Show
Forestage / Apron
Catwalks
Shops & Stage
Dressing / Make-Up Rooms

4. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
The BIG Picture
What are we trying to do?
Goals: • Light what we want to see.
• Don’t light what we don’t
want to see.
• Minimize Light Spill.
• Minimize Glare.
• Appropriate Colors.

5. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
The BIG Picture
How Much Light?
OSHA 1926.56(a) Table D-3. :
• General construction area lighting . . . . . . . . . . .5 fc
• General construction plant and shops (e.g. . . .
mechanical and electrical equipment rooms,
carpenter shops, rigging lofts and active store
rooms, . . . and workrooms .) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 fc
• First aid stations, infirmaries, and offices. . . . . 30 fc

6. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
The BIG Picture
How Much Light?
IESNA Lighting Handbook 9th ed, 2000:
• Chapter 3 – Vision and Perception. Low light visual
processing and the threshold for seeing and
reacting to light stimuli.
• Chapter 19 – Industrial Lighting. “Physical hazards
exist in manufacturing processes, so lighting is of the
utmost importance as a safety factor in preventing
accidents.”

7. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
The BIG Picture
How Much Light?
IESNA Lighting Handbook 9th ed, 2000:
• Chapter 29 - Emergency, Safety, and Security
Lighting - Under the Lighting for Safety
subheading: “Safe conditions are essential in any areas
where there are people, and the effects of lighting on safety
must be considered. . . . . Any factor that aids visual
effectiveness increases the probability that a person avoids
an accident or detects the potential cause of an accident
and acts to correct it.”

8. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
The BIG Picture
How Much Light?
IESNA Lighting Handbook 9th ed, 2000:
• Chapter 29 - Emergency, Safety, and Security
Lighting - “Figure 29-2 lists illuminance levels regarded
as absolute minima for safety alone. They are provided for
general guidance and should not be interpreted as
regulatory requirements.”

9. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
The BIG Picture
How Much Light?
IESNA Lighting Handbook 9th ed, 2000:

10. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
The BIG Picture
How Much Light?
IBC 2003 – Section 10o6.2 – Illumination Level:
The means of egress illumination level shall not be
less than 1 foot-candle (11 lux) at the floor level.

11. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
The BIG Picture
How Much Light?
The Bottom Line:
Reading or general tasks: 35fc
Detailed tasks: 50-100fc
Lots of light is a good thing!
You can almost always turn it down
if you really think it’s too bright.

12. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
The BIG Picture
Light is like Sound
Good: • Information you want to hear
- Speech, Music, Machines
Bad: • Stuff you don’t want to hear
- Noise, Bad Music, Someone
Else’s Conversation

13. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
The BIG Picture
Light is like Sound
Improve the Signal–to-Noise Ratio
Signal Noise
What you What you Don’t
want to see. want to see.

14. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
The BIG Picture
GLARE is Visual Noise
You typically don’t You typically want
want to see the to see the objects
light source. of your interest.

15. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Backstage / Run-of-Show
Typically
Blue Lights
Clip Lights
• Hot
• Fragile
• Don’t stay-put
• Ungrounded
• Thin cord

16. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Backstage / Run-of-Show
Typically Blue Lights
Clip
Lights

17. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Backstage / Run-of-Show
Typically Blue Lights
Clip
Lights
( Only
$75 US! )

18. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Backstage / Run-of-Show
Typically Blue
Lights
Clip Lights
And Scoops

19. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Backstage / Run-of-Show
Typically
Blue
Lights
Clip
Lights
&
Scoops

20. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Backstage / Run-of-Show
Typically
Blue Lights
Scoop
Lights

21. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Backstage / Run-of-Show
Typically
Blue Lights
Scoop?
/ Clip?
Lights

22. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Backstage / Run-of-Show
Typically
Blue Lights
[Explosion-Proof!]
Globe Lights
• Glare
• Little Useful Light
• Washes Wall

23. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Backstage / Run-of-Show
Typically
Blue Lights
[Explosion-Proof!]
Globe Lights

24. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Backstage / Run-of-Show
Typically
Blue Lights
[Explosion-
Proof!]
Globe Lights

25. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Backstage / Run-of-Show
Typically
Blue Lights
[Explosion-
Proof!]
Globe Lights
• Ungrounded when
unscrewed

26. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Backstage / Run-of-Show
Typically
Blue Lights
Track Lights
• Not Industrial
Strength

27. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Backstage / Run-of-Show
Typically Blue Lights
• Battery Powered
• Sticky Tape Mount
• Minimal Glare Shield
• Aimable

28. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Backstage / Run-of-Show
Typically Blue Lights
Can
Lights

29. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Backstage / Run-of-Show
Typically Blue Lights
Special • Partial shielding
LED’s • LED based
• Dimmable
(Blues System)
• Too
much
Wall
Wash

30. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Backstage / Run-of-Show
Typically Blue Lights
Mini
Ellipsoidal • LED Lamp
Lights • Shutters
(Times Square • Dimmable
LED21P)
(Apollo LED 50) • Zero Glare

31. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Backstage / Run-of-Show
Typically Blue Lights
• Makes nice
LED Mini pathways.
Ellipsoidal • Stays off
Lights walls.
• Long life.

32. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Forestage / Apron
This is a dangerous place!
• Falls into Orchestra Pits
• Falls into Front Aisle
• Falls due to Rotating Footlights
• Falls due to BLINDING GLARE
• Falls due to Poor Contrast

33. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Forestage / Apron
This is a
dangerous
place!
White
Strips
(Tape)

34. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Forestage / Apron
This is a dangerous place!
Photolumenescent Strips (Glow Tape)

35. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Forestage / Apron
This is a
dangerous
place!
LED’s
-or-
Pea
Lamps

36. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Forestage / Apron
This is a dangerous place!
EdgeLyteTM
(Directional LED)

37. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Forestage / Apron
This is a dangerous place!
White Strips (Internally Illuminated)

38. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Catwalks
Are frequently visible from the audience.
• Masking-off the back side is easy, but
• What about the front side?
Need to place lights so they won’t be in
the line-of-sight to the audience.

39. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Catwalks
Hard Cut-off Light
Photoluminescent
Rope / Strip Light
Paint /Tape

40. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Shops & Stage
What Goes On Here? Design & Creation!
For What? The Stage!
Needs: Color Correctness
Brightness
Low Glare
Energy Efficiency
Low Maintenance

41. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Shops & Stage
Color Correctness:
Color Rendering Index (CRI - Ra)

42. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Shops & Stage
Color Correctness:
Color Rendering Index (CRI - Ri)

43. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Shops & Stage
Color Correctness:
Color
Rendering
Index (CRI)

44. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Shops & Stage
Color Correctness:
Color Temperature?
What are you matching to?
• 2700-2800K Realistic Incandescent
• 3200K Ideal, Photography, TV Studio
• 5400K Digital TV
• 6400K Digital Cinema

45. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Shops & Stage
Color Correctness:
Color Temperature?
What are you lighting with?
• 2700-2900K long-life Incandescent
• 3200K Studio Lamps
• 5400K-7000K Arc Lamps in Spotlights,
Moving Heads, etc.
LED’s can be anything.

46. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Shops & Stage
Brightness:
ies recommends: ~50-100 fc
~550-1100 lux
The more detailed the task,
the more light is needed to
reduce eye strain.

47. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Shops & Stage
Low Glare
Use Dark or Non-reflective baffles in
fixtures to reduce off-axis emissions.
with not

48. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Shops & Stage
Low Glare
Use Glare Shields
to reduce off-axis emissions.
without with

49. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Shops & Stage
Energy Efficiency
• Incandescent light is mostly heat.
• HID is slightly better.
• Fluorescent is usually better.
• LED’s can be much better.
Daylight CCT is good for general work,
but not so good for matching to stage
lights.

50. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Shops & Stage
Low Maintenance (labor cost $$)
Incandescent life: ~500-3000 Hours
Fluorescent life: ~3000-8000 Hours (lamp)
~10,000-20,000 Hours (ballast)
HID / MH life: ~5,000-15,000 Hours (lamp)
~10,000-20,000 Hours (ballast)
LED (L70): ~50,000-80,000 Hours (lamp)
>100,000 Hours (power supply)

51. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Dressing / Make-Up Rooms
Just a unique type of ‘shop’.
With:
• Electrical Hazards
• Thermal Hazards
• Space Constraints
• Color Concerns

52. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Dressing / Make-Up Rooms
Fire, anyone?

53. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Dressing / Make-Up Rooms
Fire, anyone?

54. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Dressing / Make-Up Rooms
Electrocution, anyone?

55. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Dressing / Make-Up Rooms
Electrocution, anyone?

56. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Dressing / Make-Up Rooms
Exploding Glass or Melting Spooge, anyone?
NEC: 520.72 Lamp Guards. All exposed incandescent lamps
in dressing rooms, where less than 2.5 m (8 ft) from the
floor, shall be equipped with open-end guards riveted to
the outlet box cover or otherwise sealed or locked in place.

57. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Dressing / Make-Up Rooms
Color
Correctness:
Wall, Counter,
& Ceiling
finishes can
make a
difference.

58. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Dressing / Make-Up Rooms
Color Correctness:

59. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Dressing / Make-Up Rooms
Heat:
77 lamps x 60W
4,620 Watts
99% HEAT
LED:
77 lamps x 7.8W
600 Watts
(LEDnovation 93 CRI 2700K)
Extra Electrical Draw from Air Conditioning Due to Incandescent Lamps:
~15,000 Watts

60. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting

61. Teqniqal Systems, LLC Work / Task Lighting
Teqniqal Systems
Contact Information:
• Me Erich Friend
• Phone: 817.249.4024
• Skype: teqniqal
• Web: www.teqniqal.com
• Blog: www.TheatreSafetyBlog.blogspot.com
• E-mail: efriend@teqniqal.com
• Mail: P.O. Box 126287
Fort Worth, Texas 76126