Safety Issues
|
Professional Development Sessions:
Adding excitement to science class 
Learn More... |
Safety Issues Safety concerns are the most important part of my job, so I appreciate that concern whenever it is raised.
I have been presenting the Science in the Movies program for 12 years, over a hundred shows a year, without a single safety incident.
Every aspect of the show has been inspected and approved by Fire Marshall's office of each city in which we perform, including the Memphis, Nashville, Houston, Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Laredo & NYC Fire Marshall's offices.
I am licensed by the federal government through the BATF to work with the materials used in the show, and by the Fire Marshal of the State of Texas.
Science in the Movies also carries a 5 Million dollar insurance liability coverage policy.
The flame used in the demonstration is limited to 12 inches tall, and eminates from a non-flammable stainless steel structure. It's use is governed and operated under the guidelines of National Fire Prevention Association NFPA 160. NFPA 160 activities are permitted by the State Dept of Insurance, and are covered under my Flame Effect Operators License, TX-FEO-028.
Other special effects in the Science in the Movies show are governed under the guidelines of NFPA 1126, and are permitted under my Texas Special Effects Operators License, TX-SEO-184.
The smoke in the show is not smoke, as would be created by combustion, but is actually a simple vapor, created by heating a fluid past its boiling point, using a commercial theatrical fog machine.
As a precaution against false alarms, I recommend that venues contact their alarm monitoring stations, be they private firms, central office or the ISD, and alert them that you will be hosting a program that uses a theatrical smoke machine during the hours scheduled for the performance. Ask them to confirm any triggered alarm verbally before initiating a response.
All of the rigging used during the show is in compliance with industry safety guidelines, several of which I authored. Our rigging is all designed and built with a minimum 5 to 1 safety rating, meaning that the equipment is designed to withstand 5 times the load that will be put on the system.
Every piece of equipment used in the presentation is checked twice before each performance.
Many of the details of regarding safety are discussed with the audience during the show, as part of revealing the role of safety-planning in movie stunts.
This program has been reviewed and approved by school boards across the country, and was chosen as a model of safety in science instruction.
Feel free to browse the list of schools at which we've appeared, which you can find on my website, and contact anyone you like as a reference. Please call me if you need contact info for the most recent references in your area.
Please call or write with any questions or concerns you have regarding safety aspects of the show. I can be reached 24 hours a day to answer any safety concerns at the number below.
Sincerely,
Steve Wolf
512-653-9653
©2003 Science in the Movies. All rights reserved.
Phone: 1-877-STUNT-FX (1-877-788-6839)
E-mail: info@scienceinthemovies.com
Science in the Movies is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving Science Educators