Stage hands and A/V tech's at Church on the Move are required to adhere to OSHA guidelines. Here are just a few of the items in Production Manager, Andrew Stone's list of stage hand essentials.
Protective Gloves:
“Really nice gloves for the stage are not cotton work gloves that you use in the garden––that's not the same thing. You want something with some grip that you can still use your fingers with.”
Protective Eyewear:
“We put a lot of stock in eye protection––and that's something we picked up from the OSHA guidelines that we're all supposed to be following. If you're using any kind of a grinder or a saw or a drill or anything like that, we need you to put on protective eyewear.”
Sharpies, Anyone? “
I think that everyone should have Sharpies on them. You could probably be made fun of for that, but it's a tool that you use all day. [If you need to] label something, and you've got a Sharpie on you, go for it––you're the king of the world.”
A Sharp Knife:
“Not everybody has to, but I like to make sure, if you're so inclined, to have a proper knife and know how to use it. I don't mean a switchblade or a Bowie knife; I mean a proper pocketknife that's sharp and has an edge, and that can help you facilitate what you're doing. A Leatherman is very, very helpful. The guys here who are career technical guys, most of them have their own personal Leatherman that they wear all the time. They're very well-prepared because it's got so many tools on it that they can do just about anything that they need to do.”
Know Your Tape:
“I don't ask everybody to carry this, but I ask everybody to carry the knowledge of what tape does what. There's artist tape, electrical tape, gaff tape, spike tape, glow tape. They're all different, they all have a different practice, so I just like to make sure people know what each is.”
A Real Flashlight––Not an iPhone:
“Get a flashlight and put it in your pocket. They make them so tiny, with awesome little LED lights, you don't even feel it. It'll clip in your pocket and it's there. Every time I'm anywhere around production I have a flashlight with me so that you can see in the dark, and you can stay safe, and you can use it to signal someone. That's a non-negotiable for me. A lot of what we end up doing is in the dark, so you need something. Some of the guys opt for the headlamp-style [flashlights]. For the guys who are working with two hands all the time, that's awesome. [But] it kind of messes up my spiked hair, so I don't usually wear one.”
Andrew Stone is production manager at Church on the Move in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
