The Producer/Theatre should pass this information on to their Technical Director, Production Manager, Master Electrician or personnel in charge of smoke, haze, e-smoking and vaping effects.
ALL EQUITY PRODUCTIONS USING SMOKE AND HAZE PRODUCTS MUST COMPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING THEATRICAL SMOKE AND HAZE REGULATIONS.
When creating smoke, haze, and/or fog effects, substances listed in, and in accordance with, the specified limits set forth in the study commissioned by the Trustees of the Equity-League Pension, Health and 401k Trust Funds, entitled “Health Effects Evaluation of Theatrical Smoke, Haze, and Pyrotechnics” (“Study”), may be used:
Quantifiable limits have been placed on a variety of smoke and haze products containing glycol, glycerol, and mineral oil (“Products”). Consequently, Producers/Theatres may use only those Products tested as part of the Study and, further, must use them only within the limits specified. It is important to remember that approved Products include specific combinations of machines, fluids, and attachments (e.g. chiller) that have been expressly designed for those Products. Please remember that no haze, smoke, e-smoking and vaping with glycol and/or glycerol products may be used unless it is included in the current Study. When creating effects with dry ice, liquid carbon dioxide, liquid nitrogen, vaporized water and other substances not listed in the Study, please contact your Equity Field Representative.
In order to ensure compliance, Producers/Theatres must use either the Time and Distance guidelines in the “Equipment-Based Guidelines For The Use Of Theatrical Smoke and Haze” (“Guidelines”) or a portable Air Sampling monitor as outlined in the “Evaluation of Short-Term Exposures To Theatrical Smoke and Haze Air Sampling Protocol” (“Evaluation”):
Please note that air sampling should commence on the first day when the effects are introduced to the stage, but in no event, later than technical rehearsals at the theatre.
COMPLIANCE PROTOCOLS:
A. Time and Distance Charts in the “Guidelines”: No Actor may be staged or choreographed within a distance from a specific product’s release point during the “wait” time listed on the product’s Time and Distance guidelines chart. These “wait” times begin after the effect’s cue has finished. This method can only be used if a Time and Distance chart has been created for a specific machine/fluid/attachment combination in the “Smoke and Haze Testing – Times and Distance Guidelines” list. Please note, the Time and Distance guidelines for a product was created for only one single fog, smoke or haze cue in the entire performance. If the single effect is not the maximum cue length in the chart, an additional effect from this product can be executed in addition to the first cue to equal the maximum cue length (e.g., cumulative cuing).
1st EXAMPLE: If a production is using a Rosco 1600 smoke machine (medium setting) with Stage & Studio fluid and following its specific product Time and Distance guidelines chart in the Study, an Actor should not be situated within 6 feet of the cue release point until at least 80 seconds following the end of the cue release; an Actor should not be situated within 12 to 18 feet from the cue release point until at least 30 seconds following the end of the cue release.
2nd EXAMPLE: If a production is using a Ultratec Radiance Hazer (100 Fan Speed/100 Haze Output) with Neutron/Luminous 7 Haze Fluid and following its specific product Time and Distance guidelines chart in the Study, an Actor should not be situated within 18 feet of the cue release point to have zero “wait” time following the end of the cue release. The maximum release duration in its specific product Time and Distance guidelines chart is 300 seconds. The options are to run one continuous 300 second cue or break the cue up into multiple cues to equal 300 seconds or less for one performance.
B. Using a Portable Real-Time Aerosol Monitor in the "Evaluation": If a production wants to use more than one cue and/or more than one machine/fluid/attachment (same or different products) and/or products that do not have any Time and Distance guidelines, production-specific monitoring will be necessary using the “Smoke and Haze Testing – Calibration Factors” list and the Air-Sampling Protocol. You can also use this production-specific monitoring method if a product has Time and Distance guidelines, but would like to use the effect outside the times and distances listed in the product’s chart.
A portable real-time aerosol monitor provides more flexibility than the Time and Distance guidelines, but it requires the rental or purchase of a monitor. The monitor that was used in the Study is called a personal DataRam Model PDR-1000. Prior to air sampling, the portable monitor should be calibrated with the specific product’s calibration factor to receive accurate results. If an Actor is staged or choreographed to be in a particular location before, during, or after a smoke or haze cue is triggered, the monitor should be placed in that same spot when the Actor would be there in full show conditions (e.g. air circulation that will be run during the show, audience and loading doors are closed, etc.). After recording a sample, the complete data results can be downloaded to your computer from the monitor for review. Multiple samples should be taken to get a median. The data results identify whether or not the limits for glycol (40 mg per cubic meter), mineral oil (25 mg per cubic meter), or glycerol (50 mg per cubic meter) have been exceeded. For multiple products being used, calibrate the monitor for 1.00 (raw data). After taking air samples for a median, calculate each product’s effect separately by multiplying the raw data by the specific product’s calibration factor in the Study. For rental and purchase information of the portable real-time aerosol monitor, contact Pine Environmental at 1-800-301-9663 or log on to pine-environmental.com
1st EXAMPLE: If a production is using a High End F-100 with Atmosphere Cold Flow formula, the calibration factor of 2.41 should be programmed into the monitor for this glycol. If the readings are greater than the 40 mg per cubic meter (permitted for glycols), the cue would have to be reduced or the Actor placed further away until the calibration was 40 or less.
2nd EXAMPLE: If a production is using a Look Solutions Unique Hazer with Unique Fluid and Look Solutions Viper II (NT) with Quick-Fog Fluid simultaneously, the calibration factor of 1.00 (100 will read in the monitor) should be programmed into the monitor for raw data. Take the raw data and multiply it by .30 for the Unique product and do the same for the Viper product by multiplying the raw data by 2.02. If the readings are greater than the 40 mg per cubic meter (permitted for glycols) for either or both products, the cues exceeding the glycol limit would have to be reduced or the Actor placed further away until the calibration for both was 40 or less.
NOTICE REQUIREMENTS:
After the Theatre has undertaken either the applicable Time and Distance guidelines or Air Sampling by monitor during tech, the Producer/Theatre must post on the Actors’ callboard a Notice that states that the Producer/Theatre is in compliance with the Study for the applicable Products. The Notice must be posted and, if any of the cues and/or Products have been changed, it must be re-posted in a timely manner.
Additionally, to ensure compliance with the Study, each Producer/Theatre must notify Equity in writing of its smoke and haze effects and any changes made thereafter per its specific contract rules. There is a smoke and haze report for the Producer/Theatre:
Please refer to the appropriate Equity contractual agreement for further details. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your Equity Field Representative.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
