Inclement or Severe Weather Readiness Plan

Last Updated: September 2026

Inclement or severe weather (e.g., tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, polar vortexes, thunderstorms, etc.) can impact indoor and outdoor theatrical venues across the country and can endanger the health and safety of performers and stage managers. Employers should include an inclement or severe weather readiness plan as part of their Emergency Action Plan (EAP).

1. The plan should cover, but not be limited to, inclement or severe weather preparedness, emergency communications, procedures for evacuation and shelter-in-place protocols, etc. The plan should include assigned roles for personnel when inclement or severe weather is in the forecast and/or occurs, including:

   • who monitors the weather, hazardous travel advisories and weather-related states of emergency

   • who determines that the weather has exceeded the inclement or severe weather thresholds (the levels are described in the additional recommended guidelines below)

   • who makes the call to hold, postpone, or cancel an audition, rehearsal, performance, or other work

   • who communicates with the performers and stage managers, their emergency contacts, and the audience (if the inclement or severe weather occurs during performances)

2. The plan should be in writing and provided to the performers and stage managers no later than the beginning of the first day of work. When updates are made to the plan, a revised copy should be provided immediately to the performers and stage managers.

3. At the beginning of the first day of work, the inclement or severe weather readiness plan should be part of the EAP meeting. The meeting should include a walkthrough of the space to point out the first aid kit, bleeding control kit, evacuation routes and shelter-in-place locations, and meet up afterward locations.

4. The employer should assist the performers and stage managers in becoming familiar with their housing inclement or severe weather procedures.

5. An EAP meeting should be provided for all replacements at the top of their first day of work.

The above are recommended guidelines. Consult all applicable rules and regulations.

Additional recommended guidelines can be found at the following organizations:

• Safety Bulletins - Recommended by the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee for the Motion Picture and Television Industry

  • https://www.csatf.org/production-affairs-safety/safety-bulletins/

    • Guidelines For Inclement Or Severe Weather

    • "Addendum A" — Lightning Safety

• Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA) Technical Standards Program (these standards can be downloaded for free):

  • https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php

    • ANSI ES1.7, Event Safety – Weather Preparedness