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Fire Safety in Studios and on Location
Materials Used in Studios

In addition to means of escape from fire, fire risk assessments should be include the fire properties of any material or product introduced into a studio.

Where it is essential to use polystyrene on sets, the amount should be kept to the absolute minimum.  Polystyrene foam should be treated as if it were a highly flammable liquid.

The storage of props and redundant scenery should be kept to a minimum to reduce the fire loading of the studio or stage.

Sets should not obstruct the statutory fire signage used within studios etc. if this be the case then additional signage will be required

Flame proofing of materials to be introduced into studio environments should be carried out in controlled circumstances in accordance with the COSHH assessment and not within the studio.  Care should also be taken due to the irritant nature on skin contact of some flame proofing products.  As a general rule all items of scenery should be flame or fireproofed to the following standards:
  • Wood BS476, Part 7, Class 1
  • Fibreglass BS476 Part 7, Class 1
  • Drapes and Curtains BS5687 Part 2:1980, BS3120 / BSEN13773:2003
  • Carpets BS4790 (hot nut test)
  • Beds, mattresses etc BS6807:2006 / BS7177:1996
  • Upholstery Furniture & Furnishings (Safety) (Fire) Regulations 1988
  • Paints Fire Retardant
  • Adhesives Water Based
  • Bounding Resins Fire Retardant

Where softwood battens and frames are required these should be clad with fireproofed materials so as to present a fire resistant outer surface.

Wallpapers should be affixed very firmly (without air bubbles to a suitably fire resistant surface).

Carpets should not be used in the vertical plane.

Floor paints used in studios should be water based and not solvent based.

Where practicable greenery (e.g. dried branches, hay, straw, ferns, grasses, etc.) is to be used it should be suitably flame proofed.  In the case of hay, straw etc., to be used as fodder or bedding for animals, it must not be flame proofed but only a minimum of untreated material should be kept on site.  Other non flame proofed greenery should be kept damped down at four hour intervals.

Plastics for use in the studios should be either inherently flameproof or rendered flameproof by the use of a suitable fire retardant.  Care should be taken to ensure that any plastic used will not emit smoke or drip under heat/fire conditions.  As a rule of thumb plastics should not be acceptable if they ignite or burn when a small flame is applied for 12 seconds.