Dear All,

I work in an arts university and we are in the middle of setting up one of our end of year shows. One of the students has installed six articulated lightweight frames approximately 18" square four of these are above head height two are not, beneath each frame on the floor is an electric motor connecting the two is a thin nylon thread which when the motor rotates allows the frames to open and close. They have also been placed in the main through route / fire route.

Although we ask for risk assessments before the start of any work as in this case we have not had one rather the work has been installed and the assessment has taken place retrospectively, not best practice I know but it happens.

What this has now lead too is a hazard that may give us problems if we needed to clear the building in an emergency on the exhibition open night they may cause a trip hazard and possibly a more general hazard of people getting entangled in the thread or tripping on the motors.

So far I have been trying to negotiate with a light touch meeting with the member of staff who is responsible for the setting up of the work in this area and he has suggested some control measures which include the use of coloured thread so it can be seen and hazard tape on the floor around the motors again so they can be seen, both of these are valid but I am worried that no matter what colour the thread is or how much tape is on the floor the work may become a problem if we need to leave the building in a hurry with possibly two hundred people.
He is also quoting Building Regs Approved Document B Part Two which talks about exit widths, this I think is irrelevant as I am guessing they were not written with a student's work in mind but rather with making sure doors and routes were of the correct size for the numbers who use an area.

So my question is am I worrying too much or should I be more insistent that the work is moved. If its moved it creates problems of where does it go in the short time remaining, if it stays am I putting my head on the block if something goes wrong?

All helpful advice and suggestions welcome.

I have tried to give as much information here as possible but will answer any questions that you may have.

Thank you

Ian

Start with your duties as a premises occupier - open evenings invariably result in more bodies being present than during the normal day to day use envisaged by any regular fire risk assessment and generally not included in design considerations under the building regs.

Active artwork does create its own unique hazards but I am unaware of any ISO or BS standard relating to temporary installations as described - think of how a gallery would display this work to the general public certainly not in a linking corridor or passageway more likely to the side of a gallery away from the main thoroughfare and most probably behind a rope / tape barrier at suitable distance.

Risk assessment is not an artists forte but perhaps lecturers need to get on board with the concepts of presentation, after all you really can't take in the work on the ceiling of the cistene chapel if it was two feet overhead

Difficult to answer without seeing it but, you are right to ask the question although you may be worrying a little too mush. I would suggest that the real consideration is whether it is safe if there is a need to evacuate or not because the same considerations arise. If someone could get tangled in an emergency, then they probably could in normal circumstances.
Could the exhibit be put on a platform (say) 30cm or higher and as wide as will sufficiently prevent visitors coming into contact with it? That would be visible in ambient light and under emergency lighting. Alternatively, a simple low level barrier might suffice (again using a white or light colour) which outlines the extent of the exhibit.
As it is already there I must assume that some form of assessment regarding the likelihood (?risk?) of how many people will need to get out it at any one time has been made (emergency or otherwise). Again, if there’s enough room in normal ambient light then there will be in and emergency and under emergency light - if there isn't then the exhibit needs moving.