Rosco Delta Hazer Reference Manual

DEVELOPMENT OF

TIME-AND-DISTANCE GUIDELINES FOR USE OF

THEATRICAL SMOKE EQUIPMENT:

ROSCO DELTA HAZER

Prepared for:

Rosco Laboratories

Stamford, Connecticut

Prepared by:

ENVIRON International Corporation

Groton, Massachusetts

August 2006

C O N T E N T S

I. INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1

A. Background..............................................................................................................1

B. Use of Time-and-Distance Guidelines.....................................................................2

II. TESTING METHODOLOGY.............................................................................................3

A. Monitoring Equipment and Sampling Media ..........................................................3

B. Monitoring Procedures.............................................................................................3

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION..........................................................................................6

A. Aerosol Monitor Calibration....................................................................................6

B. Peak Exposure Characterization ..............................................................................6

C. How to Use the Time-and-Distance Guidelines Tables...........................................6

IV. REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................9

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ROSCO DELTA HAZER -i- E N V I R O N

F I G U R E S

Figure 1: Rosco Laboratories Delta Hazer..............................................................................5

Figure 2: Monitoring configuration ........................................................................................5

Figure 3: Calibration curve for Delta Hazer Fluid in Rosco Delta Hazer ..............................8

T A B L E

Table 1: Summary of Time-and-Distance Guidelines for Fog Generation............................7

A P P E N D I X

Appendix A: Material Safety Data Sheet

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I. INTRODUCTION

A. Background

In 1997-99, at the request of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) and the League of
American Theaters and Producers (LATP) and with the support of the Equity-League Pension
and Health Trust Funds, investigators from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine (Mt. Sinai) and
ENVIRON International Corporation (ENVIRON) conducted a study to determine whether the
use of smoke, fog, haze, and pyrotechnics special effects in theatrical musical productions is
associated with a negative health impact in actors. The results of this study were presented in the
report Health Effects Evaluation of Theatrical Smoke, Haze, and Pyrotechnics (Mt. Sinai and
ENVIRON 2000).

Based on the results of the study, Mt. Sinai and ENVIRON recommended the following
peak guidance levels with respect to glycols and mineral oil:

•

The use of glycols should be such that an actor’s exposure does not exceed 40
milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m

•

Mineral oil should be used in a manner such that an actor’s exposure does not exceed
a peak concentration of 25 mg/m

•

For chronic exposures to mineral oil, the existing standards established for oil mists
(5 mg/m

3

as an eight-hour time-weighted average) should also be protective for actors

in theatrical productions.

Comparable guidance levels were developed for glycerol in a subsequent study (ENVIRON
2001c):

• Glycerol should be used in a manner such that an actor’s exposure does not exceed a

peak concentration of 50 mg/m

• For chronic exposures to glycerol, the existing standards established for glycerin

mists (10 mg/m

3

as an eight-hour TWA) should also be protective for actors in

theatrical productions.

To ensure that peak smoke and haze levels are below these guidelines, theaters have the
option of conducting production-specific testing at their theaters using an aerosol monitor or
following equipment-based time-and distance guidelines. Rosco Laboratories retained
ENVIRON to develop time-and-distance guidelines for the use of the
fluid tested with the Delta Hazer, a glycol-based fluid, was unnamed at the time of the testing,
and is referred to in this report as Delta Hazer Fluid.

3

).

3

.

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.

Rosco Delta Hazer. The

ROSCO DELTA HAZER -1- E N V I R O N

B. Use of Time-and-Distance Guidelines

In the absence of other information, theater-specific monitoring would be required to
determine whether smoke/fog/haze machines are being used in a production in a manner that
avoids peak exposures to actors. The Time-and-Distance Guidelines described in this report
were developed as an

alternative to conducting theater- and production-specific monitoring.
These Guidelines were developed under conservative use assumptions (e.g., no on-stage
activities or props that would enhance dispersion, cue release at breathing height level). By
following these Guidelines, a production can use haze effects

without having to conduct its own
stage-specific testing, provided the machines are used in accordance with manufacturer
specifications, are well maintained, and are functioning properly. Table 1 of this report describes
the distance (with respect to the discharge point on the equipment) and length of time that
concentrations exceeding the peak guidance levels would occur for various use patterns for the
Delta Hazer. Thus, by arranging the blocking and choreography such that an actor is not situated
within the restricted areas during the times specified in Table 1, actors should not receive peak
exposures above the Guidelines. Calibration factors and/or Time-and-Distance Guidelines for
other Rosco machines have also been developed by ENVIRON (2001b, 2002).

It should be noted that these Time-and-Distance Guidelines may not be appropriate for all
productions. The Guidelines are based on the Delta Hazer being positioned at ground level, and
being operated to achieve 30 to 600 seconds of continuous fog generation. Productions may
want to use different configurations for positioning the machines (e.g., different heights), provide
enhanced on-stage ventilation, or generate haze for a longer or shorter period. In addition, many
productions may have other stage-specific conditions (e.g., on-stage activities and props that
enhance dispersion) that would allow actors to be present in areas that are restricted under these
Guidelines but which, in fact, do not exceed the guidance levels. In those cases, production­specific monitoring would be recommended to determine whether peak exposure may occur.

ROSCO DELTA HAZER -2- E N V I R O N

II. TESTING METHODOLOGY

A. Monitoring Equipment and Sampling Media

Monitoring of short-term concentrations was performed using portable real-time aerosol
monitors (personalDataRAM Model PDR-1000) manufactured by Monitoring Instruments for
the Environment, Inc. (MIE). The PDR-1000 is a high sensitivity nephelometric (i.e.,
photometric) monitor that uses a light scattering sensing chamber to measure the concentration
of airborne particulate matter (liquid or solid), providing a direct and continuous readout as well
as electronic logging of the data.

The PDR-1000 aerosol monitors as obtained are calibrated to Arizona road dust over a
measurement range of 0.001 to 400 mg/m
or oil mist concentrations, the monitors were first calibrated for the fog or haze machines and
fluids being used.

SKC Airlite sampling pumps were used to draw air through collection media. The type
of collection media used depended on the analyte. For glycols, OSHA Versatile Sampler (OVS)
traps were used as the collection media, each containing two sections of XAD-7 resin (200-mg
front section, 100-mg back section, separated by a polyurethane foam [PUF] plug). The XAD-7
resin was used to collect both the particulate and vapor phase of the glycol aerosol. A 13-mm
glass fiber filter (GFF) plug precedes the front section and a PUF plug follows the back section.
This sampling is based on a variation of NIOSH Method 5523 (NIOSH 1996; Pendergrass 1999).

Calibration of the aerosol monitors was conducted by collecting simultaneous
measurements with a series of sampling pumps and PDR-1000 aerosol monitors, mounted on
tripods.

B. Monitoring Procedures

The testing is typically conducted in a two-step process:

• The first step involves collecting sufficient data to calibrate the aerosol monitors for the

equipment and fluid combination being used.

• The second step involves using the calibrated aerosol monitor to identify distances from

the fog release point where exceedances of the guidance levels occur.

3

. In order to be utilized to measure short-term glycol

Testing of the Delta Hazer was conducted at ENVIRON’s testing facility and the Groton
Dunstable Middle School Performing Arts Center, both located in Groton, Massachusetts.

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