The On-Site Blog
Hospital Curtains: A Critical Barrier in Infectious Disease Control
Hospital curtains play a critical role in healthcare settings by serving as barriers against the spread of pathogens, providing patient privacy, and supporting a functional clinic environment. In these settings, cleanliness is paramount, as it can directly save lives. A recent study by the Cleveland Clinic found that over 42% of hospital curtains were contaminated with infectious pathogens. A University of Iowa study found 92% of curtains were infected. The Journal of...
Protect Your Investment: The Best Way to Clean Drapes
Protect your investment, your drapes are expensive to replace. Drapes act as giant air filters. Left uncleaned, the fabric fibers in your drapes and any fire proofing will deteriorate. Theatre drapes in particular are naturally flammable, the presence of hot lights, props and electrical sparks increase the risk of fire. Even drapes which are Inherently Flame Retardant will become flammable as the accumulation of dust will overwhelm the flame retardant properties as dust is highly...
Essential Guidelines for Fire Code Compliance
There is no national code, as a result there is a patchwork of regulations, administered at the local state level, or in the case of New York City and Boston, by municipality. Typically, fire codes reference National Fire Protection Association Standards (NFPA) which sets the standards in North America with the Life Safety Code 101. Others reference the International Fire Code. Some states such as California, have implemented a higher level of standard than that set...
The Revolutionary Advantages of Non-immersion Cleaning
Certain fabrics and furs cannot sustain cleaning with liquids. Non-immersion cleaning machines for furs and drapes were originally developed in the 1940’s to provide a safe and effective cleaning solution for these delicate textiles. There have been several iterations of these machines over the years. Traditionally, cleaning of furs and drapes was performed through immersion in water-based solutions, which posed the risk of damaging the materials or altering their natural...
Fire Protection Officer's Visit: Discover the Hidden Opportunities for Safety and Security
When a Fire Protection Officer steps into your facility, they bring with them a wealth of knowledge in fire safety and regulations. Their visit serves as a shield of protection, helping to identify potential hazards, implement preventive measures, and ensure the theater is well-prepared for any unforeseen circumstances. Fire Protection Officers also have the authority to shut your facility down if you are not in compliance with the Fire Code. They can offer valuable insights on...
The Facts About Flame Retardants
Flame Retardants are a wide variety of chemicals which inhibit, suppress or delay the combustion of materials. They work by thermal shielding, providing a non-combustive barrier between the flame and combustible materials. Others are designed to chemically alter under combustion to release gases which interfere with the combustion process. Flame Retardants are designed to slow the spread of fire to allow time for the public to escape to safety and buy time for...
Stage Drapery Fire Safety for Theaters and Schools
Fire Safety on Stages is a real issue. Fires at events are responsible for some of the worst fire related disasters on record. Textiles are highly flammable, add the presence of hot lights, props, and pyrotechnics greatly increases the risk of fire. To prevent this from happening in the future, we have developed regulations designed to protect us from fires in theatres, schools and event venues. However, regulations cannot be successful in saving lives if they are mostly ignored....
Care and Handling of Stage Drapes
With proper care, stage draperies will last over 25 years. The best way to store your draperies is to leave them hanging on your stage. Care should be taken not to expose them to extreme dryness or humidity. Too much humidity can cause the flame retardant chemicals to bleed out of the drape, leaving stains. Too dry and the flame retardant turns to powder and will fall out. Typically the flame retardancy of drapery will require renewal every 5 years. In all cases...
