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Safety curtain

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306: 290: 982: 420: 1651: 453: 73: 175: 32: 1663: 520:- are steel channels located at either side of the proscenium arch that the safety curtain travels within to create a physical barrier between the auditorium and the stage. The safety curtain is not intended to create an air seal but rather prevent material from falling from the stage house into the audience. 377:
can usually pull a lever backstage which will cause the curtain to fall rapidly into position. Alternatively, heat-sensitive components can be built into the rigging to automatically close the curtain in case of fire. It may be released electronically with the activation of the building's
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A safety curtain is required per United States building codes if the proscenium wall is required to be fire rated. The curtain is required to demonstrate a fire rating of approximately 30 min per testing.
1498: 344:-based materials were originally used to manufacture the curtain, before the dangers of asbestos were widely known. The safety curtain is sometimes referred to as an 196: 189: 1293: 731: 439:
resulted in over 600 deaths when the theater's safety curtain got stuck midway down, along with other structural deficiencies in the building.
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In the UK, it is a requirement that a safety curtain must be fully down within the proscenium opening within 30 seconds of being released.
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to prevent sparks from flying off the stage or to extinguish any burning material (such as a set) which may fall through the
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became the first theatre to install an iron safety curtain. Several other serious fires, including the 1887
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Scotlandʼs splendid theatres : architecture and social history from the Reformation to the present day
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The curtain is heavy and requires its own dedicated operating mechanisms. In an emergency, the
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A very early example of a safety curtain installation in the United States was at the New
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The lever and weights used to operate a fire curtain as seen from a theatre's backstage
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in and out, as regulations in some jurisdictions state that it must be shown to the
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to move out of the roof of the theatre, enabling safer evacuation of the audience.
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for a short time to delay fires starting on stage from spreading to the
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The safety curtain can be combined with other safety devices, such as:
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and the rest of the theatre, to provide additional exiting time for
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regulations state that the safety curtain must be able to resist
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NFPA 80 Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives
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National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying
359: 435:(New York City) which opened in 1873. Chicago's 1903 442: 97:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 1294:Penetrant (mechanical, electrical, or structural) 694:"GRINDLAY STREET, ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE (LB30031)" 637:"History of theatres: Eighteenth-century theatre" 1681: 601:. BSI Standards Publication. 2017. p. 303. 785: 423:The ornately decorated safety curtain of the 481:. Unsourced material may be challenged and 60:Learn how and when to remove these messages 1102:Hypoxic air technology for fire prevention 792: 778: 548:or other nozzles directly in front of the 1487:Fire Equipment Manufacturers' Association 534:- vents above the stage which will allow 501:Learn how and when to remove this message 277:Learn how and when to remove this message 259:Learn how and when to remove this message 157:Learn how and when to remove this message 820:Boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion 418: 304: 288: 1466:Listing and approval use and compliance 336:curtain located immediately behind the 1682: 657: 195:Please improve this article by adding 1511:Society of Fire Protection Engineers 773: 754:Accident-Prevention Regulation BGV-C1 1662: 1505:National Fire Protection Association 479:adding citations to reliable sources 446: 168: 95:adding citations to reliable sources 66: 25: 799: 720:. New York Times. 16 November 1873. 13: 1007:Condensed aerosol fire suppression 16:Fire safety precaution at theatres 14: 1716: 1382:Fire alarm notification appliance 760:Safety Curtains: Types and Models 752:Berufsgenossenschaft Regulation: 746: 443:Related stage fire safety devices 41:This article has multiple issues. 1661: 1650: 1649: 980: 574:2021 International Building Code 451: 173: 71: 30: 1143:Vehicle fire suppression system 831:Combustibility and flammability 698:portal.historicenvironment.scot 82:needs additional citations for 49:or discuss these issues on the 724: 710: 686: 651: 629: 591: 579: 567: 356:Occupational safety and health 1: 1493:Institution of Fire Engineers 1450:Fire Safety Evaluation System 1122:Personal protective equipment 621:: CS1 maint: date and year ( 560: 197:secondary or tertiary sources 1564:GHS precautionary statements 1402:Manual fire alarm activation 7: 1435:Fire protection engineering 1367:Explosive gas leak detector 1184:Electromagnetic door holder 1017:External water spray system 10: 1721: 1611:Harry C. Bigglestone Award 1002:Automatic fire suppression 942:K-factor (fire protection) 765:Fire Safety in the Theater 18: 1645: 1619: 1598: 1526: 1517:Underwriters Laboratories 1479: 1415: 1352:Aspirating smoke detector 1342: 1151: 1012:Detonation flame arrester 989: 978: 807: 410:Exeter Theatre Royal fire 406:Theatre Royal, Drury Lane 1461:Kitchen exhaust cleaning 1377:Fire alarm control panel 1357:Carbon monoxide detector 1334:Standpipe (firefighting) 1097:Gaseous fire suppression 862:Enthalpy of vaporization 332:. It is usually a heavy 1304:Pressurisation ductwork 1269:Firewall (construction) 1117:Passive fire protection 1067:Fire suppression system 323:passive fire protection 19:For the 1918 film, see 1480:Industry organizations 1445:Fire-resistance rating 1324:Smoke exhaust ductwork 1299:Penetration (firestop) 1289:Packing (firestopping) 997:Active fire protection 957:Spontaneous combustion 658:Bruce., Peter (1999). 428: 370:and members of staff. 325:feature used in large 310: 302: 184:relies excessively on 1632:Template:Firefighting 1606:Arthur B. Guise Medal 1559:GHS hazard statements 1062:Fire sprinkler system 1042:Fire-retardant fabric 437:Iroquois Theatre fire 422: 308: 292: 1416:Professions, trades, 1329:Smokeproof enclosure 1189:Electromagnetic lock 897:Flammability diagram 808:Fundamental concepts 639:. The Theatres Trust 475:improve this section 433:Fifth Avenue Theatre 414:Royal Lyceum Theatre 91:improve this article 1372:Fire alarm call box 1279:Heat and smoke vent 295:St Martin's Theatre 1700:Parts of a theatre 1344:Fire alarm systems 1159:Annulus (firestop) 1087:Flashback arrestor 1052:Fire-safe polymers 1047:Fire retardant gel 902:Flammability limit 429: 425:Vienna State Opera 311: 303: 293:Safety curtain of 21:The Safety Curtain 1690:Stage terminology 1677: 1676: 1585:Safety data sheet 1580:List of S-phrases 1575:List of R-phrases 1471:Sprinkler fitting 1362:Circuit integrity 1234:Fire extinguisher 1072:Firefighting foam 967:Thermal radiation 738:. 2 January 1904. 608:978 0 580 97716 9 511: 510: 503: 382:. It can also be 380:fire alarm system 321:in America) is a 287: 286: 279: 269: 268: 261: 243: 167: 166: 159: 141: 64: 1712: 1705:Safety equipment 1665: 1664: 1653: 1652: 1569:Life Safety Code 1174:Compartmentation 984: 907:Flammable liquid 794: 787: 780: 771: 770: 740: 739: 728: 722: 721: 714: 708: 707: 705: 704: 690: 684: 683: 655: 649: 648: 646: 644: 633: 627: 626: 620: 612: 595: 589: 583: 577: 571: 506: 499: 495: 492: 486: 455: 447: 368:audience members 282: 275: 264: 257: 253: 250: 244: 242: 208:"Safety curtain" 201: 177: 169: 162: 155: 151: 148: 142: 140: 106:"Safety curtain" 99: 75: 67: 56: 34: 33: 26: 1720: 1719: 1715: 1714: 1713: 1711: 1710: 1709: 1680: 1679: 1678: 1673: 1641: 1615: 1594: 1522: 1475: 1417: 1411: 1338: 1264:Firestop pillow 1199:Emergency light 1152:Building design 1147: 1138:Tank blanketing 1107:Inerting system 1082:Flame retardant 1032:Fire protection 1027:Fire prevention 985: 976: 841:Dangerous goods 803: 801:Fire protection 798: 749: 744: 743: 730: 729: 725: 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1320: 1317: 1315: 1314:Smoke control 1312: 1310: 1307: 1305: 1302: 1300: 1297: 1295: 1292: 1290: 1287: 1285: 1282: 1280: 1277: 1275: 1272: 1270: 1267: 1265: 1262: 1260: 1257: 1255: 1252: 1250: 1247: 1245: 1242: 1240: 1237: 1235: 1232: 1230: 1227: 1225: 1222: 1220: 1217: 1215: 1212: 1210: 1207: 1205: 1202: 1200: 1197: 1195: 1192: 1190: 1187: 1185: 1182: 1180: 1177: 1175: 1172: 1170: 1167: 1165: 1162: 1160: 1157: 1156: 1154: 1150: 1144: 1141: 1139: 1136: 1134: 1131: 1129: 1126: 1123: 1120: 1118: 1115: 1113: 1110: 1108: 1105: 1103: 1100: 1098: 1095: 1093: 1090: 1088: 1085: 1083: 1080: 1078: 1075: 1073: 1070: 1068: 1065: 1063: 1060: 1058: 1055: 1053: 1050: 1048: 1045: 1043: 1040: 1038: 1035: 1033: 1030: 1028: 1025: 1023: 1020: 1018: 1015: 1013: 1010: 1008: 1005: 1003: 1000: 998: 995: 994: 992: 988: 983: 973: 970: 968: 965: 963: 960: 958: 955: 953: 950: 948: 945: 943: 940: 938: 935: 933: 932:Heat transfer 930: 928: 925: 923: 922:Friction loss 920: 918: 915: 913: 910: 908: 905: 903: 900: 898: 895: 893: 892:Fire triangle 890: 888: 885: 883: 880: 878: 875: 873: 870: 868: 865: 863: 860: 858: 855: 853: 850: 848: 845: 842: 839: 837: 836:Conflagration 834: 832: 829: 827: 824: 821: 818: 816: 813: 812: 810: 806: 802: 795: 790: 788: 783: 781: 776: 775: 772: 766: 763: 761: 758: 755: 751: 750: 737: 733: 727: 719: 713: 699: 695: 689: 681: 677: 673: 671:0-7486-6261-8 667: 663: 662: 654: 638: 632: 624: 618: 610: 604: 600: 594: 587: 582: 575: 570: 566: 555: 551: 547: 543: 542:Water curtain 540: 537: 533: 530: 527: 526: 522: 519: 518:Smoke pockets 516: 515: 514: 505: 502: 494: 491:February 2017 484: 480: 476: 470: 469: 465: 460:This section 458: 454: 449: 448: 440: 438: 434: 426: 421: 417: 415: 411: 407: 402: 399: 395: 393: 389: 385: 381: 376: 375:stage manager 371: 369: 365: 361: 357: 353: 351: 347: 343: 339: 335: 331: 328: 324: 320: 316: 307: 300: 296: 291: 281: 278: 263: 260: 252: 241: 238: 234: 231: 227: 224: 220: 217: 213: 210: –  209: 205: 204:Find sources: 198: 192: 191: 187: 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Retrieved 697: 688: 660: 653: 641:. Retrieved 631: 598: 593: 585: 581: 573: 569: 541: 531: 523: 517: 512: 497: 488: 473:Please help 461: 430: 404:In 1794 the 403: 400: 396: 372: 354: 349: 346:iron curtain 345: 319:fire curtain 318: 314: 312: 273: 255: 246: 236: 229: 222: 215: 203: 183: 153: 144: 134: 127: 120: 113: 101: 89:Please help 84:verification 81: 57: 50: 44: 43:Please help 40: 1274:Grease duct 1229:Fire escape 1219:Fire damper 1112:Intumescent 1057:Fire safety 1022:Fire bucket 917:Flash point 664:. Polygon. 532:Smoke vents 392:performance 1695:Fly system 1684:Categories 1571:(NFPA 101) 1534:CE marking 1387:Fire drill 990:Technology 887:Fire point 872:Fire class 852:Detonation 703:2021-06-07 561:References 554:proscenium 550:proscenium 525:Fire doors 364:auditorium 327:proscenium 219:newspapers 186:references 117:newspapers 46:improve it 1527:Standards 1456:Fire test 1284:Occupancy 1249:Fire pump 1239:Fire hose 1224:Fire door 1204:Exit sign 1179:Crash bar 952:Pyrolysis 947:Pool fire 912:Flashover 867:Explosive 815:Backdraft 643:April 22, 617:cite book 576:, 410.2.5 462:does not 52:talk page 1656:Category 1620:See also 1549:EN 16034 1259:Firestop 1214:Fire cut 937:Jet fire 927:Gas leak 843:(HAZMAT) 826:Boilover 680:44184624 588:, 2.1.14 388:audience 342:Asbestos 330:theatres 249:May 2007 1668:Commons 1501:(NCEES) 822:(BLEVE) 599:BS 9999 483:removed 468:sources 233:scholar 131:scholar 1599:Awards 1513:(SFPE) 1507:(NFPA) 1489:(FEMA) 1452:(FSES) 678:  668:  605:  427:House. 334:fabric 299:London 235:  228:  221:  214:  206:  133:  126:  119:  112:  104:  1590:UL 94 1544:EN 54 1495:(IFE) 1124:(PPE) 536:smoke 384:flown 240:JSTOR 226:books 138:JSTOR 124:books 1539:EN 3 1519:(UL) 676:OCLC 666:ISBN 645:2017 623:link 603:ISBN 466:any 464:cite 360:fire 350:iron 348:(or 317:(or 212:news 110:news 477:by 297:in 188:to 93:by 1686:: 734:. 696:. 674:. 619:}} 615:{{ 544:- 394:. 340:. 313:A 199:. 55:. 793:e 786:t 779:v 706:. 682:. 647:. 625:) 611:. 556:. 504:) 498:( 493:) 489:( 485:. 471:. 301:. 280:) 274:( 262:) 256:( 251:) 247:( 237:· 230:· 223:· 216:· 193:. 160:) 154:( 149:) 145:( 135:· 128:· 121:· 114:· 87:. 62:) 58:( 23:.

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St Martin's Theatre
London

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