Tag Archives: safety

Oh, you know each other?

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As I travel the country working on events and visiting schools, it always makes me smile when someome says “We had a visit from X, not sure if you have ever come across them?” or “Ah, so you know and get on with X?” (X is a STEM presenter).

Katie Steckles (seriously cool maths presenter) next to an unknown person

There’s a high chance that I know them and they know me. You see, whilst we may seem to operate by ourselves as freelancers or appear to compete for headline shows, we do talk and support each other. The UK Science Communication scene is very close-knit.

It may come as a shock to some people who consider us to be competitors that we may admit to liking each other or (heaven forbid) even recommend someone else for a particular gig. If I am unable to fulfill a potential client’s needs, rather than just say no, I would much prefer to recommend an alternative and point them in the right direction.

But our collaboration goes beyond that. There are regular messages flying around on WhatsApp, email and Slack groups about potential clients, laser safety, the best cameras or smoke machines, plus things like how to get hold of large quantities of borax or veterinary lubricant.

We are one industry with a mission: To engage our audiences with science (in fact, all of the STEM subjects). Sure, we each bring our own expertise or niche to the festival stage, school hall, theatre, online videos, television or radio shows, but collectively we share a common broad aim. With that in mind, why wouldn’t I want to support my fellow science communication colleagues, be it formally or informally?

I have worked with and supported many other presenters behind the scenes on theatre tours and festivals, particularly from a Health and Safety perspective. Whether it is working with Greg Foot on a national theatre tour, supporting production H&S at Cheltenham Science Festival or advising on Christmas show tour safety, I enjoy my work behind the scenes just as much as being on stage.

Of course, I get to see another side to presenters and support them towards best practice in science show H&S. It provides an interesting dual-perspective on the performance world!

That’s why I value being part of a close-knit group of people and organisations such as the BIG STEM Communicators Network. It gives us an opportunity to support each other and, in the longer term, raise the quality bar.

Rehearse! Rehearse! Rehearse!

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Science presenters often have stunts and acts that appear chaotic, funny and a bit haphazard on live stage or television. The truth is, for the majority of us, they are thoroughly rehearsed.

The result is that whenever you see a presenter doing something that appears seamless in a live performance, it is because it has been rehearsed. Yes, we rehearse. Even if it appears to be a first time for them or a surprise on stage, we’ve rehearsed it, especially if we are working with a fellow presenter or guest.

To those of us in the industry, this is a fundamental part of our profession. Each demonstration or stunt is blocked through so that everyone involved knows what to expect and what to do if something goes wrong. It is part of our risk assessment but goes much deeper than that. I like to think of it as a professional standard.

A few years ago, I was commissioned to create a vat of custard for a world record attempt on daytime television. A well-known TV chef was to do it first-time, but we had to talk him through exactly what would be happening to ensure that he understood what would be required and how to do it safely. In short, I tested it and then we had a rehearsal with the main presenter.

This is routine.

However, sometimes the thrill of live TV can get the better of people and the weaknesses in their preparation becomes apparent. Watch and learn from this example on Australian TV recently.

There is a catalogue of failings right from the start of the clip. The person leading the segment appears to be absorbed by the excitement of a live broadcast and is not paying attention to the safety of himself nor those around him. The presenters involved could have been seriously disfigured, blinded or far worse.

When I see a clip like this, I worry. I worry that impressionable people could see this as the norm; that it is acceptable to take these sorts of risks. In this particular case, the mishandling of liquid nitrogen can be lethal. There are asphyxiation, pressure explosion, projectile, frost bite and slip hazards, to name but a few.

Professional science presenters work tirelessly to perfect their demos in order to carry them out slickly and safely in high-pressured, live performance situations. Sometimes they work with specialist engineers or advisers (like me!) behind the scenes. The patter and banter are all worked in afterwards.

I hope that none of our Australian counterparts or crew carry any long term ill effects as a result of this incident. I also hope that TV producers and early career presenters can reflect on and learn from near misses like this.

If you have ANY doubt over a demo that you or someone else is doing, please please please contact an experienced professional for help and advice. We may joke on stage, but we are extremely serious about our work.

To speak or not to speak?

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Two frequently asked questions come up regularly:

  1. “Why don’t you publish a list of your forthcoming firework displays?”
  2. “Why don’t you vlog or post photos from all of your shows?”

The presenter in me often wants to shout about and share my work. However, when I work on a firework display, I am engaged as a pyrotechnician with a professional responsibility for that particular display, on behalf of a client. The client is a paying customer and the priority for my team is to make the show happen.

If we are slowed down by the poor weather or traffic delays to get to site, then standing around and talking to a camera isn’t going to earn me any favours with my fellow crew members, yet alone the client. It is ESSENTIAL that you are a focussed team player in this job.

The success, safety and security of the event are all interlinked, which means that I am not always permitted to disclose where I am going to be at a particular time.

A lot of this depends on the client of course, along with the size, type and location of the display. Often, I will only show on-site footage and pictures, rather than how we got there.

Sometimes a display is a complete secret, to create a surprise for the audience. It is really special to be able to create a surprise like this, but can you imagine the fallout (no pun!) if I gave it all away on social media? It would be a total failure on my part! As such, I’ve spent many nights hiding in fields, on roofs and bridges whilst being unable to say anything public until afterwards.

Make no mistake, keeping quiet is really difficult when you enjoy what you do! It’s like an industrial sponsored silence, but it is all part of the challenge and enjoyment of working in live events.

But of course, many shows are in the public domain and some event managers actually build public engagement behind-the-scenes into the whole package. The launch of Hull City of Culture with Titanium Fireworks is an example of this.

I make a professional judgement, in conjunction with my firework colleagues, site managers and the client, to ensure that what I disclose from a firework site doesn’t give away any key secrets or compromise security. (HINT: We travel with and work with explosives. If you didn’t realise this, go and stand in the corner.)

Over the years, I have earned trust across the firework industry to strike this fine balance and showcase the skills and huge amount of work that goes on behind-the-scenes. Right now, as I write this, hundreds of professionals are working flat-out to pre-prepare the fireworks for displays across the UK as we head into the Halloween and Bonfire Night season.

So where will I be firing from on the main Bonfire weekend this year? A major racecourse and a scaffolding tower on a Somerset beach both feature in my schedule. There may be more, but you know, I couldn’t possibly say. (See above – you have actually read this post, haven’t you?)

I’ll be posting more updates on Facebook and Twitter over the next two weeks as we head towards Guy Fawkes Night 2017.

Stay safe out there!

Matthew helps launch Hull UK City of Culture 2017

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Matthew took part in a huge choreographed firework display to launch Hull UK City of Culture 2017.

Three and a half tonnes of fireworks were fired from two barges on The Humber in twelve minutes. It was a successful show which touched the imaginations of thousands of people.

The show was designed and operated by Titanium Fireworks Ltd, a provider of high-end large scale firework displays in the UK, including the London New Year fireworks on The Thames and Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations.

Titanium Fireworks directors approached Matthew during Summer 2016 about working on the Hull show and, in particular, using his skills to engage audiences with some of the behind-the-scenes operations.

It’s the first time that a professional firework display of this scale has had such specialist coverage in the UK.

With his highly unique combination of TV presenting and professional fireworks experience, Matthew produced exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the show preparations. He talked about safety considerations, featured fellow team members and explained some of the technical aspects of the show.

Matthew says “The feedback, particularly via social media, has been tremendous. I think we captured the spirit of this special year for Hull.”

His content was shared by official Hull 2017 and Titanium Fireworks Ltd PR teams, helping to increase audience engagement in the lead up to the launch of Hull 2017.

Matthew’s passion for live broadcast shone through too, when he fronted a number of Facebook live videos as the barges moved into position on The Humber.

Matthew Tosh - fireworks in HullUnsurprisingly, his press and media skills were in demand; escorting TV news crews on site and providing interviews on behalf of Titanium Fireworks for BBC Look North regional news, BBC Radio Humberside and local newspapers.

In Matthew’s own words, filming on a fireworks rig of this magnitude isn’t straightforward. “Aside from the obvious safety issues, there are often many commercial, event security and creative sensitivities. What’s more, you don’t want to give too much away and spoil the show!”

But as Matthew consistently demonstrates, he finds that balance perfectly, using his enthusiasm, industry knowledge and occasionally witty style to ensure that the audience is engaged.

Between filming and editing, Matthew was able to assist with shell-loading and got thoroughly mucky on the de-rig.

Follow Matthew’s work on Facebook and Twitter.

Cheltenham Science Festival

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Writing and interpreting risk assessments, understanding safety distances, the handling and storage of dangerous goods… this is all bread and butter language and procedure for pyrotechnicians as we go about our work. However, there are times when an event organiser, venue manager or production company may not have the relevant in-house specialist knowledge, particularly when working with hot flames, sparks and explosions.

Venue CAD drawing exampleIn the months and weeks leading up to an event, organisers want to understand the nature of the stage sets and stunts being planned. They seek assurance to be confident that the risk assessments are robust and cover the relevant areas and eventualities. Having access to specialist knowledge is vital. This is one of the reasons that the Cheltenham Science Festival production team approached Matthew Tosh; asking him to come on board as a consultant for the 2014 six-day festival.

Matthew will be providing pre and live event support for the shows and awards ceremonies that involve so-called higher-risk stunts, tricks and demonstrations. He brings over eight years of combined pyrotechnics and live science presenting expertise to the Cheltenham team.

High-profile science shows are incorporating more close proximity pyrotechnic and explosive effects to show off particular science principles, as well as enhancing the dramatic and visual aspect. These require an understanding of how the materials perform, detailed risk assessments and robust rigging techniques. A specialist eye also helps give organisers the confidence that safe rigging, storage and set-up procedures are being followed, particularly if any on-site changes or material substitutions need to be made at short notice.

The Times Cheltenham Science Festival runs from 3rd to 8th June 2014. You can find out more and what’s on here.