NEW YORK, NY — IATSE released a set of guidelines Tuesday detailing a possible COVID-19 Safety Program for stagecraft workers in entertainment venues and workspaces like Theaters and Live Performance Venues. This comes as Broadway and most of the live event/performance industry enters nearly the fifth month of being shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The guidelines address the unique challenges stagecraft workplaces face in a global pandemic. The International’s Stagecraft Department collaborated with local union officers from Stage, Wardrobe, Treasurer’s and Ticket Sellers, Front of House, Make-up Artists and Hairstylists, and Designers locals in the United States and Canada to ensure that the guidelines included all relevant crafts. Additionally, these documents were reviewed by medical experts in occupational health and safety.

Despite being 27 pages long, the released document is intended to only provide general information, and not as a comprehensive or exhaustive treatment, legal advice, or a legal opinion. Notable recommendations in the documents include employing COVID-19 Compliance Officers (CCO’s), diagnostic testing of workers, and paid sick leave for workers.