SBFX // FIELD GUIDE / 2026.07

Professional Event SFX Safety Field Guide

Five worksheets, one binder. Use these on every event over 50 attendees. Print on letter, three-hole punch, file under the current production.

Worksheet 1 of 5

Pre-Event Site Survey

Address & venue contact: ______________________________________

Surface type at ignition zone: grass / asphalt / gravel / packed dirt

Clearance radius measured: ____ ft from device to nearest crowd line, ____ ft to nearest combustible (tent, dry brush, vehicle)

Overhead clearance: trees, power lines, awnings noted & photographed

Water source location: ____________ · Distance to douse station: ____ ft

Emergency egress paths: identified, photographed, communicated to venue

Local burn ban check: county fire marshal confirmed (date / officer name): ______

Worksheet 2 of 5

Weather & Wind Cutoff

Measure at the ignition point, not the parking lot. Use a handheld anemometer.

Time	Wind (mph)	Gust	RH%	Direction	Go/No-Go
T-60	_____	_____	_____	_____	_____
T-30	_____	_____	_____	_____	_____
T-10	_____	_____	_____	_____	_____
T-0	_____	_____	_____	_____	_____

Hard cutoffs (SBFX 2026 standard):

· Sustained wind > 15 mph at ignition zone => NO-GO

· Gust > 20 mph in past 10 min => HOLD until 10 min clear

· RH < 25% AND surface dry => require additional 50% clearance buffer

· Wind shift into crowd line within 15 deg => reposition or NO-GO

Worksheet 3 of 5

Ignition Sequence & Crew Roles

Safety Lead designated: _________________ (sole Red-Light authority)
Igniter on radio channel: ____ · Crowd marshal on channel: ____
Ground-placement only. No handheld in crowd-facing shots. Confirm.
Crowd buffer signage placed at clearance radius. Confirm.
Countdown protocol (60 / 30 / 10 / 3-2-1) rehearsed with crew. Confirm.
Abort signal defined (one long radio tone). Confirm with Igniter.

Worksheet 4 of 5

Douse, Cool, Dispose

Metal douse bucket(s) staged: minimum 3 in / 7 cm water depth, within 30 ft of every ignition point

Spent units submerged immediately after burn complete. Do not stack hot units.

Cool dwell time: minimum 15 min before transfer to disposal bag

Disposal: sealed metal/heavy-duty poly bag, removed from venue same day

Surface inspection at every ignition footprint: no embers, no scorch, no residue near combustibles

Worksheet 5 of 5

After-Action Report (AAR)

File within 24 hours. One per event. Retain 7 years for insurance.

Inventory log: units brought (___), used (___), unused (___), malfunctioned (___)

Weather log attached (Worksheet 2 copy)

Incident notes: any Red-Light hold, near-miss, crowd encroachment, surface damage

Permit copies: scanned and filed with client invoice

Safety Lead signature & date: _______________________

SDS REMINDER

Carry the manufacturer Safety Data Sheet for every smoke unit on site. Fire marshals can and will ask. SBFX-grade units include SDS PDFs in the product page on the supplier site.

For the full 2026 protocol narrative behind these worksheets:

Read the Full SFX Safety Protocol →