Costume safety?

Ok, we have a problem here in town, and I'm looking for some good suggestions on how to deal with it. Problem being, a group of people are putting on a fire performance at the end of the day at a rather large renaissance festival. This group has 2 designated fire safety people, and has always been conscious of how they store their fuel, where they spin out, what they spin with etc.

However, they seem to be lacking in the safety of the costumes they are spinning and breathing in. The main group leader is responsible for the costume design. She knows it is not a good idea to spin in polyester or nylon, but yet chooses to do so anyway. Several of her fire spinning friends have requested she not spin in some of the things she has before, but she chooses to repeatedly ignore them, and do so anyway. Most of these times she has just been spinning for fun in someone's back yard and not an actual gig. She doesn't take criticism well and thinks we are seriously ganging up on her when we try to inform her that it is for her own safety. None of the rest of us spin in such attire. Now that she is choosing to do this in a very public location where there are bound to be people around interested in learning, I am a bit more concerned. I don't want the audience to see their performance and think that the costumes they are wearing are acceptable spinning attire. Some of the members of the group have even expressed concern about the costumes to others, so they are obviously worried.

Does anyone have any ideas for how to approach this person? She knows that poly and nylon are highly flammable and knows that they can melt to your skin rather nastily if gotten on fire.

Make her a new costume that is made out of natural fibres. Make similar to what she is wearing now and present it to her. It will show her she can have the kind of style she wants without the danger.

perhaps give a demo to her. get some nylon or poly or something, place it on the ground, and set fire to it. ask her if she wants to be inside it when it happens.

Shock therapy sometimes works.

I really like that idea! Wish I had known about these costumes earlier and I probably would have done so. I'll definitely keep it in mind for the next time she pulls such a stunt.

However, I'm leaving the country this afternoon and the show starts while I'm gone.

Demonstrate the potential fate of her body through the medium of wrapping something like a sausage in the material her costume is made of and lighting it.
Thinking of her arm in the place of a frazzled sausage might put a bit more of a realistic bent on her fashion sense.

If you are going away, could the other folk who are concerned use suggestions to try to make her change her mind?

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If you are going away, could the other folk who are concerned use suggestions to try to make her change her mind?

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That's what I am hoping, and also why I posted this thread here. Some of the others concerned will be able to read the responses.

I do like the idea of making the situation "real" by using fake props to see what can happen to your body.

We did that at work once- the shock therapy- and it worked quite well.
The manager found out that staff were smoking in their tents, but didn't know who it was. The tents are some sort of plastic, coated in a paraffin based (I think?) stuff to make them more water proof.

Anyway, he got an old tent that they were going to throw out.
He sat all the staff down to watch, held a lighter to the tent, and started a stopwatch.
In less than 7 seconds, the tent was a big ball of fire. :eep:
I could see the look of shock on most people's faces.

Have you tried talking to the other people concered in the group?
(PS- have a nice holiday).

I posted to GreatBallsOfFire (where the relevant people will see it) on the subject - hopefully it was strongly enough worded to make some peeps think, but not so strong as to hurt any feelings. I'm really quite surprised by this behaviour from people I know! They should know that fire performance is NOT a "do as I say, not as I do" kind of activity!

Hopefully, vanize, it might make a difference. I sent you a private note via email.