PLASA releases Orchestra Lift Standard for Public Review

BSR E1.42 – 201x, Entertainment Technology — Safety Standard for Orchestra Pit Lifts, is available for public review on the PLASA website until October 23, 2012.  The last day to comment is October 22, 2012.  It may be downloaded for free at http://tsp.plasa.org/tsp/documents/public_review_docs.php.

Saenger Theatre, New Orleans, with split lift for Orchestra and Organ Console

BSR E1.42 is being written to address the lack of a national standard in North America for orchestra pit and forestage lifts, and to help establish minimum safety requirements and inspection procedures. The scope is limited to safety and to orchestra or forestage lifts that are installed as a part of the building and that are not custom-built for a single theatrical production.

For more information, please contact Karl Ruling, PLASA's Technical Standards Manager, at karl (dot) ruling (at) plasa (dot) org

Portable Fire Extinguiser Stand for Festival Events

Strike First Corporation has introduced a portable stand for deploying Fire Extinguishers at outdoor events.  The unit has a locked container with an optional tamper alarm so that mischievous abuse of the unit will be deterred.  More info at:  www.strikefirstusa.com/pdf/the-CENTURION-Portable-Fire-Extinguisher-Stand.pdf

Underwater Theatre Incident Recalled 32 Years Later

There is a really interesting post at the Manufacturing.net web site about an underwater theatre that flipped on-end back in 1970.  Blogger Karl Stephen recalls the incident and discusses what could have been a much more serious outcome for all involved.  Fortunately, no lawsuits, injuries, or other damages ensued.  The article can be read here: 

www.manufacturing.net/blogs/2012/08/the-day-the-submarine-theater-flipped-over

Don't Drop What You Are Doing - Get a Grip

Objects at Heights: Love Stinks But Gravity Hurts. 

Free Webinar • Duration: 60 minutes

With the exception of Chuck Norris, hurricanes, and halitosis, there’s little more dangerous than a plummeting object. Unfortunately, most tools don’t come with wings, so when you have a butter-finger type of day (and we’ve all had ‘em), the tools and equipment you rely on can quickly turn into plummeting little (or big) bombs of destruction. Aerial safety goes beyond your standard fall protection. In the past, objects at heights hazard-planning has been an afterthought – or not even a thought. Today, regulators and professionals acknowledge the serious, life-threatening risks of falling objects and are instilling rules to ensure proper precautions are followed in the workplace

This educational webinar will overview:

• Objects at Heights Safety and how it is part of Safety at Heights planning
• Awareness of the costs of dropped objects and other Objects at Heights hazards
• Best practices for Objects at Heights within the Hierarchy of Controls 

Seminar brought to you by: EHS Today (The Magazine for Environment, Health, and Safety Leaders) and Ergodyne Work Gear.

Register at: Love Stinks But Gravity Hurts

Event Safety Alliance - Applying the HSE Purple Guide for US

The Event Safety Alliance has updated their web site to allow interested parties to help in the modification of the UK's "Purple Book" (http://theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/event-safety-guides-freebies.html) as it can be used uniformly throughout the US market.  The timetable is aggressive, as it should be, as the sooner this Best Practices manual is available for use, the safer events will be when the guidelines are applied.

The US version of the Purple Book will layout, for the first time in the history of the industry in the US, a broad spectrum of guidelines helping to ensure that life safety be considered first and foremost.

Do Your Part and Get Involved!

Total Structures to host Outdoor Stage Roof Educational Event

The week of the LDI conference in Las Vegas, Total Structures will present a two-day event that will be held on Wednesday, October 17th and on Thursday, October 18th, 2012.

Engineering Principles

Taught by Jeff Reder, Principal and Partner in Clark-Reder Engineering, a full service consulting engineering firm based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jeff and his business partner, Daniel Clark, presently hold licenses in 44 U.S. states and are highly experienced in the design and use of both aluminum and steel outdoor stage roof systems

Jeff will explain the process of structurally engineering an outdoor stage roof, provide guidance on how to read such reports, as well as help the attendees develop and perfect important operational documentation such as operating manuals, high wind speed action plans, etc.

Focus will also be brought on explaining relevant standards such as ANSI E1.2 - 2006 (Entertainment Technology - Design, Manufacture And Use of Aluminum Trusses and Towers) and ANSI E1-21 - 2006 (Temporary Ground Supported Overhead Structures Used to Cover Stage Areas and Support Equipment in the Production of Entertainment Events).

Roof and Truss Inspection Principles

Taught by Adrian Forbes-Black, Vice-President of Total Structures. Adrian has nearly twenty years of entertainment rigging industry experience in both the United States and Europe, having worked for companies such as Tomcat and Columbus McKinnon before working for Total Structures

Adrian, assisted by Jeff, will teach the fundamentals of aluminum truss design as well as how to visually inspect the product and document the inspection for continued safe use.

General Information

The cost of the course will be $595 per attendee, if paid on or before 31 August 2012 and $695 if paid on or after 1 September, and can be paid at the time of registration by either check or credit card. The number of attendees is limited so please register soon.

Sessions will begin at 9:00 AM and run until approximately 5:00 PM each day and include a daily lunch break. Lunch will not be included, however, there are many restaurants within walking distance of the facility. A continental breakfast and afternoon snacks will be included along with coffee, tea, water, and soda throughout the day.

Click Here to Register:

http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e67jmbwu2057a81a&llr

 

If you wish to reserve multiple places then please register each person separately using this link so they can obtain each person's relevant details.

Please contact Kandie Koed (kandie (at) totalstructures (dot) com or phone 805-676-3322) if you have any questions.