Orchestra Pit Cover Collapse During Performance Injures 28

Anaheim, California 2014-03-10 - Students performing an energetic dance routine on the extended forestage at Servite Catholic High School were injured when the stage collapse into the Orchestra Pit below.  The auditorium was originally constructed in the 1980's and the stage extension / pit cover was added in 1996.  Images from the accident scene show what appears to be a modular structure that was built by the school, not a commercially available staging system.

Local Police and Emergency Rescue were called to the scene to extract injured performers and transport them to the hospital as needed.  Some injuries were minor scrapes and bruises, and sprained ankles, while 24 students were transported, some on back-boards with possible neck and back injuries, and a report of broken bones.

Looking into the Orchestra Pit after the Stage Extension Collapsed
(Photo Courtesy of the Anaheim Police Department)

The structure will be inspected to discover the exact nature of the failure.  Although persons interviewed by local papers said that the collapse was unforeseeable (blogger comment: not likely), and later comments (in the follow-up section of this post) show that there was some forewarning (visible sagging) prior to the floor giving-way.

The Anaheim Fire Marshal and Building Inspectors were on scene Sunday investigating what caused the collapse, said Lt. Tim Schmidt of the Anaheim Police Department.  “It looks like, on its face, that too much weight was on the stage than what it was originally built for,” Schmidt said Sunday night.

The high school's platform stage was previously permitted for use, Schmidt said.  Now investigators will be rechecking that permit to see if it included a weight restriction or a limit as to the number of people who could safely be on the stage at one time.

Schmidt said he expected the investigation, which is being led by the Anaheim Fire Department, to take up to two weeks.  He added that Servite has been cooperative in the investigation.  “They want to find out what happened as much as we do.”

Follow-up 2014-03-14:

A news article by the local NBC4 I-team reveals that no permits were ever made for the stage extension addition.  Also from the article we quote:

Carly Yates, a former ballet student and a current NBC4 intern, had danced on the stage for years.
 
She said she and her fellow dancers were always concerned about the safety of the stage.
 
“There was something wrong it,” says Yates.
 
She says dancers would wait below the stage until it was their turn to perform.
 
"When you were underneath the stage in the [make-shift] Green Room [(orchestra pit)], you saw the boards were flimsy," she said.  "They would bend and down as the dancers on top if it danced on it."

Risk Management for Rigging from ProSoundWeb

Andrew Martin, the originator of ATM Flyware, wrote a good guide for managing your show rigging assets in the March 28, 2013 edition of ProSoundWeb.  The article provides a short overview of Risk Management Guidelines and provides a series of example graphics to show you specific points of concern to watch-out for.

Example of SpanSet / Round Sling Inspection Points

The article can be found here:  www.prosoundweb.com/article/hanging_out_risk_management_for_rigging

Gut Feeling Can Prevent Accidents

A Pat Benatar benefit concert scheduled for Friday, June 21, 2013 was cancelled at the bequest of her stage crew.  Upon arrival to the venue, an outdoor covered arena in Iverness, Florida, the crew was presented with a stage platform that they did not think was robust enough for the show.  Rather than risk the potential for a structural collapse, they requested that the promoter have the stage structure inspected and reinforced.  A local engineer was brought-in to certify the stage, but the caveats included with the inspection did not satisfy them in time to mount the show.

An article at Celebrity Examiner (www.celebrityexaminer.com/2013/06/26/benatar-releases-photos-of-substandard-stage) describes the scenario at length. Below are some picture released by Pat Benatar and her husband Neil Biraldo that show the deficiencies they found.  It is noteworthy that a performer and crew would postpone an event until it can be presented safely, rather than throwing caution to the wind and saying "Damn the torpedos - full steam ahead!

Just because it might have worked doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a second look.   If something looks ‘hinky’, give it a good going-over.

WalkerFest Stage
Upstage End Looking Towards Downstage Right

I’ve seen stages with these types of support legs before, and they are generally pretty strong as far as static column loading, which may have been the assumption by the engineer that allegedly certified the stage.  He may have not been considering the lateral dynamics of movements on the stage during load-in, performance, and strike.

The lack of regular diagonal (cross) bracing would make it a wobbly experience.  Note that the 2x4 diagonals shown along the upstage end are not pinned in place to fix their length, instead, they are only pinched against the suport legs with C-Clamps, a connection that can slip loose when loaded becasue it is only held together by friction.

 

WalkerFest Stage
Understage View Looking From Upstage Towards Downstage Right

The understage picture shows the manufacturer’s Quick Connect Braces along the downstage row of support legs, but does not show any other intermediate braces or braces along the side stage support legs.

Surprisingly, the manufacturer’s catalog (www.graniteind.com/DOWNLOADS-SeatingStagingFencing.asp) has a chart of the required number of diagonal braces (not cross-braces) that are recommended for stages of various sizes, and it appears to advocate only installing the diagonal braces at about 50-90% of the perimeter locations, with none at the interior supports; whereas their competitor, BilJax (Model ST8100, www.biljax.com/products/events, also sold as AlphaDeck in Europe, www.alphadeckstaging.com recommends a higher number of X-Braces along both axes and between the interior support legs.

The stage in the photos appears to be about 54” tall (as measured by counting the hole spacing in the legs), and according to both Granite and BilJax, stages over 48” tall should have two sets of braces at the recommended minimum spacing.

Stages need diagonal bracing along both axes,  not just one, and all support legs should be braced to prevent them from being skewed from vertical by unexpected circumstances.

The 2x2 or 2x4 stringers seen running along beside the support leg feet do not appear to be attached to the support legs, but even if they were, they would only serve to keep the feet spaced relative to each-other, not to counteract any parallelogram type collapse of the structure.  Diagonal X-braces would both prevent the legs from tilting away from vertical and provide sway-bracing for the entire stage structure.

The foot-pads on the ends of the support legs are resting on what appears to be a dirt arena floor (but it could be dust on a concrete floor, or a canvas drop-cloth – it’s really difficult to tell from the pictures).  Note the plywood square ‘mud seals’ lying adjacent to each leg – they were NOT installed, so the legs could sink into the surface below if it is not a concrete deck.  The ground surface appears dry in the picture, but that doesn’t mean it will stay dry; nor does it mean that the ground is dry and compacted below the visible surface.

HEY!  Er, ah, HAY!  What's that hay doing under the stage?  It's a fire hazard that should have been removed, too.

Show Some Moxy.  If it 'just don't look right', then verify that it will be safe.  Risk Analysis is part of your job!

Video Display Falls On Family, 1 Killed, 4 Injured

On Friday, March 22, 2013, a family returning home from a spring vacation in Florida had a stop-over in Alabama at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport that had tragic consequences:  A Video Display showing Flight Arrivals for the airlines toppled-over without warning and trapped a Mother and four children under it.  One of the children, a 10-year-old boy, did not survive.

Passersby rushed to lift the multi-screen video display off the family, and it's estimated weight of 300-400 pounds required six people to lift it up.  ABC News coverage can be found here:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/large-airport-sign-falls-family-kills-boy/story?id=18797015#.UVLNIzebVrs

Witnesses described the display to be a free-standing assembly that was not anchored to the wall behind it.  It appeared that the structural integrity of the floor, although concrete, may not have been sufficient to support the weight of the front-heavy unit.  Investigators are working to determine if the framework failed, or the floor failed.  The accident occurred only weeks after the airport had completed a $201 million dollar remodeling.

Update 2013-03-27:  The City of Birmingham has stated that the cabinet that contained the video monitors is considered furniture and was not under their jurisdiction to inspect because it was not a structural component of the building.  The cabinet was a freestanding item, and descriptions by witnesses say that it appeared to be attached to the floor with construction adhesive, with no bolts or other fasteners.  The Alabama Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have also said that the device was not under their jurisdiction.

Update 2013-03-31:  Luke Bresette, 10, was killed by the falling sign, while his 5-year-old brother Tyler suffered a concussion, and his 8-year-old brother Sam had a broken leg and nose. The boys’ mother, Heather Bresette, had broken ankles, a crushed pelvis and was in intensive care in the University of Alabama-Birmingham Hospital after surgery.

The father, Ryan Bresette, and another son and daughter, were at the airport but not injured.
Birmingham, Ala.-based Brasfield & Gorrie and Bloc Global Services Group are the construction management team for the $201.6 million modernization project, which began in June 2012

------------------------------

Although this accident did not occur in a performance venue, it is important to note that many theatres utilize video displays in lobby spaces and other support spaces, including classrooms.  When was the last time anyone checked to see how your TV's, Projectors, and speakers are properly secured?

 TyWrap Wrigging doesn't cut it.

More information about video display mounting can be found here:
www.digitalsignagetoday.com/article/210417/Airport-digital-signage-accident-a-wake-up-call

LED Screen Falls Injuring Three at Miami Ultra Music Festival

Thursday, March 14, 2013 - Workers setting-up modular LED display screens for the annual Miami Ultra Music Festival were trapped under screen components that fell about 30 feet (10m) from the overhead trusses.  Fortunately, Fire and Rescue teams were on the festival site preparing for the two-weekend event that runs over Spring Break.  They were able to respond immediately and free the trapped workers.  The workers were transported to local hospitals where two were checked and found to have only minor injuries, and one worker remains hospitalized with two broken legs.  The incident occurred just prior to 8:00 PM the night before the festival opens.

The City of Miami had originally passed on requiring special engineering reviews for the festival stages, but the morning after the incident, they rescinded that ruling and city engineers, building inspectors, the Miami Fire Marshal, and OSHA reviewed all six stages to ensure that they were safe.  The event opened on-schedule and over 330,000 people are anticipated to attend.  Reports coming-in the first evening of the festival indicated that more than 15 patrons were transported for medical reasons due to a variety of causes.

A video from a Miami TV station is here: http://miami.cbslocal.com/latest-videos?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=8633167

Hopefully, the recently developed Event Safety Guide organized by the Event Safety Alliance will reduce the number of worker and patron injuries over the years to come.  This assumes, of course, that cities and states chose to adopt this as a best practices manual.

Chicago Area Theatre Experiences Roof Failure

Midway Theatre's roof partially collapsed Friday, March 23, 2012. The building is at 721 East State Street in Rockford, Illinois has been vacant since about 2003.  Fortunately, no one was in the building during the collapse.

“We talked with the property owner and we ordered him to get some immediate shoring on the remaining trusses and get us an engineering report on the temporary shoring so we know it is done properly,” building code official Seth Sommer said. “Then, he will be working toward a permanent solution.”

Photo courtesy of Rockford Fire Department

Downtown architect and River District Association President Gary Anderson said the building is a historic Rockford landmark. Opened in 1918 with its signature 90-foot clock tower and curved stone facade, it serves as the eastern architectural gateway to downtown Rockford.  It is a building the Rockford Historic Preservation Commission was able to save, Anderson said, and it is listed among the city’s officially designated historic landmarks.

Although it was used as a movie house for many years, it was transformed into a community theatre, served as home to the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, and used as office space and a TV production studio for a time.

Entering buildings that used to be, or might make a good production space is risky.  One of the first things most building owner's let-go is the roof's weather seal, and this can lead to rapid rotting and rusting of structural members and ceilings, particularly plaster ceilings. Other hazards in old building can include rotted flooring and stair wells, asbestos, and mold spores due to decaying fabrics, animal feces, and even animals.  A few minor holes into a building can allow pigeons, rats, and sometimes larger animals to infest the space, and that will accelerate the rate if decay.  Further dangers include blocked exit routes, so should an entry path become blocked, there may not be another way out.

Old buildings can be wonderful treasures to restore, and can bring economic revitalization to downtown areas, but until they have been inspected by professionals and the necessary steps taken to shore-up structural elements, seal roofs, and mitigate health hazards, don't go poking around in them.

Another one's down. Another one bites the dust.

March 5, 2012 - Reggio Calabaria, Italy.  One stage hand was killed and two other injured as a space frame style stage truss structure collapsed and fell forward into the stage right side tiers of audience seating.  Fortunately, the incident occurred during the initial set-up of the equipment and there were no audience members present.

Photo courtesy of Life In Italy

The incident happened about 2:00 AM preceding the planned show the following evening.  Witnesses say one side of the stage structure slipped and collapsed sending the overhead trusses filed with lighting equipment onto Matteo Armelini, age 32.  He was killed instantly under the weight of the equipment.

Experts will now have to decide whether the collapse was caused by the failure of the Palacalafiore Sports Center’s parquet flooring to bear the weight, by poor structure design, or by human error during the erection of the structure.  The evening’s concert was cancelled.  The Reggio Calabria public prosecutor’s office has opened an inquiry and placed the entire structure under judicial seizure. Firefighters who provided assistance at the scene are seeking to establish the dynamics and causes of the incident.  Forensic police scientists have also been called in.

The stage for the Laura Pausini concert was the middle sized unit of three different stages used by the Faenza-born singer.  The stage set-up required fifteen articulated trucks to transport all the equipment.



 
At 1:00 you can clearly see the broken sport court flooring that could have possibly initiated the collapse.

This fatality comes just three months after a 20-year-old man was killed preparing the stage for a show by Italian rock star Jovanotti in Trieste.  (http://theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/stage-truss-collapse-in-italy-kills-one.html).

Looking at these pictures and correlating them to images of other similar truss collapses shows that they almost never fall straight down, but instead topple to one side as the corner joints give-way.  More attention needs to be placed on diagonal bracing to help prevent this type of failure mode.

For those of you rigging these types of structures:  it's time to review the proper assembly instructions with the manufacturers and make sure that all the parts are being installed properly.  Checking load limits (not guessing - actually calculating real loads) and checking the structure components for signs of stress, like kinks, cracks, and metal fractures should be done for each and every build.

Fork Lift Safety - There's an App for that

Select Equipment has launched Forklift Safety Pro, the first ever Forklift Daily Inspection Mobile Application for Apple’s iOS platform to run on iPhone, iPod, and iPad.  A version for Google’s Android operating system will be launched shortly.

The Forklift Safety Pro application allows lift truck operators to complete their daily or pre-shift inspections electronically using their iPhone or iPod mobile device.  The completed inspection reports are then transmitted electronically to the email address of your choosing, typically a supervisor or dedicated inspection form repository.


According to Dale Verseput, Select Equipment’s Director of Sales, “The daily and pre-shift inspection reports as required by OSHA under Section 1910.178(q)(7) really lend themselves to the portability of a mobile application.  With Forklift Safety Pro, the employer has an inspection report which is Date/Time Stamped, is secure and durable, and can be archived in a paperless format.”

Other features of the application include a daily safety question, a counter which lets the operator know how many days are left before he or she is required to be “re-certified”, and if needed, an OSHA incident report form, a service request form, and an unsafe vehicle reporting form.

Additional Resources and Safety Video:
http://theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/forklift-incident-drops-led-screen-on.html

Rigging Report Card - Pass? -or- Fail!

J.R. Clancy Company, one of the largest Stage Rigging component manufacturers in the world, has introduced a new posting section on their Facebook photos page.  It is a Bad Rigging Photo of the Week.  Log in and check it out.  Scary is an understatement.  www.facebook.com/JRClancy

These pictures, and similar ones I post here in the Theatre Safety Blog, and those that I show in my USITT workshops "What's Wrong With This Picture?" are all intended to make you take pause and think about what may be lurking in your theatre, or that theatre that you may be traveling to for your next show.

These types of poorly thought-out assemblies really go to show you how important it is to have your facility inspected by an objective party.  Things that you may casually dismiss because you've come to see them every day may actually be a really serious hazard.  A fresh set of eyes can be key to getting a wake-up call.  Independent Consultants (insert shameless plug for my company, Teqniqal Systems, here) can be a great resource for this as they work objectively and are not interested in selling you new equipment, just seeing that you are aware of the current state of affairs with your facility.

The NFPA 80 Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives, 5.2, requires that you have your Fire Curtain inspected annually, so this is a good time to have the rest of the rigging system inspected as well.  If your facility is operating under OSHA (State plan, or Federal plan, or even if it's not - it's still a really good idea), then you are required to have your Rigging Systems inspected annually.

Not to be forgotten, your Smoke Vents (an important part of the Fire Curtain System along with the Fire Doors) must be tested annually.  Your Smoke Vents should have rigging that facilitates the operation from the stage floor level (don't tell me you are going to go to the grid iron deck to open them to clear-out extraneous atmospheric effects or summer heat).  This smoke hatch rigging (be it mechanical or motorized) must be inspected semi-annually as a part of the Smoke Vent inspections.  Ref: NFPA 204 Standard for Smoke and Heat Venting, 12.4.3.5.

Ask a lot of questions about the report that you are going to pay for.  What does the inspection include / exclude?  How long will it take?  Who should be present?

"Will you shut me down if I fail?" is a common question I get.  My answer is this:  I'm just the messenger.  I report what I see and put it in context so you and your administration can understand it and the potential consequences.  I quote relevant building or safety codes, if applicable to the situation.  I am not the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction).  You are my customer, so I report to you.  Your building condition is your business, so you can act on the report as you deem appropriate.  Hopefully, you will get the broken stuff fixed.

One thing at a time:  Typically, a Rigging System Safety Assessment report will NOT include any design or specific engineered solutions.  It is only a report on the conditions.  Why is this excluded?  At the time I contract with you to perform the inspection, I will usually only know the general nature of the building layout and rigging systems, I will not yet have seen any of the actual conditions - how could I possibly estimate the cost of my services to (re)design a fix for what I have not seen?

"How much does this cost?" is the battle cry of the administrators.  Don't be smug and ask them why it matters - or retort "Would they rather pay for a funeral?"  That's not the question.  "How much does it cost?" means that they need to find the funds and understand the value.  When they understand what this inspection entails, why it is important and/or necessary, then they can address the funding issue. You can help the process by remaining calm and professional.  Drama Queens can alienate the administrators if they present more bluster than facts.  A good consultant can help you to educate them about this investment / recurring annual maintenance cost.

A little help on your part can be useful, too.  Do some research with your insurance provider, safety department, or even your regional / national arts groups.  Sometimes they have grant money available to help defray the cost of this work.  If it involves facility planning (that is what this is - planning for necessary improvements) and/or safety, the money is usually out there.

The answer, like so many things in life, is: "It depends."  You should be suspicious of anyone that offers you a "Free" or "Discounted" rigging assessment.  It will likely be worthless and largely incomplete.  This type of work takes time.  Time = Money.  No one makes a living on 'free'.  At a minimum, you are paying for the person's travel time and expenses to and from your facility, the time on-site actually testing, inspecting, observing, interviewing, photographing, and documenting what they find.  They then must organize all their findings into a coherent report that addresses your specific facility and put the information in context.  Each item should be clearly tagged with recommendations as to what needs removed, repaired, replaced, re-designed, etc.  The time expended writing the report can be many times the hours spent on-site.

The "It depends" factor is complex:  Do you have a walk-on gridiron?  Or do I need to rent a man-lift to go up a bazillion feet?  Do you have 1, 2, or 3 loading galleries?  How many line sets do you have?  How many are motorized?  Is this a Union House?  Am I inspecting just the Rigging System, or am I doing the Drapes,  Fire Curtain, Smoke Vents, and all the scabbed-on rigging at the Tormentors, Beam Electrics, Speaker Clusters, and Orchestra Shell components?  Is there an Orchestra Pit Lift?  Am I inspecting Fire Doors, Fire Alarms, and/or any other Life Safety Systems?

Be efficient with your investment.  Is your facility part of a School or College District that has multiple venues?  If so, then seriously consider having all the venues inspected under one contract.  No, this isn't a money grab.  It is about identifying the sources of problems.  If your inspector can assess 2, 4, or a dozen facilities as a whole, then the report you receive should be more manageable.  The areas of common concern can be discussed once, and the unique 'features' of each system or building can be addressed individually.  This allows you and your administration to see items that are systemic in nature and those that are local in nature.  A big picture that speaks to all of the district's Theatre Safety needs can be a powerful impetus for change and improvements.

Once the report is written and submitted, you will have a chance to read it and discuss it with your staff.  Don't shoot the messenger.  Understand that the inspector does not have an agenda, they are not 'out to get you', they are not seeking to close-down your theatre.

As Sergeant Joe Friday would say: "Just the facts, ma'am."  Don't interpret the safety report as an indictment of your operations or management.  It is not.  However, it may point to some areas of your operations that could use improvement.  The most dangerous part of a rigging system is the people that operate it.  Use your rigging safety report to improve your policies, methodologies, and show preparation.  Use it to plan repairs, upgrades, and service.  Learn from it.

Questions?  Call me or write me!

Pink Gets Banged-up In Fall From Flying Harness. "Steel barrier-1 Pink-0"

July 16, 2010, Nuremberg, Germany.  According to Pink (30-year-old Alecia Beth Moore), she was "a little embarrassed" and apologized to her fans who had shown up to see her perform. She said that the reason she fell is she was incorrectly clipped to a safety harness.  She went on to say that she had no serious problems, no broken bones, just a pretty bruised ego.

The star slipped out of a harness which was supposed to carry her across the crowd.  Instead, she was dragged off the stage and into a into a crowd control barricade.  There is a video clip shot by an audience member (http://www.thedailybeast.com/video/item/pink-falls-on-stage) of her two assistants helping her into the harness just before the incident, but their costumes blocked the view of the procedure.  As she was about to be pulled into the air over the fans, she raises her arms into the air to make an "X", possibly a 'no-go' sign for the fly crew.  She is then pulled forward and you can here her say "no-no..." and then the harness comes loose and drags her off of the stage along with two assistants that appear to be entangled in the fly lines.  You see her stage right assistant being flung off the stage and into the audience.  There is no news available regarding injuries to the assistants or audience members.

Pink was reported to have argued a bit about leaving during her concert, but was obviously in pain and knew that all medical precautions had to be taken (smart girl!).  She climbed back up onto the stage so that fans could see she was not injured seriously, and was then taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital for observation.  The concert in was halted.

On the way to the hospital she twittered: "To all my nurnberg fans - I am so so so sorry to end the show that way. I am embarrassed and very sorry. I'm in ambulance now but I will b fine,".

"Didn't get clipped in2 harness correctly, drug me off stage, fell in2 barricade. Getting xrays. I hope it at least looked cool!!!"

Later, she wrote on Twitter: "Nothing's broken, no fluid in the lungs, just seriously sore."

She also apologized to fans for having to cut her concert short.

She later tweeted: "Full steam ahead people.  No pain, no gain. or is it no brain, no pain? either way, I will be on that stage, even if I have to crawl."

Carey Hart, Pink's husband, blogged to fans: "Fyi, @pink is out of the hospital and all good. Just got the sh** kicked out of her by the barrier. Steel barrier-1 Pink-0"

'Paint it black' isn't just a song by the Rolling Stones

Dontcha just hate those glaring  EXIT  signs?  Some director's sure do.  They'll go so far as having the stage crew cover them up, or better yet:  Paint over them!

This is a great way to get a big fat fine from your Fire Marshal or the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction), as it is an obvious deliberate act.

While we're on the subject of  EXIT  signs, it is important that you file a written request for repairs whenever you find them damaged or otherwise disfunctional.  Common problems with  EXIT  signs are:

• Lamps burned-out (LED replacement lamps are very cost-effective).
• Glass / Acrylic letters broken or missing (leaving exposed bulb).
• Failed Battery Back-up (you have to test these at prescribed intervals per the NFPA).
• Broken or Missing Covers.
• Sign units torn from the wall and hanging by wires.
• Sign units missing (I see these in brand new buildings!)
• Sign units over doors that are not really Fire Exits (I see these in brand new buildings!).
• Sign units above / adjacent to overhead rolling doors.
• Sign units in  Black Box  theatres covered by perimeter drapery tracks so that audience can't see them.
• 'Light-pipe' designs that don't effectively pipe the light to the sign (internal obstruction or bad product design?).
• Sign units that are obscured by pipes, ducts, tracks, junk, stuff, scenery, greenery, or other crud.

Dance the night away - but not your life.

Keeping, building, or replacing your stage floor so that it is properly sprung, free of cracks, splinters, protruding screw / nail / staple heads, and other little things that can cause serious injuries to dancers and actors should be a continuous process.  Keep the stage swept and clear of debris, watch for discontinuities between adjacent panel edges, floor pocket lids that don't close properly, are missing, or where the entire lid is not installed flush to the surrounding floor area.  Also watch for wall plates installed on floors and loose trim strips that join adjacent flooring areas.

If your stage floor is not sprung, then it should be a priority to have it replaced with a properly constructed floor that will work for your productions, dance, and other general uses.  There are many ways to construct floors that will last and be functional, so enlisting an expert (like a Theatre Consultant) that has experience in this area can be very helpful.  There are many possible materials to be used, and each has advantages and drawbacks.  Knowing what works, and what doesn't, can save money and injuries.

Another dangerous item on stage is old footlight troughs.  If they are not locked and you step on them, or maybe set a scaffoding leg or man-lift outrigger on them, they can fail or flip-over.  Equipment and people can topple and cause major injuries and damage.  This blogger knows of at least one dance instructor that had a career-ending spiral break of the leg bones that left them out of work for months and will never be able to dance professionally again.  That's serious stuff!

Resources:
http://www.danceusa.org/dancerhealth
ANSI E1.26 - 2006 - Recommended Testing Methods and Values for Shock Absorption of Floors Used in Live Performance Venues - http://www.ansi.org/
Dance This Dance That Blog - www.danceartkl.blogspot.com/2005/09/5-common-dance-injuries-how-to-treat.htm
Harlequin Floors FAQ - http://www.harlequinfloors.com/uk/dance-area/about-dance-injuries.html
Center Stage FAQ: http://www.centerstagellc.com/health/importance-of-proper-dance-flooring-injury-prevention-dancer-longevity/

KCACTF Region 6 - Safety Workshops

The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival will be holding an event in Amarillo, Texas (home of the Big Texan Steak House) at the Globe News Performing Arts Center on February 23 thru 27.  Info at: http://www.kcactf6.org/

I'll be presenting two Theatre Safety Workshops:

• Friday at 2:00 PM we'll talk about the House Manger's role in Theatre Safety
• Saturday at 1:30 PM we'll talk about the Stage Manger's role in Theatre Safety

Play Safe!

It's about time . . . to replace your smoke detector.

Most theatres have Smoke Detectors as a part of their Fire Detection and Alarm System.  For many years these devices have been the bane of Stage Managers because they unexpectedly trip a Fire Alarm when smoke, fog, haze, dust or other atmospheric effects are used during shows.  Building and Fire codes have recognized this problem and some now require that smoke detectors in the fly loft are replaced with Rate-of-Rise type thermal detectors. These detectors are not sensitive to visible atmospheric effects, but instead look at how rapidly the temperature changes.  That works great if you have a burning fire, but does little to detect a smoldering fire.  A smoldering fire can ruin drapes and scenery, and if unchecked, can leak smoke into other parts of a facility as well.

In recognition that fires are serious events in performance spaces, and also that false alarms can be quite disruptive to a show, several manufacturers have developed sensors that employ multiple fire detection technologies.  One of these stands-out above the rest and should be considered when upgrading your systems to meet the current fire safety codes (or to get rid of those pesky false alarms):  It is the 2251-COPTIR Advanced Multi-Criteria Fire Detector manufactured by System Sensor (http://www.systemsensor.com/).

The sensor’s four elements — photoelectric, thermal, carbon monoxide (CO), and infrared — all work together to intelligently analyze the environment and decide whether the sensors are detecting a true fire condition or a nuisance condition. The Advanced Multi-Criteria Fire Detector samples the environment every five seconds with each of these four elements and will only sound the alarm when at least two of the four elements positively confirm a fire.

Having these sensing elements working in tandem is what sets the detector apart from any other technology available on the market. The confirmation and intelligent assessment capabilities will also prove to be ideal for places that are prone to nuisance alarms. Such sites include theaters and other entertainment venues that use special effect smoke.

“It allows us to provide the most accurate fire detection possible while providing superior nuisance rejection for those problem sites,” said Todd Alford, product manager. “Different fires have different characteristics, and each fire is a little bit different. By combining four elements, we can successfully filter out nuisance concerns and provide accurate fire detection.”

One side note:  The detector's CO (Carbon Monoxide) sensor has a limited life span and must be replaced about every 5-6 years.  The good news is that just because the CO detector ceases to function after that time, doesn't mean that the rest of the Multi-Function fire detector quits working - it just looses one of it's areas of sensitivity.  A small price to pay for virtually no false alarms.  Besides that, if you KNOW it must be replaced after a finite time, then you can PLAN FOR IT, and GET IT IN THE BUDGET and ONTO THE MAINTENANCE CALENDAR — what a concept — planning for an equipment failure — before it happens.
 
Check-out their web site — it has cool videos demonstrating the technology, data sheets, white papers, and more.

Also,  System Sensor OEM's this product to multiple Fire Alarm Panel manufacturers.  Notifier offers it as IntelliQuad with the model number FSC-851.  Gamewell-FCI offers it as 4-WARN with the model number FCS-4-WARN.  Honeywell offers it as COPITR, with the model number TC840C1000.  And finally, Johnson Controls offers it as COPTIR with the model number 2951J-COPTIR.

Caveat:  Fly lofts above stages can become very warm in the summer months, particularly in warmer climates, so warm in fact, that conventional 165°F fusible links can sometimes separate prematurely.  Selecting, configuring, and installing the correct type of sensor must be done by a licensed fire protection professional so that all of these factors can be taken into account.  Don't expect them to fully understand the temperature profile of your fly loft - have them measure it under worst-case conditions so they know what to expect.

Auditorium Safety Webinar Now Available at SchoolDude

These folks have graciously invited me to co-present a webinar about auditorium safety management. The event was live on Nov 18, 2009 and titled "Facility Masters Webinar Series: Auditorium and Theatre Safety".  It has been archived and can be viewed at http://discover.schooldude.com/forms/2009-11-RY-FM-MD-AuditoriumSafety.

At the SchoolDude web site you can watch and listen to the presentation by Host Roger Young, New Mexico Deputy Fire Marshal Ray Wolf, myself, and SchoolDude Mayor David Kornegay.  There are also many document and presentation downloads available.

Depending upon your area of theatre involvement, some aspects of this webinar may not seem interesting, however, please be patient and take the time to watch and listen all the way through it. There are points of information throughout it that relate directly to the theatre safety issues.  Please pass this link on to your school maintenance and management officials, too, so that they can see how facility management relates to theatre safety.

Busted!

Standardized set pieces for One Act Play competition need love, too! Drop them and they break. The next thing that might break is the actor using it. Don't just toss them into trucks, trailers, and storage rooms. Always inspect and repair before use! Look closely, and you can see that the lower 1x3 stabilizers both have knots in them and they are cracking. Yet another failure mode in progress.

Student stagehands take note: These things are heavy and shouldn't be moved by one person - You can hurt your back by lifting too much.

You should also be wearing ANSI standard steel-toed OSHA approved work boots (PPE). If you drop a piece like this on your foot it can do a lot of damage if you are wearing flip-flops, sandals, or tennis shoes.

And lastly: This is another good reason to be wearing leather gloves (PPE) when you are moving these things -- they can have nails, staples, tacks, and splinters that can really rip you up.

Electrical Safety - Grounding continuity

When you think that your lighting batten is inherently grounded, you may want to check that it really is grounded. Modern rigging systems use Nylatron (plastic) pulleys and the counterweight carraige arbor shoes may be Nylon, leaving the only electrical path back to the safety ground as the ground wire in the SO power cable or flexible conduit that feeds your plugstrip or plugbox. If the fixed conduit or flex conduit body is the only ground path you have, then the ground is broked (open circuit) if the conduit becomes separated.

The same is true if your ground lead on a lighting instrument becomes disconnected. This can happen several ways:

• A two wire connector (an old style two-pin 2P&G stage plug or a two-bladed Edison plug) is installed on a three-wire cable
• A ground-lift adapter is installed on the end of a normally grounded NEMA 5-15P connector
• The wire breaks internally
• The wire gets yanked-out of the connector body
• The wire gets yanked out of the lighting instrument body

In any case, you are in a situation that would let the fault current of an internal problem in a lighting instrument look for another path back to the source, and that path may be you!

"We don't have to get it inspected, do we?"

That is a common whine I hear from theatre owners / facility managers all the time. Sometimes it's followed by "We're exempt!" Really? Where does this drivel come from?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) publishes a standard for the use of industrial winch and hoist machinery. That is Stage Rigging Equipment to you and me.

OSHA “29 CFR 1926.550 Cranes and derricks,” paragraph (a)(6):
“A thorough, annual inspection of the hoisting machinery shall be made by a competent person, or government or private agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. The employer shall maintain a record of the dates and results of inspections for each hoisting machine and piece of equipment.”

You can’t get much clearer than that.

"Hoisting machinery" is anything that hoists. It does not have to be motorized.

I cannot find anywhere in the OSHA Regulations that exempts any school (public or private), church, municipality (State, County, City, School District), or non-profit organization (i.e. community theatre).

It’s up to facility owners to be sure that stage rigging equipment is in top working order. The inspections are intended to protect the staff, students, and guests from using mis-designed, mis-installed, damaged, or worn-out equipment. Inspections can also shield the institution from potential lawsuits should there be an accident, and it can prevent the assessment of fines should there be an OSHA inspection. Yes, you can be fined by OSHA just for not having a record of the inspections, let alone not actually having the inspections.

A "competent person" would typically be either a Theatre Consultant or Stage Rigging Company that has experience in this area. The person doing your inspection should, however, be looking at the big picture when they come into your facility. I frequently find recently installed or recently inspected stage rigging systems that have gross violations of other safey codes immediately adjacent to the rigging equipment, and discover that no one had mentioned or reported those conditions when filing their final reports.

If it involves safety, "NOT MY JOB" can't be used to side-step the issue. You see it. You report it. Period.