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

Spring Storm in Thailand Topples Stage and Kills One

June 17, 2013 - Phuket, Thailand.  A poorly built stage canopy and adjacent speaker towers fell-over during high winds at Paphan Hin public park.  One person seeking shelter near the stage was crushed and killed instantly by the weight of the speakers that fell on him.  The stage was erected for a Prison Fair where furniture and other goods fabricated by the prisoners are sold to benefit them.

Witnesses say a 62 year old man that was a motorbike taxi driver, Mohammad Poksakul, sat near the stage and when a 60 kph wind gust pushed the canopy sideways, it forced the 10m tall speaker tower over, which in-turn, fell on to him and killed him.

The victim lies covered-up, stage canopy at right, stage left speaker tower in background.

Toppled Speaker Tower at Stage Left - Note lightweight scaffold framing.
The base does not appear to haven any anchor plates.

View of Stage Right Canopy Supports - Note that they only provide vertical support - no lateral stabilizers, the base was not anchored to the ground.  The orange straps appear to have been guy-lines that tore loose from their attachment points.

Concert season is windy season everywhere.  Be alert to bozos that do not understand how to secure the stage.  Be alert to promoters that don't evacuate the area when storms approach.

Be well hung

The PLASA International Rigging Conference, first held in 2010, has announced it's schedule for the Fall 2011 event in London, England.  Last year's event was the first of its kind, and provided a unique specialist forum that will brought together rigging companies, riggers, venue operators, tour and event production managers from around the globe. They focused specifically on rigging and working at height for temporary installations.
As the entertainment technology industry is going through a process of standardisation, there is a need for the international community to come together and discuss key issues, share knowledge and dispel myths. The expertise on offer at this conference will allow you to do that, with presentations from top industry individuals from the global rigging community.

With a balanced programme of presentations, panel discussions, Q&A sessions, and live demonstrations, the 2-day conference is designed to give you clarity on a wide range of current issues and will allow you the opportunity to air your questions and concerns with industry experts and your peers from around the globe.

A new event this year will be a one-day Rigger's Forum on September 11, just before the main conference.  This has been arranged to allow many that cannot attent the main conference to benefit from the great gathering of experts.
Registration and Conferencde Information can be found at:
http://www.plasariggingconference.com/

The PLASA Show will cun concurrently with the Rigging Conference from September 12 through 14, 2011 

OSHA Cranes and Derricks Standard as iPhone App

December 14 - The Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA - http://www.scranet.org/) now offers a free mobile phone application for instantly accessing all necessary crane hand signals. The new application is available in the iTunes App Store (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/crane-operator-hand-signals/id403502739?mt=8) and Blackberry App World (http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/18294?lang=en).

Every signal included is compliant with the new OSHA Cranes and Derricks Standard, Appendix A to Subpart CC of Part 1926-Standard Hand Signals. Each signal is shown graphically so that operators can quickly and easily reference the appropriate signal for each command. All signals are available in English and Spanish.

This new app is intended for use before entering the workplace. SC&RA does not encourage the use of smartphones on jobsites.  The Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA) is an international trade association of more than 1,300 members from 43 nations. Members are involved in specialized transportation, machinery moving and erecting, industrial maintenance, millwrighting, crane and rigging operations, manufacturing and rental.

The U.S. Department of Labor‘s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a historic new standard, addressing the use of cranes and derricks in construction and replacing a decades old standard. The significant number of fatalities associated with the use of cranes and derricks in construction and the considerable technological advances in equipment since the publication of the old rule, issued in 1971, led the Labor Department to undertake this rulemaking.
 
The final rule was published on August 9, 2010 by the Federal Register and became effective 90 days later.  The rule can be found at http://www.osha.gov/FedReg_osha_pdf/FED20100809.pdf.

A copy of the regulatory text is available at: http://www.osha.gov/doc/cranesreg.pdf

Honesty is always the best safety policy: CM Steps-up to the Challenge

Well known electric chain hoist manufacturer Columbus-McKinnon (Commonly known as 'CM') issued a statement reminding customers about a known safety issue with some of their hoists.  This Safety statement pertains to questions about brake retaining pins on the company's hoists.

The company statement follows:

"There has been some information circulating recently within the Entertainment Industry in reference to brake retaining pins on Columbus McKinnon Hoists. This issue goes back to 2006 when Columbus McKinnon issued the attached notice concerning a small number of brake retaining pins for the following hoists: Prostar, Shopair, Shopstar, Shophoist, Model CPS, Budgit Series, Coffing SLC, Little Mule SLM and Yale SAL powered chain hoists built between February 2005 and April 2006. The serial numbers that were affected had the last two letters of RP, RQ, RR, RS, RT, RU, RV, RW, RX, RY, RZ, SA, SB, SC and SD.


"Columbus McKinnon did notify at that time every distributor that purchased the affected hoists and sent out replacement pins. Our distributors did a good job of notifying their customers and having the pins replaced. However it has come to our attention that some end users of the affected hoists may not have replaced the brake pins. If you have a hoist model and serial number listed above and the brake pin has not been replaced, please contact Columbus McKinnon directly at the number below.


Dean Sullins or Lee Gregor
1-800-634-4647
dean.sullins@cmworks.com
lee.gregor@cmworks.com"

Support manufacturer's that support your safety (and the gear above your heads).  CM LoadStar Hoist School is a great way to get first-person training (www.cmcodepot.com/cm-ettraining.aspx) regarding the hoists used by many of the touring show professionals around the world.

Visit CM's Entertainment Industry hoist web site (www.cm-et.com/) for more information.  These are versions of their commercial hoists that are specifically tailored to the unique needs of the show production industry.

It should be well hung when its wall hung.

Not everything gets rigged from above. Sometimes it is necessary to hang a cantelever load off a wall. This speaker weighs about 125 pounds and is supported from below by a steel bracket bolted to the wall, and the top is tied-back with an interesting mix of hardware.
This is a close-up of the top rigging. I could not see how the link chain was terminated to the top of the speaker. There is link chain (not rated for overhead lifting), connected to an aluminum turnbuckle (not moused, not rated for overhead lifting) via an open-ended hook at one end and an open eye bolt at the other; connected to a forged turnbuckle eye; via a stainless steel screw-pin shackle (unknown rating, but clearly not marked) that is not safety-wired (moused). The forged turnbuckle eye that was used to go through the wall should have been a sholder eye bolt with a large diameter hardened flat washer -- you can see how the base of the eye in pulled into the CMU block, possibly cracking it due the wedging forces.
When we go around to the back-side of the wall we find that the installer drilled through from the front and spalled the CMU block, then installed a mild steel flat washer and no lock-washer.
This speaker, and it brother on the opposite side of the stage, were mounted right above the walking paths of all those that came onto the stage. Also of note, although not a safety issue, was that this speaker was pointed straight-out from the wall toward a point about eight feet above the last row of seats -- whatever happened to the idea of aiming a speaker at the people? Obviously installed by someone that did not understand rigging or acoustics!