Fan injured by unsecured canon equipment sues promotor

William Mueller Jr. sued Live Nation and others, in St. Louis County Circuit Court in March 2013.  Mueller claims he suffered injuries to his groin and upper thigh and suffered pain, mental distress, and temporary loss of consortium (see below).  Mueller says he attended the KISS concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on August 27, 2012 when a cannon was discharged during the band's final song.

He claims he was standing at his assigned seat when the cannon "exploded and with great force launched a metal ratchet tie-down strap" that hit him.  "(P)rior to this incident plaintiff had been diagnosed with a rare brain cancer (Esthesioneuroblastoma) and had experienced major surgeries and intense radiation therapy," he says in the complaint. "At the time of his injury, plaintiff's body was in a weakened and vulnerable condition.  Defendants owed to plaintiff the duty to exercise the highest degree of care for his safety.  [The] Defendants actions, conduct, or omissions were negligent, negligent per se, or both and were not those of a reasonably prudent person."


While the band KISS is known for outrages theatrical performances from raised platforms amidst fireballs, canons, smoke machines, and pyrotechnics, it would be reasonable to assume as an attendee of the concert that there would be precautions taken to ensure the audiences' safety.

Mueller seeks actual and punitive damages for negligence.  He is represented by David Diamond of St. Peters, Missouri.

The band KISS is not a party to the complaint.  The defendants are Contemporary Group Acquisition, Live Nation Worldwide, Live Nation Entertainment, All Access Staging & Productions, and Live Nation general manager Leslie Ramsey.

**********************

Loss of consortium is a legal principle that awards monetary compensation for the damages that an individual had to suffer because of family member being injured or for being deprived of a normal family relationship. Damages can mean the loss of love, emotional relations and other services offered by a family member or spouse, if he/she had not been injured. The injury may also have occurred because of assault and battery, wrongful death, false imprisonment, medical malpractice, negligence, sale of addictive drugs and the like.

According to the loss of consortium definition, the basis for awarding these damages is simply the inconvenience of having an injured spouse. This can also be when this injury or act has a devastating effect upon the individual filing the consortium lawsuit or if the injury can directly affect the individual’s personality such as getting depressed or general unpleasantness.

The term consortium encompasses a wide variety of meanings to include all the benefits that a person receives from another family member such as affection, companionship, cooperation, and financial support.

Have we learned nothing?

The festival season starts early in the south, and Mardi Gras is one of the first events we see set-up for numerous stages and shows.  Outdoor festival stage canopies have proven to present opportunities for accidents because they have large surfaces that can be caught by side winds and uplifting plow winds.  To counter-act the forces developed by gale-force winds, event riggers rely heavily on large ballast weights to tie-off canopy structures in an attempt to anchor the framework to the ground.

These ballast weights work well if they are massive enough for the predicted winds and effective 'sail area' presented by the canopy roof and side walls.  If they are too light, the ballast weights will just be dragged across the ground and bulldoze a path of their own.  Slippery grass, or dirt that turns to mud, just act as a lubricant to free the ballast weights up for sliding in the event of a downpour, so anchoring or pinning the ballast weights to keep them from moving is also part of a good rigging plan.  (The ballast weights shown above were not pinned or anchored to prevent sliding)

Wind is not a steady-state event.  You know that.  It gusts.  It starts and stops.  It changes direction.  It generally whips everything around a bit as it works it mayhem.  For this reason, we need to use secure connections on the guy wires for the ballast weights and stabilizing X's that are used to stiffen the structures against parallelogram movements.  If you don't, a gust of wind can slack the line, unhook the conenction(s), and you loose all anchoring in the blink of an eye.

As you can see above, the anchor ties used in the blocks in the first picture are common ratcheting tie-downs in the trucking industry, and they only have a open hook at the load securing end.  This may be de rigueur for the transport industry, but it's a no-go for event safety.  If the wind gets to blowin' and this bad boy comes loose, it could rip the flesh right off of someone unlucky enough to get in it's flailing path.

So, it was bad enough to see the above tie-down terminations at almost every corner of the stage, but then I looked further up the anchor line and found this:

Each anchor line had two possible points of failure.  Three stages and a major cable bridge over the street, all in close proximity, four to eight anchor blocks secured in this manner for each one, and two possible failure points per securement.  All of this within a city block of a major open waterway (read: obstruction-free wind-path).  Personally, I don't like those odds.

The City is relying on the Event Producers to Employ Staging Subcontractors that will erect facilities that will be safe for the (possibly highly intoxicated) general public to hang-out around and potentially be leaning-on, climbing on, or even messing with.  Plan for the worst, and you may have a chance of having an incident-free event, but if you leave opportunities for failures in the system like are shown above, be ready to pay the piper (or at least the plaintiffs).

Follow-up to commenter:
If you are going to use ratchet-straps to secure anything (subject to load rating), then utilizing products that have a self-closing clip is highly recommended.  Here is a picture of that type of ratchet and clip:

 

Deist   http://www.deist.com/inline-ratchet-tiedown-p-258.html

It is also recommended to have a wire rope safety cable that runs in parallel with this, preferably one that is only slightly longer than the final tensioned length of the ratchet strap.  This can prevent a total release of the system should the ratchet strap fail.  Fabric based straps and slings are subject to weakening due to abrasion, minor cuts, and rot.  Straps exposed to sunlight have shortened lifespans due to the exposure to UV light which weakens the fibers.

The way it is supposed to work - WORKS!

An outdoor show at Buffalo New York's Coca-Cola Field was cancelled due to threatening weather conditions on June 1st, 2012.  The event, featuring country music performer Eric Church, was delayed twice as the stage roof was lowered due to strong wind gusts, and after some of the stabilizing guy wires snapped, it was decided that it was too risky to continue with the show.

Other factors cited were increasing rain and lightning strikes in the area.  The cancellation set-off a few unruly responses from the crowd and some folding chairs were tossed onto the stage.

This is a great step forward in that the event organizers recognized that it would be better to postpone the event until a future date rather than risk injuries to performers, crew, or the audience.  The ticket holders will be given the opportunity to come back in a few weeks to see the show once it is rescheduled.

More information about the cancellation can be found here:
www.wyrk.com/eric-church-promises-free-makeup-show-in-buffalo-for-taste-of-country-2012-ticketholders-video/

And a formal statement from the event promoter is here:
www.wyrk.com/official-wyrk-statement-on-taste-of-country-2012-suspension-before-eric-churchs-set/

Industry Professionals Form Event Safety Alliance Organization

The creation of the Event Safety Alliance was announced to the public at the TourLink 2012 conference in Phoenix, Arizona during the open panel “Outdoor Show Safety Solutions” on January 28, 2012. This panel was moderated by Jim Digby and featured founding members of the Event Safety Alliance who represented all areas of our industry, from insurance coverage to structure fabrication.

The Event Safety Alliance is a group of entertainment industry leaders that have come together to address the immediate need for universal safety standards for the production of live events.  The newly formed group is based out of Austin, Texas and has posted a web site with more information.

Check them out and sign-up for their newsletter at: http://eventsafetyalliance.org/

They are also hooked-up with Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The groups is so new they don't even have a logo yet [updated: see above!], the ink is still drying on the bits, but they are tackling event safety head-on and plan to publish a Best Practices Guide in the near future.

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.

Rigging Schools set-up for December 2011 & January 2012

Columbus-McKinnon Entertainment Technology division (CMET) has scheduled more schools for rigging training.

Rigging Seminar (December 5th - 6th, 2011)
The Rigging Seminar will be presented by Eric Rouse, an ETCP Certified Rigger and ETCP Recognized Trainer. The head of the Scenic Technology program at Penn State University, Eric has been working in the industry for 20 years. He has designed fl ying systems and performed installations throughout the USA and in Japan.

• This two-day rigging seminar is an intensive exploration of rigging terminology, equipment, and concepts.
• Day one begins with basic rigging concepts and then progresses to more advanced principles. Topics will include truss rigging, fall protection, math concepts, and rigging formulas.
• Day two will cover deadhangs, bridles, and the math used to determine sling length, tension, and vertical and horizontal forces on the building structure.
• Taking this course is an excellent refresher if you are preparing for an industrial certification exam. Those individuals who are already certified will receive 12 renewal credits.

For additional information, please contact Dave Carmack at CM:

Phone: (276) 475-3124 extension 287 • Email: david.carmack@cmworks.com

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

Tomcat trusses has also announced their school for February 2012 to be held in beautiful Midland, Texas.  In 2008 in response to the changing needs of the industry and thanks to the input of a team of industry experts, TOMCAT launched a new and improved curriculum. These changes allowed participants to receive both beginning AND advanced training in their area of specialization:  Hoist or Rigging.  Participants can earn 32 renewal credits at each of these ETCP recognized workshops that provide a unique, hands-on learning experience with industry experts. Tomcat invites you to review the Hoist and Truss workshop section as well as the Rigging and Truss Workshop section to learn more about this unique training.

Tomcat Workshops include: All instruction and materials, lodging, lunches, dinners, snacks, transportation for dinner outings.

More information can be found at: http://tomcatglobal.com/workshop.html • Phone: (432) 694-7070  • Email: sales@tomcatusa.com

This is Our Summer of Discontent - Storm at Pukkelpop Festival Kills 5, Injures Over 140

2011-08-18 - Mother Nature racked-up another one today in Hasselt, Belgium.  A sever storm with high winds, hail up to 1/2" diameter, and LOTS of water made a shambles of the festival grounds and surrounding area.  There are trees uprooted and broken like toothpicks (and these are BIG trees, too), and reports of at least four stages and many tents destroyed.  Early pictures and videos show shredded tents, bent metal, and a crowd management nightmare.  More pictures here.
There were an estimated 60,000 people attending the shows, so there were few places to get in out of the down-poor and wind.  Many of those places were of questionable structural integrity being tents and portable buildings.  This was the first day of a three-day festival, and the venue was turned into mud and flooded areas in less than ten minutes.  Promoters attempted to bring-in mobile cranes to lift some of the damaged structures, but they had to postpone doing so because the heavy cranes were sinking into the soft ground.

One of those who watched a tent collapse was Laura Elegeert, 17, of Saint-Nicolas, Belgium.  She said "It was utter confusion, mass panic. People were trying to get out of this tent that collapsed by using their pocket knives and cutting holes in the fabric."

At a news conference Friday, Hasselt officials and festival organizers described weather conditions at the event's opening day as exceptional and said weather forecasters had not predicted a storm of that intensity.
The Belgian weather service refused to give the exact speed of the wind, saying only that the storm was "violent."

Images of the stage wings toppled-over show huge flat sail-like surfaces and no apparent counter-ballasts to secure the framework.
Skin, the lead singer of Skunk Anansie, which was performing on the main stage when the storm hit, described the chaos on the band's Facebook page. He said "a burning hot sunny day turned into a mini-hurricane."
"(A) tower fell onto our truck, we had to run for our lives mid-set as hail hit the stage and the wind began to tear it to pieces," he wrote. "This was the scariest moment I have ever seen or felt in my 20 years of being an artist."
ABC News coverage:  http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=14334480
Arial photos of the festival grounds the following day.  This really shows the scale of the event and the broad swath of downed trees, tents, and staging. http://album.hbvl.be/foto-album/p/3/ravage-na-drama-op-pukkelpop-luchtbeelden.aspx
This festival, and others in the region have incurred deaths in the past.  In 2000, nine people were crushed to death and 43 injured during a Pearl Jam concert, and last year 20 were killed and 342 injured during the Love Parade Festival in Duisberg, Germany.
Summer's not over yet, so let's all be careful out there!  Do you have a clear plan for a weather event?  Where to go?  Who to meet? Who to Call? When to 'call' the show?

Forklift Incident Drops LED Screen on Worker Killing Him

2011-08-08 - Thousand Oaks, California.  The owner of an LED video screen rental company was crushed and killed when the 1,500 pound screen fell from a fork lift while disassembling the unit after a show.  The incident occurred around 1:00 PM at Earl Warren Showgrounds after the weekend rodeo event.  Killed was 49 year old David Mann, owner of Jumbo Screen Company (www.jumboscreen.com).

This is an image of a similar 10' x 17' screen in use.  CalOSHA is investigating the incident and details of why the screen came loose from the fork lift are not available.  Other workers were able to lift the screen off of the victim before emergency crews could arrive, however, attempts to resuscitate the man were not successful.

Shown at right are workers surveying the damaged screen after emergency crews had transported Mr. Mann to a local hospital.

Notes for show workers:  Do NOT stand under heavy objects being lifted.  Be sufficiently far away from the object so that if they fall to the ground you will not be struck by it.  for vertically oriented objects, be outside of the height of the object so if it falls over you will not be crushed by it.  Secure your loads and double-check them.

OSHA Information regarding forklifts:
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/poweredindustrialtrucks/index.html

Forklift Safety Guide (State of Illinois):
http://www2.illinoisbiz.biz/osha/PDF/Books/01%20Eng_Forklift.pdf

And a safety video (be patient - it starts out slow and builds to a really amazing ending):

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 

Bangin' heads in the workplace

(OzMuseum.com)

At this time of year, football seems to dominate the the national attention as the Superbowl approaches.  Many types of sports present the performers (players) with opportunities for severe head injuries.  It seems like concussions have shown up in every corner of the football world over the past year:  on the field, on locker room posters, in Congressional hearings, in labor negotiations. There's even a blog devoted to them.  Whenever you talk about concussions, you inevitably end up talking about helmets.

Working in theatres is no different. We encounter low-lying beams, pipes, conduit, all-thread, the sharp edges and corners of stage lighting instruments, and the occassional metal flange or rebar sticking out where we least expect it. Of course, we also spend an inordinate amount of time around other people (Remember them? They are the most dangerous thing in the theatre!) that may not be watching where they are going with that oversized chunk of wood, scenery, ladder, or scaffolding.

Wearing a hard hat doesn't make you a geek. Get over the concern about making a fasion statement.  In fact, many theatres REQUIRE that they be worn.

The nature of our work in the theatre causes many of us to spend alot of time bent over working on stuff, so keeping a hard hat on your head can be a bit of a problem.  There is an easy fix for this:  Get a chin strap to keep your hard hat in-place.m  they cost very little and they can keep you from calling HEADS! from the catwalk as your hard hat plumets to the floor below.

One thing to keep in mind when purchasing a chin strap is to look at the clips that attach to the hard hat.  Some products only have a bent metal 'U', while others have a clip type attachment like show here.  These are much easier to keep in place and are highly recommended.

 

ANSI standard OSHA approved hard hats are fairly inexpensive (usually under $10) and the chin straps are even less.  These shoudl be fairly easy to justify for your budget, as a football helmet cost between $50 and $400.

RigCalc for smart phones and on the web

D2 Flying Effects are riggers that fly people and things.  They are also pretty savy programmers, too.  At their web site you can find RigCalc and a bevy of other software tools for making life on the fly rail easier.

They also have a Rigging Math Primer online at: www.d2flying.com/riggingmath/

There are a bunch of really handy online calculators at: www.d2flying.com/RigCalc.html

The smart phone app looks like this (2 of 4 screens shown):

A really handy app for stackin' steel bricks.

If they add a batten loading calculator to get the needed weight it will be great.

Just $9.99.  Where to get it: http://www.androidzoom.com/android_applications/productivity/rigcalc_qmvr.html

Also available for the iPhone and Blackberry with links at: http://www.rigcalc.com/
Other related blog entries:

http://theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/in-god-we-trussed-all-others-pay-499.html
http://theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/jr-clancy-releases-irigging-application.html
http://theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/arena-rigging-app-for-iphone.html

2010 LDI Show Schedule Available - Sign-up NOW!

The LDI International trade show has grown over the years to include much more than just stage lighting. You will also find sound, rigging, staging, video, projection, special effects, and thousands of tools to do your job more efficiently and safely. This year's show in Las Vegas (aka: Lo$t Wage$) runs Monday, October 18 thru Sunday, October 24 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Of particular interest is the growth of show production safety workshops being presented by ETCP trainers:

• Stage Rigging Fundamentals - two days (L27)
• Ohm's Law and Order: Essential Electrical Training - two days (L28)
• Left Brain Rigging: An A-Z on Math and how it applies to rigging - two days (L29)
• Left Brain Rigging Calculator - build your own spreadsheets for critical repetitive calculations (L30)
• Tomcat USA: Safely Building the Beast - truss system design, fall arrest systems, ground supported systems - two days (L31)
• Keep your Stage Rigging Happy & Healthy AR01)
• Math for Riggers (Made Simple) (AR02)
• System Integration Trends in Automation (AR03)
• Is your GO Button Putting You at Risk? - Motor Control Technology & Risk Mitigation (ES01)
• SIL Explained: Understanding European and Control System Safety Standards (ES02)
• Fire Safety Curtain Systems - Closing the Door on Smoke (ES09)
• Hook Up and Go! - Is Climbing on a Portable Structure Really That Easy? (ES10)
• All About the ETCP (FS01)
• ETCP paper & Pencil Exams at LDI - actually take the test(s)!

And of course, there will be lots of blinky lights and glittery things both inside and outside the convention center. Be There. See a Show. Have Fun. Learn Something.

More info at: www.ldishow.com/

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.

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"

Wind Gust Uplifts Festival Tent - Six Injured, 1 Broken Leg

What do they tell you?  "Break a leg!"  Not really a good plan for most of us.  The summer music festival season is in full swing and the weather in Tornado Alley can bring-in fairly large storms on short notice.  Tuesday, July 6th had crews setting-up for a Yes and Peter Frampton concert at the Lucky Star Casino in Concho, Oklahoma (about 20 miles west of Oklahoma City) when the skys opened-up and poured down rain with a strong downdraft.

Witnesses say the wind came in under the sides of the tent and pressurized it to lift it up and tear-out the anchor lines.  The wind toppled the sound towers and the overstage truss system as well.

Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman newspaper

Fortunately, the incident occured before there were any audience members present.  The show was cancelled and will be reschedule.

TV Interview with injured crew member:
http://feeds.newsok.tv/services/player/bcpid66319854001?bctid=110205425001

NewsOK web site article: http://www.newsok.com/local-production-crew-talk-about-tent-collapse-at-lucky-star-on-tuesday/article/3474327

Arial footage showing tent site and mangled stage gear:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7QMRTpv6V8

A walking tour of the stage and mix tower after the event:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjRq0jYM6Ok

This video reveals alot about the original set-up.  It shows that the truss bases were not anchored and did not have any ballast weights.  The rig was set-up as if it was an indoor show with no regard to the wind that could blow through and topple the gear if the tent was breached.

Anchor your Rigs!  Watch the weather!  Don't wait for it to hit before you react!

Concert Rigging in Michigan Collapses During Setup - 10 Injured, 2 Hospitalized

During the set-up of a concert stage in the Silverdome stadium in Pontiac, Michigan, 10 workers narrowly escaped death as tons of sound, lighting, drapes, scenery, and trussing collapsed.  Emergency responders from the Pontiac Fire Department were called to the Silverdome around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 19th, 2010, before the show started.  The initial call indicated that the domed roof had collapsed, but upon arrival they found that the concert staging framework had caved-in.  Workers recall seeing trusses being hoisted that appeared to be overloaded just be for the mayhem broke loose.  Two workers spent the night on a local hospital for observation.

Some of the most complete coverage if the incident can be found here:
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/06/20/news/local_news/doc4c1d46926f61b990888627.txt
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/06/21/news/local_news/doc4c1fd417969fc357332898.txt

There was no damage to the concert facility as the collapsed rigging was ground supported.  The concert was to be A R Rahman's Jai Ho Concert: The Journey Home World Tour.  Rahamn is best known for his musical score for the movie Slumdog Millionaire.

The concert was cancelled and will be rescheduled.  OSHA was on-site almost immediately to assess the damage and determine the cause of the accident.  With over 150 workers on or near the stage at the time of the collapse, it took some time to determine if anyone was buried under the tangle of wrecked scenery.

The summer tour season is a busy time of year for many stage hands, so for all of you out there bustin' your butt to make a living - keep a close watch on your co-workers and guests.  Don't hesitate to recognize potential hazards and notify the proper authorities if you see unsafe conditions.  Your life depends on it!

Procedural items to remember:

• Preplan your show - Know your rig - and all the weight that is attached to it.
• Verify your show - Use load cells to measure truss hoist loads.
• Have spotters on radios monitoring (this means listening, too) all viewpoints during lifts.
• Always clear the stage and call for quiet during lifts.
• Have a gathering point (muster point) pre-arranged just in case there is an emmergency like this.  Don't have people wondering around afterward until you have a clear head count.
• Where bright clothes during set-up and strike (it makes it easier to find the body) - save your blacks for the show.
• Wear your PPE:  Boots, Hard Hat, Safety Glasses, Gloves, at a minimum, knee pads, and fall protection harness as required.
• Don't work when you are worn-out or heat exhausted.  This seriously impairs your judgement.  Stay hydrated.

Arena Rigging App for the iPhone

OK, you can use it other places you need a bridle, too (except horseback riding).  It's still handy, just as long as you use it on the ground and don't try to use your iPhone while straddling an iBeam.  Keep that loose stuff ON THE GROUND!  It's also handy for checking your ability to do these calculations IBM -(It's Better Manually) for the ETCP Rigging Tests.

Where to get it:  http://www.bridleapp.com/

Other related blog entries:
http://theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/in-god-we-trussed-all-others-pay-499.html
http://theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/jr-clancy-releases-irigging-application.html

206 Reasons for Fall Protection

This, of course, doesn't include the medical or funeral expenses,

loss of work or life, and the time spent cleaning-up the mess.

Resources:

Capital Safety - en.capitalsafety.us

DBI-SALA Safety - http://www.dbi-sala-safety.com/

FallTech - http://www.falltech.com/

Guardian Fall Protection - http://www.guardianfall.com/

Miller Fall Protection - http://www.millerfallprotection.com/

MSA Fall Protection - http://www.msanorthamerica.com/

RTC Fall Protection - http://www.fallprotection.com/

OSHA - http://www.osha.gov/

In God we Trussed - all others pay $4.99

Xtreme Structures (Sulphur Springs, Texas) (http://www.xsftruss.com/)  has introduced a new iPhone app called iTruss.  It provides simple weight calculations for trusses with various loading configurations.  It's always good to check your load calculations thoroughly.  Nobody wants to call an aMbulance.

You can download the app at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/itruss/id363376468?mt=8

Also see the TheatreSafetyBlog entry for the iRigging app:

http://theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/jr-clancy-releases-irigging-application.html

Weather Safety for Outdoor Venues

Here's a handy little device that just might save your bacon (or maybe keep it from becoming bacon).  ThunderBolt International (www.tbi-usa.com) has a portable lightning strike monitor that will detect storms up to 75 miles away and provide you with an ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival).  This last summer saw way too many outdoor shows that were devastated by storms that resulted in serious injuries and deaths.

This information in combination with a live weather map from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - www.noaa.gov) or other reliable weather reporting source can provide you with advance warning of incoming weather fronts.  You can also get portable weather stations that can accurately monitor local wind speeds and barometric pressure drops - just enter "weather station" into your internet search engine and you will find plenty of information.

Don't wait until the last minute to clear the stage and audience.  Plan now for a safe summer tour season.