Storms sweep through midwest, one event attendee killed when tent collapses

Wood Dale, Illinois - Sunday, August 2, 2015, about 2:40PM - Like many summer storms, this one popped-up quick, dumped rain and hail, and blew hard.  Unfortunately, the city of Wood Dale didn't learn any lessons from the numerous storm-related disasters over the past few years, and completely failed to evacuate the Prairie Fest site before the weather hit.  There was a Junior High School immediately adjacent to the event site that could have been used as a durable shelter.  A tent structure on the site was filled with about 100 festival goers seeking cover from the onslaught of hail, and then the wind up-ended the tent tearing it from it's anchors.  One of the main tent support poles fell and struck 35 year old Steven Nincic in the head and killed him.  He is survived by his wife of three years and two daughters.

Other events in the region had watched the weather front more closely and had evacuation plans prepared and in effect.  Winds of up to 60mph were reported in the area.  The festival site is very close to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, so presumably excellent weather radar feeds were available for monitoring had the city elected to do so.  The city claims to have had an emergency plan, but no sign of it being implemented was visible.

First Responders had to cut through the tent to get to people trapped under the wreckage.  The remainder of the festival was cancelled after the weather passed, as police and ambulances came to treat the numerous injuries.

Lawyers for the family of Steven Nincic are filing an injunction to keep the tent site intact until a complete investigation can be completed, but many vendors and carnival ride owners have already packed-up and left.  An attorney representing the family released a statement contending that “the true tragedy” is that incidents such as the tent upheaval “are not only potentially predictable,” but “preventable with prudent caution and control of events in the face of available meteorological information.”  Attorney Louis C. Cairo said the weather and “the propriety of the tent materials and its installation” will be “litigated extensively.”

The city said that the tent was supplied by a vendor, and it had been inspected for electrical compliance, but not structural integrity.  This blogger finds this information to be more of a smoke screen to deflect attention away from the lack of weather monitoring and assigning someone the authority to close-down the event and evacuate people to hard shelters.  A safety plan, when implemented, reduces the need to rely on an emergency plan.  Safety plans address issues before they get to the point of being an emergency.

Killer Show - Not your normal night out.

Author and Lawyer John Barylic has summarized the events that led up-to and resulted in the 2003 fire that killed 100 people at The Station Nightclub in East Warwick, Rhode Island.  His book summarizes the mounds of documents researched on behalf of the families of those injured and killed that fateful night.

The story of the fire, its causes, and its legal and human-tragedy aftermath, is one of human lives put at risk by petty economic decisions – by a band, club owners, promoters, building inspectors and product manufacturers. Any one of those decisions could have potentially avoided the tragedy. Together, however, they formed a fatal critical mass.

Information about his book can be found at www.killershowbook.com

The site include reviews of the book, photos from the event, and links to interviews.

Photo Credit:  Daniel Davidson (Copyright holder)

Other interesting links about this event:

NIST Disaster and Failure Studies:
www.nist.gov/el/disasterstudies/fire/station_nightclub_fire_2003.cfm

NFPA Case Study: Nightclub Fires:
www.nfpa.org/assets/files/pdf/research/case_study_nightclub_fires.pdf

Fire Engineering Magazine:
www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-165/issue-1/features/station-nightclub-fire-revisiting-lessons-p1.html

New Reports on 2011 Ottawa BluesFest Staging Collapse

More than a year after the incident (http://theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/ottawa-bluesfest-stage-canopy-collapes.html), a report assessing the damage, probable causes of the damage, and outlining recommendations to prevent a repeat of the day has been published.  Writer Chris Cobb of the Ottawa Citizen newspaper has obtained a copy of the report and summarized it in an article published on November 19, 2012 (www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Finger+points+stage+owner+collapse/7568244/story.html).

The previous day he also published a summary of first-hand accounts by people present during the incident. The article 'Stage fright' can be found here:  www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Stage+fright/7561428/story.html

Photo by: Sandra Luty

One of the key causes of the collapse was determined to be that the stage crew could not remove the stage canopy fabric walls in time to unload the structure from the winds.  The panel ties had been previously removed due to a storm a week earlier, and when the fabric wall panels were reattached, they were re-secured with plastic zip-ties that were too tough to cut with a knife.

Going Down? Self-Rescue Beats Hanging Around

The US OSHA and UK HSE Fall Protection standards include a requirement that a rescue plan be in-place before climbing operations begin.  Calling 911 is not a rescue plan.  When a worker is hanging in a fall protection harness they can be subject to suspension trauma, so getting them down to terra-firma (the more firmer, the less terror) is the first priority.

Suspension trauma is the shut-down of the circulatory system due to the constrictions placed on the body by the fall protection harness.  There are kits that you can supplement on your climbing gear that will deploy a short set of bootstraps that tie back to the suspension D-Ring and will allow you to 'stand-up' and take some of the pressure off of your leg and waist fittings, but this is only a temporary solution to the problem.

The OSHA / HSE rescue requirements allow for self-rescue.  This can be a real time saver, as getting to a rescue kit, taking it up to an attachment point above the fallen worker, and reaching or rappelling down to attach the kit, then lowering the fall victim to the ground can be very time-consuming.  Here are three self-rescue solutions that are worthy of consideration:

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

The DUES 3700 is a small hands-free speed controlled descender that can be pre-attached to your climbing gear and deployed as-needed, or it can be pre-deployed and ready to go.  It can be used with up to 500 feet of rope.

The 3700 features quadruple-redundant braking, automatic speed-limiting technology, hands-free descent, and a speed control dial to control descent with just two fingers. Plus, the ropes can be replaced so it’s cost-effective and versatile.  The unit can be reused repeatedly.  More info at:  www.deusrescue.com/products/devices/deus3700.aspx

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

The Latchways PRD (Personal Rescue Device) is a backpack module that is fully-integrated with the climbing harness and preconnected to the fall arrest lanyard.  If you fall, you just reach up to your shoulder and pull a release cord that unlocks the descender and it lowers you to the ground.  Current models have a 65 foot rescue rope, and longer options are forthcoming. One drawback to this system is that you must send the unit to a Latchways service center to have it reset for the next use.  More info at:  www.latchways.com/personal-rescue-device-US

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

The Petzel EXO personal escape system is a manually operated self-braking descender packaged with rope, carbiners and a easy carry pouch.  Originally designed for the NYFD, this is a lightweight and reliable solution.  The unit can be reused repeatedly.  More info at:  www.petzl.com/en/pro/verticality/descenders/exo-individual-evacuation-system-0/exo-eashook

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

Climb Safe:

Plan the Climb.  Plan the Rescue.
Climb the plan.

ZOMBIE HAZARD

When it comes to OSHA compliance,  proper workplace signage can be your first line of defense against being cited for failure to post hazard communications.  The October DuraLabel newsletter hits the nail on the [zombie's] head this month, and they have been so kind as to allow us to re-post their timely information here.

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

Hazard check for October:  Maintain walkways to eliminate soggy leaves; adjust outdoor lighting; get brake jobs for auto fleet; and most importantly – protect your workers from zombie invasions.

As the undead begin to encroach during the waning daylight hours, it’s critical to make sure your safety signs are OSHA-compliant.  OSHA’s primary hazard classifications for danger, warning, caution, and biohazard are designed to be noticed – important when you want to ensure your employees show up for work alive the next day.  Use the following information to keep your employees safe, and at the same time avoid being cited by OSHA.

DANGER

Danger signs indicate an immediate hazard which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury.  Danger signs should be reserved for the most serious hazards and signify special precautions are necessary.

The DANGER signal word is printed in  white letters on a red background  and preceded by the safety alert symbol.  The message panel, beneath the signal word, is where the safety message is printed, usually in black or red over white.  You can also print in white over a black safety panel.  Pictograms may be used to help workers recognize hazards sooner and from safe distances.

WARNING

Warning signs are one hazard level below danger signs.  They describe a hazard which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.

The WARNING signal word is written in  black on an orange background  header and proceeded by a safety alert symbol.  The text in the message panel may be printed in white letters on a black panel or black letters on a white panel.  Warning signs and labels can be any size and printed in a landscape or portrait format.  Keep in mind, alternative design and color options should only be used to improve worker comprehension.

CAUTION

A caution sign indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury.  Caution signs are used in areas where potential injury or equipment damage is possible, or to caution against unsafe practices.  Caution signs should only be used if there is a risk of personal injury.

The CAUTION signal word is written in  black letters on a yellow background  and is preceded by a safety alert symbol, except when used for a non-personal injury.  The message panel below the signal word contains the safety message and any additional safety symbols.  Everything printed inside the message panel is black text on white or white text on black.

BIOHAZARD

OSHA 1910.1459(e)(4) states, “The biological hazard warnings shall be used to signify the actual or potential presence of a biohazard and to identify equipment, containers, rooms, materials, experimental animals, or combinations thereof, which contain, or are contaminated with, viable hazardous agents… presenting a risk or potential risk to the well-being of man.”  The symbol design must conform with the example shown and contain the word “BIOHAZARD" or “BIOLOGICAL HAZARD.”

The biohazard symbol can be black, fluorescent orange, or an orange-red color.  Background color is optional as long as there is sufficient contrast for the biohazard symbol to be clearly defined.  A biohazard can also be indicated on a danger or warning sign and may include the safety alert symbol.  If incapacitated zombies are strewn about your work area, they should be tagged with biohazard signs.

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

Not included the DuraNews article was the correct use of ANSI NOTICE signs, so:

NOTICE

A notice sign provides information regarding operational policies.  Notice signs are used to inform workers about operational procedures that may affect safety or to instruct workers that specific PPE is required in the workplace.

Notice signs may include other graphic symbols to convey intent.  The NOTICE signal word is written in  white letters on a blue background , or  blue letters on a white background .  The message panel below the signal word contains the policy message and any additional safety symbols.  Everything printed inside the message panel is black text on white.

For more information about signage, labels, and markers that are useful around your production environment, go to DuraLabel's web site.

Keeping it all together

GRC (Not the Nutrition Guys) is a term commonly used to abbreviate Governance, Risk Management, and Compliance in the safety industry.  It is supposed to be an organizational cohesion that coordinates the efforts of everyone in a business so that guidance (Governance) is uniformly applied to all the sub-groups, and the subgroups share information and resources openly.

School Districts and Universities typically show significant separations between Risk Management (aka insurance claims management), Facility Safety (building and equipment maintenance), Public Safety (security), and personnel safety (actually training staff and students).

Interdepartmental separations occur, too.  Why is it the automotive shop student is given protective eye wear, while the theatre shop student has to provide his own?  The disparities are numerous and sometimes frustrating.  It affects the supply of safety information, safety goods, safety training, and maintenance.  When properly implemented, it answers the question of "Who's going to pay for this?"

For the governing administrators to do their jobs effectively, it is critical that they understand the wide variety of environments under their care.  In the theatre, this means that we have to pull-back the curtain and expose ourselves to the scrutiny of other non-theatre people.  This is hard.  We spend our entire careers trying to create magic and not let anyone outside of the theatre process know how it really works.  This is the exception.  When it comes to safety - everyone has to know and understand.

Don't stand there and tell everybody that your theatre is safe.  It's not.  This blogger sees brand new theatres that are constructed unsafely all of the time, and few new facilities come with any significant amount of operational safety training - everybody just brings their old bad habits with them and go on with little or no thought as to how they might make cultural changes to their work process.

In the 70's, the phone company ran a series of advertisements that said: "To communicate is the beginning of understanding."  The theatre plant is a perfect example of how important this is.  Maintenance workers need to access equipment and understand what is 'special' theatre equipment and know when they can work on it, and what is 'off limits' so that only specially qualified personnel are brought in to service it.  Good examples might be:

• Dimmer Racks:  The air filters need to be cleaned regularly.  This may require that the power to the dimmer rack be disconnected because there may be live electrical parts within.  Chasing-off the cleaning crew and then not having the filters serviced may cause the dimmers to overheat and malfunction, or even catch fire.  At a minimum, it will shorten the life of the equipment.  This applies to the air filters for the workspaces around the theatre, too.  I've seen clogged air filters and air grilles in follow spotlight rooms, on stages, in dimmer rooms, and on dimmer racks - all preventable if the theatre staff would engage with the maintenance staff.
• Stage Rigging:  Equipment must be inspected regularly by qualified personnel.  Most janitors and building maintenance crews are NOT trained or experienced enough to perform this task.  The maintenance of the stage rigging falls into this category.  The oil field rigging, construction rigging, or ship rigging backgrounds that some maintenance workers might have may be of some use, but without a knowledge of theatrical systems and how they are used, the resulting 'fixes' may be dangerous, incompatible with the theatrical operational needs, or aesthetically undesirable.
• Fire Curtain, Smoke Vent, and Fire Doors:  Inspections and maintenance present challenges similar to the Stage Rigging.  Corrections that are not compatible with Fire Codes, Theatre Operations, and the Audience's enjoyment of the presentations must be prevented through the use of knowledgeable people.  Hire a consultant of you need one - this is where your Risk Management Department and or your Safety Office may be able to assist in securing the necessary funding.

Finding a balance with safety equipment provision policies, cost deferrals, and training budgets can only be achieved if the various participants can speak openly about the needs of their buildings and operations.  It also requires that the administrators truly understand and acknowledge just how dangerous a theatre plant is.  They care about bad brakes on buses, broken playground equipment, football helmets, and toxic fumes in the chemistry lab - why should your performing arts venue be any different?

Blogger Norman Marks on the Sustainable Business Forum site has a series of articles that help to explain GRC:  http://sustainablebusinessforum.com/node/59561

Entertainment Innovation Conference planned for at UNCSA

Officials at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) have announced the school's third annual Entertainment Innovation Conference (EIC).  Formerly known as the Southeast Regional Entertainment Technology Conference, EIC will be a three-day event hosted by UNCSA's School of Design and Production.  The event runs Thursday, September 6 thru Saturday, September 8, 2012, and will be held at the UNCSA Performing Arts Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Cirque du Soleil and its corporate partners will lead workshops at EIC covering the use of the cutting-edge technologies in Cirque du Soleil productions.

The conference is open to industry professionals, including students and faculty members of university theatre departments.

The UNCSA Entertainment Innovation Conference is one of several regional conferences highlighting the unique, extensive, and carefully orchestrated technological requirements that go into a Cirque du Soleil production. The conferences are a rare opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes looks at Cirque du Soleil productions - perhaps some of the most complicated entertainment experiences being performed today.

Conference topics include: Stage Properties, Scene Design, Stage Management, Company Management , Show Operations (Health and Safety), Costumes, Props, Multi-Media, Sound/Audio, Automation, Rigging, Artistic/Performance, and Research and Innovation in Performance (CRIP).

For more information about the UNCSA Entertainment Innovation Conference, including registration and hotel information, please visit http://www.2012innovationconference.com/

C U There!

Stage Canopy Collapse in Toronto Claims One Life

Saturday, June 16, 2012 - Toronto, Canada - Workers erecting the stage for a Radiohead concert scattered as the framework above the stage came crashing down, pining and killing one worker.  The weather was calm and wind did not appear to be a factor.  Arial shots of the aftermath show a scaffold style framework that did not involve portable concert trussing.  The incident occurred at around 4:00PM before the concert and any audience had been allowed into the venue.  The concert was cancelled.

According to Ian McClellend with the cities' EMS department, one man was extricated from under the wreckage and pronounced dead at the scene;  another was transported to the hospital with head injuries; and two more were assessed with minor injuries and released on the scene.

The Canadian Ministry of Labour will be investigating to see what the root cause of the structure collapse was.

More information can be found at:
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/16/world/americas/canada-stage-collapse/index.html

Crowd Management Must Be Proactive, Not Reactive

For whatever reason, celebrity appearances seem to bring-out the hysteria in fans, photographers, and sometimes even in those assigned to protect them.  Current pop icon Justin Beiber seems to fill that role today, as a string of appearances has left many injured in his wake.  Perusing the internet will reveal numerous press items that describe crowd management issues that should not have occurred.

In Santiago, Chile, Justin was to stay at a hotel prior to a local appearance.  His trip was delayed a day, but the crowd outside the hotel didn't know it.  Something triggered them to believe he was on premise and they pushed past a weak perimeter to swarm forward and overwhelm the hotel staff.  The event was captured on tape by someone in the hotel.

 

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

At an autograph signing appearance in a Macy's department store, an undercover policeman perceived the throngs of fans to be a threat, and attempted to move Mr. Beiber away.  Due to lack of security coordination and the plain clothes dress of the policeman, the private security company and Mr. Beiber fought-off the policeman thinking he was the threat.  Eventually, the policeman identified himself and charged one of the private security guards with interfering with police business.  The charges were later dropped.

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

A recent appearance in Norway on May 30, 2012, lead to Oslo police nearly declaring a state of emergency as tens of thousands of teenage Bieber fans descended on the city, mobbing the streets.

Mayor Stang said it got so chaotic that he had to hide behind a tree at one point to avoid getting trampled.

After 49 teenage girls were injured in the fandemonium, and 14 were taken by ambulance for emergency care, Oslo's mayor launched an investigation into the near-catastrophic event.  No one was seriously injured, but Mayor Fabian Stang complained: "I have already called on the Emergency Planning Agency to examine the entire event from the planning stage to its implementation. We have to find out what went wrong and why it happened.  No state of emergency was ever declared." Camilla Bjorn, a VGTV reporter in Oslo, told E! News. "However, there has been a ton of critique towards official police and Universal Music [Bieber's label] because they were not prepared.  They had not taken into consideration the chaos that could occur."

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

When you have guest appearances of pop stars or controversial people, it is vital that security and crowd management be closely coordinated and advised of the types of behaviors that might manifest themselves.  Review of prior event issues with the celebrities' advance team is helpful, as they can help local officials to better understand what to expect.  There can always be a gap in perception between older administrators and younger fans, and between city or state officials and those parties that may hold strong emotions about issues related to the celebrities, whether they are artistic, political, or even criminal (hooligans bent on anarchy or property damage or theft under the cover of crowd chaos).

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.

Audience Platform Collapse Injures 30

Stockholm, Sweden - Friday, March 2nd, 2012 — A section of a VIP platform collapsed during a performance by Swedish disc jockey Avicii at the Globe Arena.  About 30 people fell some 4 meters (~13 feet) when the floor of the structure caved in.  Police spokeswoman Inger Qvennerstedt says about 20 concertgoers age between 15 and 17 were taken to hospital.  She says most of the injuries were minor, but one was "very serious."

Organizers say a second performance by Avicii scheduled for Friday was canceled.  The cause of the collapse was not immediately clear.

The video posted on YouTube shows a very enthusiastic crowd jumping up and down in sync to the beat of the music, which can create tremendous live loading on a structure.  The camera finally pans down to show the gaping hole in the platform at around the 1:20 marker.  Note how visibly the security staff is dressed!

More information can be found at: http://www.beatmyday.com/2012/03/03/platform-collapse-during-avicii-gig-at-globe-arena-stockholm/

Yeah, they have an app for that, too.

The iAuditor application for the iPad provides a convenient way to deploy checklists to all of your department heads and workers.  This customizable tool allows you to set-up check-lists, take photos, sign the document, and e-mail it so you have a clear record of inspections.

This app replaces paper-based reporting and allows the user to enhance reports with photographs showing compliance issues.  It also greatly reduces the likelihood of late submissions and falsified time-stamping.

With a smart interface to build forms, iAuditor allows for forms to be created on-the-fly from within the app, a form can be created and modified to suit departmental needs throughout the theatre plant.  By giving users the power to create their own audits, iAuditor can be applied to thousands of situations. This level of customization in auditing has never been seen before in the safety industry.


The iAuditor app has full GPS integration, too, so it can identify reports applicable to specific venues for large areas like theme parks, or be used on tour venue-to-venue.

An unlimited number of forms and checklists can be created using the form building screen, and templates can be shared between users. Ready-to-use audit forms are also available for free download from the SafetyCulture Secure Online Cloud.

Upon completion of an audit or checklist, the form can be quickly e-mailed as a PDF, which is compatible with almost any computer, smartphone, or tablet with a PDF reader application.

An audit checklist can be used by workers to ensure they are meeting their reporting and record-keeping requirements. Uses include:

• Life Safety Code Inspections
• Occupational Heath and Safety Codes
• Governmental Reporting Requirements
• Fire Prevention Checklists
• Building Safety Checklists
• Electrical Safety Checklists
• Ladder Safety Checklists
• Pre-Show, Intermission, and Post-Show Checklists for both FOH and Backstage
• Shop, Storage, and Loading Dock Safety Audits
• Vehicle Inspections
• Emergency Lighting & Exit Sign Inspections
• Fire Extinguisher Inspections
• Fire Door Inspections

“Businesses all over the world are using technology to work smarter, not harder. We’ve listened to the people who are out in the field every day, and we’re committed to helping them work safer by using technology. With iAuditor, we’ve shown another example of this commitment; an incredibly versatile auditing and checklist app that is free to use and free to download.” Said Luke Anear, Managing Director of SafetyCulture Australia (www.safetyculture.com.au).

More information about the iAuditor app can be found at: www.safetyculture.com.au/iauditor/

Indiana Legislature posts Bill requiring outdoor stage inspections

The Indiana State Legislature posted a bill to require all venues statewide to have outdoor stage structures inspected by an engineer or other qualified person.  More information at:
http://theatreface.ning.com/profiles/blogs/follow-up-to-indiana-state-fair-stage-canopy-collapse

This may provide a model of other states to go-by as they develop their new regulations.  Maybe we can prevent a repeat of the last few summers of show disasters.

Electrical Safety in the Theatre

Electricity can pose a serious hazard in the workplace, however, it is unlikely that we’ll be doing much without it in the foreseeable future.  Lighting, sound, rigging, projection, and tools all require it.  A 12-year study by the National Instituteof Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) identified 244 workplace deaths thatwere the direct result of an electrical accident.  Misuse or neglect of electrical equipment puts employees at risk of electrical shock, electrocution, fires, and explosions.  Making your crew / staff / guests / employees aware of the risks and teaching them to following basic safety principles will help reduce the chance of electrical-related accidents at your venue.

Basic Electrical Safety Principles

It is important for employers to be aware of the risks associated with electrical equipment. When planning or performing work on or near electrical equipment or machinery, the safety tips that follow will reduce the risk of an accident:

• Plan ahead; consider possible problems that may occur and how to prevent them.
• Use the right tools for the job including procedures, drawings, and other documents.
• Identify all potential hazards in the work space, including the risk of electrical shock.
• Test every circuit and every conductor; every time, to ensure that they are powered-down before service.
• Train workers to ensure that they have the skills and experience required to perform work around electrical equipment.
• De-energize all electrical equipment and conductors before beginning work.
• Treat electrical equipment and conductors as energized until lockout / tagout (LOTO) and grounding procedures have been implemented.
• Wear protective clothing, including hard hats, insulated clothing, and gloves.
• Only use insulated tools.
• Determine approach boundaries and comply with suggested minimum clearances for power lines or exposed conductors.

Electrical Safety Regulations and Standards

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a number of regulations relating to workplace electrical safety. Some important regulations include 29 CFR 1910: Subpart Electrical:

• 1910, Subpart I – Personal Protective Equipment
  1910.137Electrical Protective Devices
• 1910 Subpart S – Electrical
  1910.301 thru 308 Design Safety Standards for Electrical Systems
• 1910.331 thru 335 Electrical Safety Related Work Practices

 The following National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards cover electrical safety:

• NFPA70 National Electrical Code addresses electrical systems and equipment installed and used within the workplace.
• NFPA 70EStandard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace discusses protection from electrical hazards such as shock, arc blasts, and explosions initiated by electricity.
• NFPA 79Electrical Standard for Industry Machinery covers fire safety and electrical specifications for industry machinery and manufacturing systems.

Checklist of Workplace Electrical Safety Practices

• Require employees to use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when working on or near electrical equipment.  Depending upon the Arc Flash Hazard present, this may involve donning special clothing, gloves, hoods, and face shields.
• Inform employees as to the location of potential electrical safety hazards.  Inform them before they enter the work area AND mark the specific hazards with signage, barrier tape, etc.
• Establish an effective lockout / tagout (LOTO) procedure for working on electrical circuits and equipment.
• Use safe work practices to prevent shock or other injuries.  De-energize live equipment, discharge capacitors, use lockout / tagout (LOTO) procedures, wear the appropriate level of PPE, and never work alone.
• Only permit trained or approved personnel to perform maintenance or work on electrical equipment.  Thinking you know what you are doing is not the same as being trained and certified.  Have a second person check you work afterwards to ensure that wiring connections are the proper polarity (Hot, Neutral, Ground), and that covers are re-installed after work as is completed.
• Ensure that all portable electrical tools are grounded or insulated properly.  Use Portable Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) if the power source is not already protected.  Inspect all cords and devices to ensure that cord strain reliefs are properly clamped to the cable casing.
• Install and cover electrical boxes and fittings in accordance with the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) and other regulations.  When removing covers, make sure that screws are not lost (use magnetic holders to retain loose parts where practical).  When working at height, secure covers with safety lanyards before removing the final attachment fasteners.
• Have someone who is trained and certified in the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) inspect the electrical system regularly.  This includes cleaning-out the dust and dirt from inside Dimmer Cabinets, Floor Pockets, and Circuit Breaker Panels; Replacing / Repairing broken switches & receptacles; Repairing / Replacing broken or overheated lamp holders; and checking the wiring lugs in feeder panels with an infrared thermometer to ensure that they are tight and not overheating.
• Train appropriate individuals in the use of fire protection equipment and emergency response procedures.  Know the difference between a Safety Program and an Emergency Preparedness Plan.  A Safety Program, if well implemented, may save you from ever needing to implement your Emergency Preparedness Plan.
• Develop procedures to replace and dispose of damaged or defective electrical cords, circuits, or other electrical equipment.  Implement a ‘Tag and Bag’ process to identify and mark equipment that must be repaired or replaced.  Do not store defective equipment where it may be accessible to the casual user so that it is not inadvertently utilized.  Assigning Inventory Numbers to equipment can help to log and track items in the repair process, and also may help you to track repair expenses.

More Information:

NIOSH web site:  www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/electrical/

OSHA web site:  www.osha.gov/SLTC/electrical/index.html

ESFi web site:  http://esfi.org/

Electrical Construction and Maintenance Magazine:  http://ecmweb.com/

Mike Holt web site:  www.MikeHolt.com

Emergency Flashlight for Preparedness . . . where did I put that !?

The Panasonic BF-541 Emergency Light, which is powered by two D-cell replaceable batteries (sold separately), can be easily wall-mounted anywhere fast access to lighting is needed. An automatic switch feature turns the Emergency Light ON automatically when removed from its holder.  The light will glow up to 18 hours with its high-luminance krypton bulb when used with alkaline cells. If you replace the lamp with an LED you can probably extend the run time further (why didn't they think of that?)

To save battery power when not in use, the battery is disengaged and the light goes OFF when returned to its holder. Because there is no switch, it encourages users to return it to a location where it might be found by others rather than just laying it down and forgetting about it.  The exterior case of the flashlight also has a little  photoluminescent  marking dot which glows in the dark, making it a wee bit easier to find when the lights go out.  I think I'd put a BIG honking strip of photoluminescent tape down the side to make sure that it is visible.

Other flashlights of interest might be:
http://theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/jumpin-jack-flashlight.html
http://theatresafetyblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/were-dark-on-mondays-and-when-power.html

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?