Railing on and on

My friends at Simplified Safety posted an interesting blog entry at http://simplifiedsafety.com/blog/safety-on-the-set-theatrical-guardrail/.  It shows the use of Kee Klamps and schedule 40 pipe to build a guardrail on a theatre set.  It is a well-intentioned application, however, it also clearly shows that the set designer / constructor did not fully understand the building codes and OSHA requirements for railings.

Railing along upstage platform.

Railings are intended to prevent people and objects from falling over an elevated edge.  To be successful they must not only stop someone from falling over the edge should their center of gravity extend past the edge, but they must also prevent someone from slipping under the railing AND they must prevent objects from being knocked / kicked off of the edge.

Translation:

• The Upper Railing must be at least 42" above the platform (per International Building Code and OSHA). The railing in the picture scales to about 36" tall.
• There must be a Toe-board (Kick-plate) that is 4" tall and the bottom of the Kick-plate must be no higher than 1/4'" above the platform.  There is no kick-plate present.
• There must be intermediate railings or infill such that an sphere that is 21" diameter cannot pass through it (this limitation drops to a 4" if the railing is in a public place).  If the top of the top rail is at 42" and is 1.9" diameter, and the kick plate is 4" tall, then this leaves 36.1" of open space.  Installing an intermediate railing midway between the top of the kick plate and the bottom of the upper railing will satisfy this requirement.  There is no intermediate railing present.
• Uprights for Railings must be in place ant no more than 8' intervals.  Just because you have a 20 foot piece of pipe doesn't mean that you can just install upright supports at the ends. The uprights in this application  appear to meet this requirement.

An additional requirement is that railing must support a load of at least 200 pounds pulling any direction.

• Upwards:  Will it pull the railing right up out of the fittings or tear the bolts / pins / screws out?
• Downwards:  Will it buckle and collapse under severe loading?
• Sideways:  Will it collapse in a parallelogram?
• Inwards or Outwards:  Will it support the weight of performers pulling or pushing on it, or falling against it, or leaning over it?

Kee Klamps can be a great tool to build frameworks, railings, platform supports, lighting towers, and many other elements in a theatre production.  As with any tool or fabrication, you must take the time to understand the building codes and do a structural analysis so that your finished product is strong enough to perform safely.

The Building Codes and OSHA do not differentiate between five seconds, five minutes, five days, or five years.  The objects you build, be they stairs, railings, platforms, or whatever must meet the requirements set forth -- regardless of how long they will be in service.

Well, at least it wasn't like this 8' unguarded drop behind the performer . . .

Stagehand Killed By Fall at Rochester Castle Outdoor Concert

July 15, 2010 - Rochester Castle Event Grounds, Medway, Kent, UK.  A man in his 40's fell from the stage and died later at the hospital from the injuries sustained to his head and neck.  The incident occurred about 5:30 PM as the open air concert stage was being prepared.  The Emergency Medical Team received the call at 5:41, and was there within 6 minutes.  They reported that "the patient was bleeding and going into cardiac arrest and was conveyed to the Medway Maritime Hospital."

Police cordoned-off the area around the incident to allow further investigation, and the show featuring Will Young was delayed about 90 minutes.

2002 Pop Idol winner Will Young reportedly said at the end of the show: "Someone's had an accident tonight so let's give him a round of applause and hope he gets better."  He did not know that the man had died and later said he was "shocked and saddened" upon learning of the man's fate.  "I was unaware of the seriousness of the incident until after I left the stage.  My deepest sympathy goes out to the bereaved family."

The cause of the fall and the reason why guard rails did not prevent the injuries are under investigation by the Health and Safety Executive board (HSE) (www.hse.gov.uk).

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' - Raw Hide! (Well, at least Raw Brain)

I found this steel microphone base up on the elevated locking gallery in this theatre. The gallery has no kick-plate around it's perimeter to keep heavy things from rolling or sliding-off onto the unsuspecting crowd below (which is a whole 'nother issue), and is about 10 feet above the stage floor.

Not setting round rolly things on edge over people's heads would qualify as a "no-brainer" to most folks. But you can never tell what somebody else might do. So, to keep from becoming a 'no-brainer' - always wear a hard hat around places like this. Pick one up at the local hardware stor or safety supply - they are less than $10 bucks and could save your life.