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!

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.

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/

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

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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

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 

Make Angles Fly - Not 'Make Angels'

Photo courtesy of Abel Aluart

'Tis one of the the seasons for churches to attempt high profile productions, and a few schools, too.  If it involves flying people, angels, Santa Claus, Peter Pan, or anybody else, then it is REALLY DANGEROUS.  Hire professionals to do the work so that everybody makes it home for Christmas.  The November-December issue of Church Production magazine has a really great article about Hall Associates Flying Effects (http://www.flyingfx.com/) installing a computer-controlled system for three-dimensional flying of actors.  This article by Jim Kumorek discusses many important points about this type of very specialized rigging.  You can find it here:  http://www.churchproduction.com/go.php/article/on_a_wing_and_a_prayer_and_a_wire?p=1

Remember: Your frequent flier miles won't do you any good if you're being shipped in a box.

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"

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.

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

Wire rope cable termination gone wrong - very wrong

(Sigh) What can I say that this picture doesn't? Obviously, the proper way to terminate a wire rope was not in this person's skill set. Good intentions mean little if someone gets injured due to a rigging failure.

• Know your load.
• Know your cable strength.
• Know how to apply a safety (design) factor for live loads vs static loads.
• Know the efficiency (derating) of the termination method (Crosby's are different than Nicopress).
• Know how to install a cable thimble.
• Know how to terminate it for maximum safe load carrying capacity.

If you use cable clips ("Crosby's"):

• Know how to install them ("Never saddle a dead horse" means don't install the forged cable grip over the unloaded tail of the cable).
• Know how many you need.
• Know the spacing required.
• Know the torque of the bolts/nuts and use a torque wrench to achieve it.

If you use crimp-on sleeves ("Nicopress"):

• Know how to install them.
• Know how many you need.
• Know the spacing required.
• Know which axis of the compression oval is to be crushed (crimped).
• Know how to check and adjust the crimping tool so the die properly siezes the compression oval.
• Use a Go / No-Go gauge to check your finished crimps.

{Photo courtesy of 'Curiousbrandt' on Flicker}