Rise and Shine

What would a Safety Blog be without some mention of health issues?  If you live in / for, work in / for, or go to the theatre, you may be a candidate for gettin' lucky.  We don't want any accidents to happen when the lights go out, so wrap your Knight in shining armor!  The first glow in the dark condoms allowed by the FDA for disease and pregnancy prevention.   Global Protection Corporation's Night Light® glow-in-the-dark condoms are manufactured to the same standards as typical condoms, and provide the same protection and safety. They’re just much more fun!  With a unique combination of fun and protection, Night Light will provide a night to remember.  If you're not a brave-enough soul to test drive one of these, then go down to your local movie rental house and check-out a copy of director Blake Edward's 1989 classic Skin Deep starring John Ritter.  It might change your mind, or at least loosen it up a bit.

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}