No More Forking Around

Featured Courtesy of: Compliance and Safety

Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics:  www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm
National Institute of Standards and Technology:  www.nist.gov/el/isd/ms/upload/PerMIS-09-Forklift-Safety-WhitePaper.pdf
Toolbox Topics:  www.toolboxtopics.com/Gen%20Idustry/Forklift%20Fatalities.htmwww.cs-inspected.com/images/forklift-1.pdf
WorkSafe British Columbia:   www2.worksafebc.com/PDFs/SafetyBulletins/StartSafe/Forklift/Tip1.pdf
Forklift Safety by Design:  www.safety-engineer.com/forklift.shtml
Example Safety Rules for Operation of Forklifts:  www.facilities.colostate.edu/files/forms/safety/CH-20.Forklift.trucks.pdf
OSHA:   http://search.usa.gov/search?affiliate=usdoloshapublicwebsite&query=fork+lift

Event Live Expo 2013 Plans Full Day Of Safety Workshops

The Event Live Expo and Summit this February 5 thru 7, 2013 in Los Angeles, California looks to be a tremendous resource for Event Safety information.  The organizers have planned six Summit sessions to fill the second day of the expo (February 6th) and numerous elements of event planning and execution will be addressed.  A run-down of the day can be found at:

www.eventlive-expo.com/2013-program Click on the DAY 2 tab.

General information and registration for the conference can be found at: www.eventlive-expo.com

infoComm Posts Article About Event Safety Progress

November 29, 2012 - infoComm International published an article by Dan Daley that provides an update on the Event Safety Alliance's efforts to get an Event Safety Guide written for use in US venues.  The article can be read here: www.infocomm.org/cps/rde/xchg/infocomm/hs.xsl/22551.htm

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

Don't Get Carried-Away - Grab This

While touring the Mesa Arizona Arts Center (which is a fantastic set of four venues:  www.mesaartscenter.com) the Technical Director, Robby Elliot, showed me a simple rig that they use to prevent unexpected run-aways in the fly system.  Robby explained that due to the short time constraints imposed during some show strike operations, sometimes the stage crew gets ahead of the fly crew when unloading the battens.  This leaves the counterweight arbors heavy and prone to accidents while the weight loading crew plays catch-up.

To make the system safer, they install a Ultra-Safe rope grab (www.ultrasafeusa.com/pdfs/US-5000%20manual.pdf) on the hauling lines and anchor it to the locking rail with a SpanSet type roundsling (www.spanset-usa.com/lifting-steeltex.cfm) and an Omega Pacific HMS Jake 3-Stage Lock-action Carabiner (www.omegapac.com/itemdetail.php?id=59&secid=25).  They chose the Ultra-Safe US-5000 rope grab because it is designed to fit over the hauling line ropes (it will fit up to 3/4" diameter ropes).

When a rope lock is released (or slips!) the rope grab will hold the line until the line set is restored to a balanced condition.  Flexible, easy to move around, and simple to train the users on.

Reminder about Facility Preparedness

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has posted resource links for preparedness information on their web site (www.preservationnation.org/resources/technical-assistance/disaster-recovery/cultural-institutions-prep.html),  Aside from the safety implications for severe weather, earthquakes, fire, and floods, it is socially responsible to protect our historic architecture from the ravages of arson, time, insects, and natural disasters.  "They don't build 'em like they used to" may be a common phrase, however, it it is not just the structures that are at risk, it is the contents of the buildings, too.

Finding safe and secure off-site storage for historical documents and records should be a priority for any organization that owns or manages a facility.  Storing fragile wood and paper items in basements is an invitation to destruction in the event of a fire or flood, and insect infestations can also erode and damage goods.  Water damage can be significant when even a small fire erupts, as fire fighters work vigorously to see that a fire won't spread throughout a building by dousing it liberally with thousands of gallons of water.  Water runs down hill, so anything in lower levels can be flooded by fire suppression water as it drains down through cracks and crevices.

How is your fuel supply?

Another good reason to use off-site storage for scenery, props, and costumes is in the cause of fire reduction.  What is not present as fuel cannot contribute to the fire.  Other benefits are the reduction of clutter allowing more efficient use of the available spaces.

70th Anniversary of Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire

QUINCY, MA -- The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has teamed up with a number of public and private organizations to form The Cocoanut Grove Coalition to preserve the history of the monumental nightclub fire that took the lives of 492 people 70 years ago.

The deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history occurred in Boston on November 28, 1942. The coalition includes the Boston Fire Department, the Boston Fire Historical Society, Boston Fire Museum, City of Boston Archives, Boston Public Library, and Massachusetts General Hospital.

According to Sue Marsh, the NFPA’s librarian, time was of the essence as all agreed that it was vital not to let more time pass before gathering additional resources, especially personal accounts from those impacted by the fire, “knowing that if we didn’t, things would be lost.”

Three videos in which Cocoanut Grove fire victims tell their stories exemplify the rich content that has come from these collections and this project.

All of the organizations represented in the coalition have material related to the fire. The intent of the project, according to Marsh, is to provide a single way to access all of the information as well as attract additional information that is out there but has not surfaced.

The NFPA library receives more requests related to Cocoanut Grove than any other incident.

“Unlike some earlier landmark fires, like the Triangle Shirtwaist Co. fire in New York in 1911, the Cocoanut Grove fire did not result in significant changes to NFPA codes,” writes Fred Durso, Jr. in the November / December 2012 issue of the NFPA Journal.

However, Boston and municipalities throughout the country underwent sweeping changes, including the reclassification of nightclubs and restaurants as places of public assembly, which is how they were already regarded in the Building Exits Code. The change introduced more stringent requirements for exits, emergency lighting, occupancy capacities, and other safety features.”
For more information, visit The Cocoanut Grove Fire website, www.cocoanutgrovefire.org.