Lift accident in North Charleston

[jayvee]

This just popped up in my facebook feed today. Terrible.
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20150129/PC16/150129347

 

[What Rigger?]

Not speculating as to cause, etc... but everything I read in that article (including the somewhat salacious descriptions by the article regarding stage work) makes me sad.

 

[danTt]

This highlights (in the worst kind of way) all of the reasons why you should never be working alone in this industry, and especially not when lifts are involved. Leave aside what the cause might be for a minute--it really not all that important. We've all done things we shouldn't do in lifts, and take for granted that they are going to be fine when subjected to whatever it is we're doing. Sometimes you have to step back and read this to be reminded that safety is, in fact, important and that there are reasons for all of the rules and safety manuals lifts come with--even if some of the regulations seem foolish. We as an industry have to do a better job of self-regulating ourselves, or OSHA is going to become much much more active in the day to day life of theaters, and I don't want to think about how many more small theaters will close as a result of the added expenses OSHA compliance will add.