Rigging items from the Grid?

[Grayson Merchant]

Our Grid Height is 42 feet high. Someone once told me that it's illegal to rig from your grid. I live in Dallas, TX. I cannot find any codes against this...is this a true statement.

 

[Amiers]

Kind of a broad statement. You should give a bit more information.

 

[techieman33]

Your best bet would be to bring in an engineer and find out what you can and can't rig from, and what the capacity of those points is.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

This sounds strange as in someone passing along information or a comment they didn't understand.

 

[Robert]

Spot blocks on grids are pretty well documented in textbooks and other sources. Doing this on a top-hung grid is infinitely easier than an under-hung grid. Concerns may have arisen over safe access, safe environment, and both point loads and distributed loads amounts.

As a general statement I find it lacking merit, but not knowing the source, or the reason, or criteria I will not advise you to walk blindly onto your grid and rig.

 

[Les]

No, the mattress police won't get you. More contextual info is needed though - hanging a fresnel is technically "rigging something from the grid" and it is your responsibility to practice safe rigging habits - that means calling in a rigger if the project is out of your realm of experience. There may not be a law, but if something goes wrong and damages result (property or injury/death), you could be held accountable.

 

[egilson1]

I wonder what the punishment for breaking this "law" would be? Probation with no use of movers? You can only use sidelight? Have to be out of the theatre and home by sun set?

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

I wonder what this "grid" is or what it looks like, and if I know it by another name. I once saw a "grid" that was more like a trampoline, a poor attempt at a tensioned wire grid made of chain link fence. Definitely not suitable for rigging from.

To the OP, a photo would be ever so helpful.

 

[Terrence MacArthur]

As BillConner implies, it depends on the "grid" whether it's safe or not. Assuming this was purpose built as part of a theatre, someone somewhere must have the data that'll tell you whether or not it's safe to rig anythtng from it. Assuming you mean using the grid to support whatever it is. If the issue is just having someone up there at all doing something, it's hard for me to see why there even is a grid. Except that I could see some high schools, and maybe even some colleges, having rules against students being on the grid.

And I have a related question, but it'd be somewhat off topic here, so I'm going to start another thread.

 

[What Rigger?]

I wonder what the punishment for breaking this "law" would be? Probation with no use of movers? You can only use sidelight? Have to be out of the theatre and home by sun set?

Double Secret Probation!!!

 

[kicknargel]

One of those theatre things: lots of definitions of "grid." Sometimes it's the structural steel that supports the whole fly system. "Gridiron." Sometimes it's the part you walk on (planks or tension wire" to access the structural part. Sometimes it's a pipe grid that you're attaching lights to.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

One of those theatre things: lots of definitions of "grid." Sometimes it's the structural steel that supports the whole fly system. "Gridiron." Sometimes it's the part you walk on (planks or tension wire" to access the structural part. Sometimes it's a pipe grid that you're attaching lights to.

I talk to some school administrators who can't get beyond the field with the pigskin.....

 

[de27192]

I assume the irony is that the main purpose of the grid really is for rigging...

 

[de27192]

One of those theatre things: lots of definitions of "grid." Sometimes it's the structural steel that supports the whole fly system. "Gridiron." Sometimes it's the part you walk on (planks or tension wire" to access the structural part. Sometimes it's a pipe grid that you're attaching lights to.

Likewise the word 'rigging'. Can refer to the act of suspending anything - particularly hoists - from the structure (IE flying, but with more emphasis on hanging on improvised points in the structure than from a purpose built system); can refer to the equipment for doing so (IE slings, shackles, chain etc); can refer to hanging lights on bars, can refer to the fit up in general. Can also refer to finding oil in the sea, and to illegally fixing competitive events....

So perhaps when you combine the words "Rigging", "Grid", and "Illegal" (which can constitute everything from "I'm not sure", to "Death row")... the chances of a straight answer are not good.

 

[gafftaper]

There are very few laws in the US that are written to specifically deal with theater rigging. We mostly rely on occupational safety laws, building codes, and fire codes as well as industry standards for safe practice. On the other hand, if your AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction aka Fire Marshall) comes in and tells you you aren't allowed to rig from the grid, then that's just as good as a law.

So no it probably isn't illegal. But as you have read above there are a hundred different answers to the question depending on how you phrase it and who you ask.

 

[RileyChilds]

We (Charlotte, NC) rig stuff from our Grid a lot...of course we have people on house staff that all they do is rig and rail.

 

[venuetech]

It sounds to me like a rumor someone started for whatever reason. likely started by an administrator who did not trust a want-to-be-rigger who happened into the venue for a few hours.
An AHJ would have created documents that stated his ruling. There may very well be such documents in a file cabinet somewhere. but without those documents in hand or a posted notice it is in my humble opinion "hearsay". Anything that does get rigged is hanging over the head of everyone walking on stage so it needs be triple checked and re-checked. and should be done by a qualified rigger.