Carabiners are often used in aerial acts because they offer some advantages over shackles for connecting the lifting line to the rig. The speed one can make the connection being one, another is being able to do it one handed. Rock Exotica is one of the leading one stop shops for aerial rigging. Rock Exotica Climbing Gear - Pirate Carabiners
Ringling Bros. Accident
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Carabiners are often used in aerial acts because they offer some advantages over shackles for connecting the lifting line to the rig. The speed one can make the connection being one, another is being able to do it one handed. Rock Exotica is one of the leading one stop shops for aerial rigging. Rock Exotica Climbing Gear - Pirate Carabiners
DuckJordan
Touring IATSE Member
Likely it was used to directly link the actual ring (the piece the performers are attached to) to whatever they use to rig it up. Be it a motor, or a rope or dead hang.
Here is a recently updated news story which is more informative than most:
Snapped clip suspected in circus hair-hanging stunt gone wrong; 2 critically hurt | Star Tribune
One thing I am curious about is who is really qualified to investigate something like this. Check out the last paragraph of the story linked to in this post.
Snapped clip suspected in circus hair-hanging stunt gone wrong; 2 critically hurt | Star Tribune
One thing I am curious about is who is really qualified to investigate something like this. Check out the last paragraph of the story linked to in this post.
cmckeeman
Active Member
Just to that no one else has to do the research 45 Kn is about 10000 lbs (rounding down) giving an assumed WLL of 1000lbs for the rig which it exceeded by 500 lbs, I do want to know the manufacturer since i have some 45Kn steel biners in my rig that I would use to build my own anchors.
I am wondering though if it might have been gate or side loaded which would cause a failure like this, maybe we might start to see a limit to where carabiners will be used, with how small they are they could easily flip and they really aren't designed to be loaded like shackles are.
I am wondering though if it might have been gate or side loaded which would cause a failure like this, maybe we might start to see a limit to where carabiners will be used, with how small they are they could easily flip and they really aren't designed to be loaded like shackles are.
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JD
Well-Known Member
Kind of had the same thought. Although rated at 10,000 pounds, I would suspect it is designed for use with rope. I would not expect to see it used in rigging, although one would suspect things are different in the circus industry. I have to wonder about stress distribution when interfacing with a metal object as compared to a rope. One would think that if the curvature of the mating part was different, there may be focus points with unexpectedly high numbers. I guess time will tell as the investigation moves on.
Our news tonight say that the investigators determined that the carabiner snapped at the spine, opposite of the gate and that they are now replacing all of them. The rig with performers weighed 1,500 pounds and their diagram (taken with a grain of salt and lack of detail a news report has) showed the carabiner as the single attachment between the hanging rig and what looked like rope leading up to other attachments.
Via tapatalk
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techieman33
Well-Known Member
I've seen several different groups use carabiners for ariel acts. A lot of groups will use the same point for multiple acts that require different apparatus being flown. So during a changeover they lower the point uncllip the piece from the last act and clip on the piece for the next one.
This is sick. The carabiner has a 10,000# breaking strength not WLL. It NEVER should have been holding 8 people especially in a single point of failure situation. That carabiner is designed for a 1-2 person load. Many/most steel carabiners are designed for the fire service/rescue use... the 5000# range stuff is for one person, the 10,000# stuff is for 1-2 people.
If the spine snapped either it was damaged, had a manufacturing defect, or was overloaded. If it were side loaded, the gate would fail not the spine (though I would like to know where the second break is... ). The spine failing would not be due to what was connected as long as it was oriented correctly.
If the spine snapped either it was damaged, had a manufacturing defect, or was overloaded. If it were side loaded, the gate would fail not the spine (though I would like to know where the second break is... ). The spine failing would not be due to what was connected as long as it was oriented correctly.
This will no doubt be a talking point. If not during the investigation, during litigation.
Also under scrutiny will be which applications the manufacturer approves that hardware to be used for.
They people from the Event Safety Alliance agree with much of your reasoning but they flip your saying around and say "Everyone is responsible for safety". If everyone is concerned about their own safety and the safety of others, and takes an active role in seeking a safer theater, we are all a lot safer. We have to all work towards making our work environments places that people think about their own safety and the safety of their coworkers and audience, BEFORE they think "the show must go on".
A great example of how no one in the media understands what they are reporting on in these sorts of accidents.
The news conference with the Fire Dept and other officials yesterday was an interesting listen. It did not sound like they had an entertainment professional speaking (granted I didn't hear the whole bit), but the fire guy was speaking from his experience in rigging with respect to the fire rescue business, which uses similar equipment in very different ways and for very different reasons.
That's an interesting quote from this article. Where does OSHA draw the line on risk being a part of the job? Perhaps it's that there is not the same expectation of safety. A rigger working at great heights has an expectation that his safety gear will keep him safe where the aerial acrobat knows she can't count on her scarves to rescue her. Interesting.
Agreed, that sounded strange. I could see an acrobat falling while doing a silks routine perhaps being considered part of the risk, but the scarves/ silks should not have ripped!
JD
Well-Known Member
I would suspect that since there is no rating with regards to the materials used and no expectation that these materials provide any safety whatsoever, OSHA would not have a role or defer it to artistic risk. Had some form of attachment device failed I would suspect OSHA would have been involved in a heartbeat. A poor analogy would be a tightrope walker falling due to loosing their balance as compared to having a failure of the equipment supporting the wire.
BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
Several posts have referred to the 45kN as a WLL which usually means working load limit but I believe that its actually - I think by an ANSI standard - the MBS or minimum breaking strength. WLL generally is based on some design factor applied to the MBS. I use 8:1 for most rigging and still feel its a little over the top. Some or many others now use 10:1, and I think that's common for performer flying - which is not an area I have expertise in.
And stepping outside my expertise again, I believe for fall protection for one person is suppose to be designed for 5000 - minimum breaking strength - so this will all be very interesting. The after effects of the last Rhode Island incident was broad and far reaching. It will be interesting to see what regulatory impact this incident has.
And stepping outside my expertise again, I believe for fall protection for one person is suppose to be designed for 5000 - minimum breaking strength - so this will all be very interesting. The after effects of the last Rhode Island incident was broad and far reaching. It will be interesting to see what regulatory impact this incident has.
rmsy
Member
One of the injured performers did an interview on Good Morning America today: Injured Acrobat Will Return to Circus, Questions Hair Act After Accident - ABC News
Sincerely,
Ramsey
Sincerely,
Ramsey
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