The Spring 2012 issue of the
PLASA (
ESTA)
Protocol magazine had the following:
BSR E1.46 - 201x, Recommended Practice for the Prevention of Falls from Theatrical Stages and Raised Performance Platforms, is a new project approved by the
Floors Working Group on March 31, approved by the Technical Standards Council on April 2, and filed with
ANSI as a new project on April 3. It is meant to
address the old problem of people falling into
orchestra pits or open
stage traps, but the impetus for tackling it now was discussions in the group working on BSR E1.42 - 201x, Entertainment Technology—Installed
Stage Lift
Safety Standard. When you lower a
stage lift, you have a hole in the
stage, and people could fall in. Should the
stage lifts standard
address this? At this time, the working group has decided that this isn’t really a stage-lifts problem. It’s a hole-in-the floor problem, and is there when you open a
trap, have an
orchestra pit, or have a
stage that is elevated above the first row of seats, regardless of whether there is an automated lift in place. Therefore, the Floors Working Group is taking it on.
Worker protection regulations throughout the industrialized world require employers to protect employees from injuries due to falls. In the UK, if there is any risk of injury from a fall, it has to be addressed. In the US, an employer must have a fall protection plan if a worker might fall 4' or more in general industry (which applies when a show is running) and 6' or more in construction (which applies when a show is loading in or out). This is not to say that it’s okay for a worker to fall 5' 6" during a
load-in and break his neck. Clearly, that is a whole world of trouble for all involved. It simply means that an inspector won’t cite an employer for lack of fall protection if the height is less than 6' and the inspector visits the work site before the fall. After the fall and the injury, obviously the workplace is not safe and the employer can be cited. The employer should have done something to guard against injury from a fall, but what? There are many fall protection methods, but they are not all appropriate for all theatrical environments at all times. A guard
rail complying with US 29 CFR 1926.502(b) (
Fall protection systems criteria and practices. - 1926.502), for example, is a good, no-brainer way of protecting people from falls, but a beefy guardrail across the front of the
stage usually doesn’t look good during a show.
OSHA inspectors understand that a guardrail across a
stage apron may not be appropriate fall protection during a show, but they will insist that something be done. In any case, no one wants to be in the whole world of trouble mentioned above.
We need to keep people from falling from theatrical stages and raised performance platforms, no matter what their employment status or what is happening on
stage. There are many devices and work practices that can be effective for preventing fall injuries, but which is the best for any particular situation depends on the event or activities on
stage and who it is that needs to be protected. (Members of the public can’t be counted on to know that straight
downstage is not the fastest way to the
house.) E1.46 will help facility designers and event planners figure-out what fall protection will work best for them. The Floors Working Group’s voting membership has a good sampling of industry interest categories, but the membership is small. Anyone with a material interest in this fall-protection project is invited to join as a voting member. We are particularly interested in people who might be in the dealer/rental company and designer interest categories. The former might be companies who would sell and install removable guardrails or edge-marking systems. The latter would include architects and
theatre consultants. See
TSP - Working Groups - About, Camera Cranes, Control Protocols, Electrical Power, Floors, Fog & Smoke, Followspot Position, Photometrics, Rigging, Members for more information about becoming involved in the Technical Standards Program.
Karl Ruling is
PLASA’s Technical Standards Manager. He also serves as
Protocol’s Senior Technical Editor. He can be reached at
[email protected].