Ask Interamerica - they are not too far from you. I'd sooner and for much less I think add cross stage catwalks - like a 2' wide one every 8' - so only some sets are restricted travel. I lay them out with usually orchestra shell ceilings under the narrow catwalks, sometimes an electric, so loss of travel is not a big deal. I'm surprised that even for a big guy, that a lift line coming through a 22" OSHA minimum width catwalk is not hard to walk past and nice to be able to reach every block with your hand.
Its an equipment platform. I suppose if an employee was injured or complained enough, OSHA might look at it, but I don't see how it could be a contributory factor to an injury or how its different than a fully rigged stage with underhung loft blocks where there is no gap. (In that case, the loft block wells are a much more serious hazard.). Consider it is a 22" wide catwalk and the line is not centered - so maybe 10 and 12. A row of seats is only required to have 12" clear. I have never heard of a complaint or citation for there not being a 22" wide means of egress for the cleaner or usher or seat repairer.
Now now, grid crawling on that grid is what obliterated my fear of heights. I think my first time having to change a lamp that was over the audience took me almost an hour. By the end it took just a few minutes to crawl out and over the audience. I'm assuming that because of the install, the overall height of the space dropped? Hopefully it wasn't too much because that was such a great tall blackbox. But yes, InterAmerica Stage did that install. They posted a time lapse of that install on Facebook too.
Here is a story on that install http://www.iastage.com/news/ucf_skydeck
I've been following this thread with fascination. These tension wire grids sound very interesting. One thing I've been unable to conclusively figure out is where they are most used. Is it mostly black box spaces? Is it a substitute for a "normal" steel grid in a proscenium house? On one manufacturer's website I found some installs over an apron or thrust or even over the audience. Is this typical?
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