Who is responsible when a rigging accident happens? The first impulse might be to blame, of course, the rigger. But while it’s the rigger’s job to make sure the “rig” is hung as close to the way it was designed as possible, as safely and efficiently as possible, the rigger is not an engineer. The rigger did not design your product, nor is he responsible for your training and installation of your product. The rigger is responsible for getting the motors in the right spot. The best riggers are part of the safety plan, the fall rescue plan; and even the best of the best do safety checks… But when someone messes up, he, unfortunately, is the first guy to get the blame – a lot of times even before the facts are known.
-Clay Hutson, from “Guest Editorial,” PLSN, Dec. 2019, page 72
