Of course, the Indiana State Fair stage collapse is most prevalent in everyone’s mind. In the latter part of January, the Indiana State Legislature announced that a Senate Bill was authored that addressed the need to have outdoor entertainment structures inspected by an engineer or other qualified person before the stage can used or occupied. The bill has since passed the state Senate and was forwarded to the House for consideration.
This means that no outdoor concert or event using staging may take place until someone with knowledge, understanding and/or a certified structural engineer has inspected and approved such a structure. If the House passes the bill, any structure used after June 2012 will have to meet these requirements. What the bill does not state is how to determine if an individual is otherwise qualified to judge the structural stability. If not a structural engineer, how does one become qualified?
The House can still edit and amend the bill. In addition to clarifying a person’s qualification, they may see fit to add indoor structures as well, impacting any temporary stage constructed in the state. There is also no mention of size of a structure. Does that mean any type of temporary stage is required to get inspected?
Here comes the real kicker. The bill would also require the state’s building safety commission to set standards for the stages and equipment being used for outdoor performances. How well-versed are they on the unique structures and equipment that we use for temporary stages? Is this a case of Big Brother stepping in? Don’t we, as an industry, have a greater awareness of what needs to be done?
Industry standards already relating to temporary staging include ANSI E1.2 — 2006, Entertainment Technology – Design, Manufacture and Use of Aluminum Trusses and Towers and ANSI E1.21 — 2006, Temporary Ground-Supported Overhead Structures Used To Cover Stage Areas and Support Equipment in the Production of Outdoor Entertainment Events. E1.21 is particularly applicable to outdoor events and contains requirements for a management plan for dealing with weather conditions.
Has the State of Indiana taken these standards into consideration with the new bill? Rather then creating new standards and laws, the state should look to our industry for answers and best practices.
Before the tragedy at the Indiana State Fair, no inspections of the stage had been required. Some Indiana lawmakers professed outrage, but that outrage was not universally shared among those in the industry. Why? Most stages have been certified by a structural engineer at the time of their fabrication and carry an engineer’s stamp. If it carries an engineer’s stamp, doesn’t that mean it has been cleared by a structural engineer, and is thus safe to use?
In the case of the Indiana State Fair, there are still legal issues pending, and many truss and staging companies are keeping a tight lid on the subject. Was there an engineer’s stamp on the structure? Most likely, but we’ll have to wait for the legal dust to clear.
A critical factor with the Indiana State Fair accident was, of course, the weather. Would the structure have fallen if the wind wasn’t as strong? Probably not. But the winds were strong, it did fall, and now the state of Indiana is understandably attempting to make sure that never happens again. Is Indiana’s law the stepping-stone to a national standard or law? Some states have already begun to look at adopting Indiana’s law in their own state.
Rigging is a serious business with inherent risks that must be dealt with every day. As industry professionals, we accept that challenge up to a point. We rely on the rigging crew to do their job safely and correctly. When accidents happen, the finger-pointing starts, and well-intentioned efforts to prevent recurrences include new legislation and temporary structures that can stand up to stronger winds.
The bottom line, however, is that there’s no statute or temporary structure that will protect the public when a promoter or a group’s production manager opts to keep the show on schedule in the face of ominous weather to save money or time.
The decision that killed the people in Indiana was not a structural problem. That rig had been used in dozens and dozens of shows. The reason these people died was pure greed by the band and in-house producer at the fair ground. They had the ultimate control over the stage. They knew — or should have known — what was approaching, but chose not to heed the warnings from the production staff, crew and national weather service.
How do you legislate against bad decisions by people who are only concerned about their own dollars?
I encourage you to join in on the discussion already happening on ProLightingSpace.com about these new laws and concerns.
