Live Sound University Article Sat, October 11, 2008

Stage rigging involves machinery. The various components of the system move and, because of that movement, the parts of the system will eventually wear out. That is the primary reason for having your stage rigging inspected. If that’s not motivation enough, there are several other reasons for an annual safety inspection. The people using the equipment may not know how to operate it properly, and therefore may cause damage to some of the parts. The equipment may not have been installed properly or - and this happens more often that you’d think - the wrong equipment may have been installed in the first place.

You can imagine the damage that a 30 pound lighting instrument will do when it falls from 45 feet up, or when the entire back wall of a set breaks away from the pipe batten and crashes to the floor. People call these incidents “accidents” but that’s a misnomer. These incidents are caused by neglect. When a rope or cable or other piece of hardware breaks, it doesn’t usually do so without warning. The component may twist or stretch long before it fails. A good rigging inspector will discover this problem and advise you as to how to prevent these potential “accidents”.

By way of example, let’s look at one element in a counterweight system; the operating line for a counterweight system. This line is used to raise and lower the pipe batten (and consequently, whatever is attached to that pipe) over the stage. The rope is made of manila or, in a newer theatre, a synthetic rope (usually Dacron). The current industry standard mandates that manila rope should be replaced about every 7 years. The synthetic ropes last 2 to 3 times longer. But this is just a guideline and many things can affect the lifespan of the rope. An inspector will check the ropes for wear, abrasion points, abrupt changes in the size or shape of the rope and in the case of Manila, dry rot. He or she will be able to tell you if the rope needs replacing now or at some point in the near future. Remember, if that rope breaks something will fall, either the pipe batten or the counterweight arbor. Either way, someone could get seriously hurt.

There are a number of firms in the United States that offer rigging inspections as part of their services. Choosing one need not be a painful task. The theatre business is a very small industry and the number of companies offering inspections in this country even smaller. Start your search with your local theatrical supplier who can usually refer a rigging inspector to you. If that doesn’t work, and you are a member of a theatre organization, ask them. And if that doesn’t work, there is always the World Wide Web. Two organizations that have sites that may help are USITT and ESTA. 

Once you have found a company or person to talk to, here are some things that should help in judging who will be hired.

1) A formal proposal. This proposal should outline the costs for the project and tell you what their services will be. You want to make sure that they will not only inspect the stage rigging, but also the equipment hanging from the rigging. They should also check out other areas where you may have equipment; for example, lighting positions over the seating area on pipes or catwalks. The quality and clarity of the proposal is also a good indication of what the written report will look like.

2) Find out how long it will take to get the written report after the inspection is complete. Also find out what kind of information the report will give you. Will it identify the problems found? Will the report also offer solutions to those problems and give you a cost estimate for those repairs?

3) Get references and check them.

Because theatres come in all shapes and sizes, it’s difficult to tell how long the inspection will actually take. For a typical high school theatre you should expect the inspection to take 4 to 6 hours. A larger theatre, with more complicated equipment, will take longer. (Wolftrap Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. takes 3 days!)

The costs for a rigging inspection vary from company to company but normally range from $500 to $1,000 just for the inspection. You will also be expected to cover any travel costs. This might include airfare, a hotel room and meals, depending on where the inspector is located. (To save money on the airfare - up to 50% - try to schedule the inspection for a Saturday or Sunday, with the inspector staying over on Saturday night.)

Whatever you do, don’t ignore your stage equipment. Have your stage rigging inspected regularly. As stagehands are fond of saying, “Gravity still works but it’s not always your friend”.