ESTA and PLASA release updated international rigging code

USA/UK – ESTA and PLASA have announced the release of an updated Version 2.0 of the International Code of Practice for Entertainment Rigging (ICOPER), which is available as a free download at www.esta.org/icoper or www.plasa.org/icoper.

Submissions from the international rigging community were received in response to a call for comments in late 2021. The document’s authors, Nick Barnfield (New Zealand), Tiny Good (Australia), Chris Higgs (UK), Ed Kish (United States), Bill Sapsis (United States), and Roy Schilderman (The Netherlands) praised the commentors for their thoughtful consideration and the obvious expertise they brought to the task.

The practices described in the Code are intended to provide a universal foundation for those engaged in planning, managing and executing entertainment rigging. ICOPER also provides guidelines for those who wish to develop policy, design training content or help establish certification criteria.

Key areas covered in ICOPER include pre-installation, planning and engineering; drawing conventions; equipment selection; onsite rigging work, lifting operations, show rigging operations, de-rigging work; and post-production. Also included are a glossary, an appendix covering determinate and indeterminate rigging systems, and a regional comparison of terms pertaining to standards.