NEWS
Cirque du Soleil performer Yann Arnaud dies after fall
A Cirque du Soleil performer has died after he fell onto the stage during a performance in Florida, the company announced Sunday. "It is with immense sadness that Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group reports that a tragic accident occurred last night, March 17, during a performance of its show 'Volta,' in Tampa, Florida," the statement posted to its social media accounts began. "While he was performing the aerial straps number, long-time aerialist, Yann Arnaud, fell onto the stage." Arnaud, 38, had his hand slip from a ring and he fell about 20 feet, according to Tampa police. The statement explained [...]
Qatar stadium where UK worker died was ‘downright dangerous’
British coroner says Zac Cox given substandard equipment by managers at World Cup venue The only western construction worker killed in the building of World Cup stadiums in Qatar was provided with substandard equipment by managers who should have known the risks of a “downright dangerous” environment, a British coroner has said. Zac Cox, 40, died in January 2017 after he fell 40 metres (131ft) from rigging when a catwalk he was helping to install at the Khalifa stadium in Doha collapsed. The accident occurred after lever hoist equipment failed, causing part of the platform on which Cox and a [...]
prEN 17206:2018 | Lifting and Load-bearing Equipment for Stages and other Production Areas within the Entertainment Industry
Th long-awaited EN standard draft based on CWA 15902-1 has been published for public consultation. prEN 17206:2018 Veranstaltungstechnik - Hub- und Lastaufnahmeeinrichtungen für Bühnen und andere Produktionsbereiche in der Veranstaltungsindustrie - Festlegung von grundlegenden Anforderungen (mit Ausnahme von Aluminium- und Stahltraversen) Entertainment Technology - Lifting and Load-bearing Equipment for Stages [...]
The Prevention of Unexpected Start-Up Safety Function
Introduction In Europe, the Machinery Directive, which is a legal act, establishes the necessary tasks for new machines to meet health and safety requirements. This means that Manufacturers are obliged to construct their machines such that they are safe. In practise, this means that designers should perform a risk assessment [...]
DJ killed after stage collapses during sudden storm at festival
A DJ has died after a stage collapsed on him at a dance festival in Brazil. Kaleb Freitas was performing when the structure was brought down during a storm at Atmosphere Festival, Porto Alegre. The 30-year-old, whose real name was Kalleby Frietas de Rosa, was rushed to hospital with head [...]
DJ killed after stage collapses during sudden storm at festival
A DJ has died after a stage collapsed on him at a dance festival in Brazil. Kaleb Freitas was performing when the structure was brought down during a storm at Atmosphere Festival, Porto Alegre. The 30-year-old, whose real name was Kalleby Frietas de Rosa, was rushed to hospital with head [...]
International Code of Practice for Entertainment Rigging (ICOPER)
ESTA and PLASA announce the release of an International Code of Practice for Entertainment Rigging (ICOPER) which is available as a free download. In response to calls from the international entertainment rigging community, rigging professionals from around the globe came together to create ICOPER to promote awareness and safety worldwide [...]
Marilyn Manson Blames God for His Recent On-Stage Accidents
In a new interview, Marilyn Manson says God is responsible for his recent back-to-back on-stage accidents, one of which broke his leg, resulting in the cancellation of many upcoming live dates. And I don’t mean he says God is responsible as a metaphor; I mean he really does point the [...]
Lifting operations in the Entertainment Industry – Cristiano Giavedoni confirmed speaker at LiftEx 2017 conference
A session that examines current issues and challenges surrounding the integration and use of chain hoist and winches in the event industry. There are many thousands of hoists in use in the EU of which the owner or user complete the manufacture/integration of the machinery by fitting the chain, electrical connectors [...]
Marilyn Manson injured after set collapses during concert
The rock star was seen trying to climb scaffolding supporting two giant guns, before the prop dramatically fell on top of him. Marilyn Manson has been injured during a concert in New York City, when a stage prop of two giant guns backed on metal scaffolding appeared to collapse on top [...]
Charges in fatal Radiohead stage collapse stayed over lengthy trial delays
Dave McCaskill, Crown lawyer, says it's too early to consider appeal Charges stemming from a fatal Radiohead concert stage collapse in 2012 were stayed Tuesday when a judge ruled the justice system had failed in allowing the case to take far too long to come to trial. The inordinate delays, [...]
Is theatre stage equipment subject to PUWER or LOLER Inspection?
Theatre equipment, such as cameras & lighting booms, lift and lower as part of their operation. They, therefore, have the potential to result in catastrophic and fatal injuries if they collapse during operation. However, several factors need to be considered when determining whether such equipment is ‘general work equipment’ or [...]
Tom Cruise injury halts filming on Mission Impossible 6
Director Christopher McQuarrie says the action star broke ankle during the filming of a stunt which required jumping between buildings and hitting a wall. The studio behind Mission Impossible 6 has confirmed that production of the film has been put on hiatus while Tom Cruise recovers from a broken ankle [...]
ANSI approves E1.50-1 standard for supporting video displays
On August 14 ANSI’s Board of Standards Review approved ANSI E1.50-1 — 2017, Requirements for the Structural Support of Temporary LED, Video & Display Systems. It was published by ESTA on the same day. ANSI E1.50-1 covers the support of temporary installations of large format modular display systems, LED, video and other [...]
Guide to application of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC
Edition 2.1 (update of the 2nd Edition) of the Guide to application of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC is publicly available on Europa website for machinery sector (English version for the time being. Requests for translation will be placed for French and German) The Machinery Guide will be a living document [...]
French singer Barbara Weldens dies on stage mid-concert amid reports she ‘was electrocuted’
French singer Barbara Weldens has collapsed and died on stage mid-concert, it has been reported. The 35-year-old singer, who released her debut album in February, was on stage for the Festival Léo Ferré in the Church of the Cordeliers in the village of Goudron in the Lot region in south-west [...]
Siemens digital tech makes Dubai Opera one of the world’s smartest concert spaces
Dubai Opera is one of the world’s smartest and most energy efficient performance spaces, thanks to an almost invisible - but extremely powerful - building management platform from Siemens. The dhow-shaped building is a multi-format performing arts theatre and accommodates up to 2,000 spectators. The day-to-day operations of the iconic [...]
WIcreations Moves it for Vasco Rossi in Modena
Italy – WIcreations provided StageCo with specialist automation services to move four massive towers onstage at the epic Vasco Rossi concert and spectacle in Modena – the Italian rock superstar’s only scheduled live appearance in 2017 – attended by 250,000 rapturous fans on a blisteringly hot summer’s day in Modena [...]
Gene Simmons take a fall on stage during Kiss concert
It was a moment straight out of This Is Spinal Tap. During Kiss‘ concert last night (July 17) at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman, Mont., Gene Simmons took a fall on stage. As you can see in the video above, the slip happened during the show’s closing number, “Rock [...]
Acrobat death fall at Mad Cool festival in Madrid
An acrobat from Brighton has died after reportedly falling 100ft (30m) during a stunt at a rock festival in Spain. Specialist in aerial dance Pedro Aunión Monroy, was suspended in a cage during the Mad Cool festival in Madrid, on Friday night. While near the main stage, in-between the performances [...]
WI in Wonderland with Take That
UK - WI has supplied staging, elevators and extensive automation elements to the Take That ‘Wonderland’ tour which kicked off at the Genting Arena, Birmingham. The lively, colourful carnivalesque aesthetic is the vision of the band’s creative director Kim Gavin and the result of some serious creative and technical talents [...]
Writer Farzana Naz died after tragic fall from a stage at an event
Writer Farzana Naz, who sustained severe head and back injuries after falling from a stage at an event, has passed away. Naz's fall took place at the closing ceremony of a literary festival at Islamabad's Pak-China Friendship Hall. She fell from a 12ft high stage. The 36-year-old writer was immediately [...]
BLUMANO at VPT Lifting Technology conference
The 30th of January 2017, BLUMANO participate to the conference “Hoisting Technique: 10 years later”, organized by VPT the Dutch association for stage technology. The keynote speech was held by BLUMANO’s director Cristiano Giavedoni, which entertained the large audience with a presentation called “Safety in Machinery: The lost Island”, four [...]
ETC Establishes the David North Memorial Scholarship
ETC, Inc. has established the David North Memorial Scholarship for Lighting Technology at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. ETC's intention in making this gift is to provide financial need-based support for the study of lighting technology in memory of our longtime employee and friend, David A. [...]
5 High-Wire Peformers Hurt After Falling 25 Feet in Florida Circus; Nik Wallenda Unhurt
A rehearsal for a dramatic eight-person pyramid went horribly wrong, injuring five high-wire circus performers who tumbled about 25 feet, said officials in Sarasota, Florida. Four were hospitalized as trauma patients. Renowned daredevil Nik Wallenda — a member of the famed aerialist family — was among three performers on the [...]
BLUMANO Expands
UK based international entertainment industry engineering design and safety specialists and consultants BLUMANO Ltd. is expanding and restructuring its operation. The move brings the service of systems control in-house, with software and hardware expert Lluis Diaz-Guerra and his company Copinya into the BLUMANO organisation. It and also coincides with a [...]
Harrison Ford could have died in Star Wars set incident, court hears
Harrison Ford could have been killed when he was crushed by a hydraulic door on the set of the Millennium Falcon spaceship while filming the most recent Star Wars film, a court has heard. Ford was reprising his role as Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens in June [...]
Muse Drone Crash Into Audience During Concert
Rock concert props can be dazzling, but also dangerous. During Yes' 1974 tour, drummer Alan White once found himself trapped inside a large seashell – inspiring a similar debacle in mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap. Muse achieved their own moment of stage infamy during their Thursday show at London's 02 [...]
Adele fan injured by falling chain at Glasgow concert
Spectator at SSE Hydro venue is taken to hospital on Friday night after equipment appears to fall from lighting rig A fan at Adele’s Glasgow concert has been injured by a falling chain that possibly came from a lighting rig overhead. The singer was performing her sell-out tour at the SSE Hydro [...]
Mötley Crüe Drummer Tommy Lee Get Stuck on Rollercoaster at New Year’s Eve Show
At any rock concert, the probability of walking through piss puddles, getting kicked by a stranger or being vomited on is pretty high, but at a Mötley Crüe concert, these events are expected. The legendary rock band’s final show at Los Angeles’ Staples Center was no exception. During drummer Tommy [...]
New Hampshire circus tent collapse leaves two dead and more than 20 hurt
Two people were killed and more than 20 injured when a circus tent collapsed in a storm during a performance in New Hampshire. Authorities said about 100 people were inside the tent at the Lancaster Fairground, about 90 miles north of the state capital in Concord, when it fell down on [...]
Star Publishes First CDM Regulations Guidance For Live Events
Star Events has published CDM Ready! the first event industry specific interpretation of the updated Construction (Design & Management) Regulations, written to complement the recently released Code of Practice document. Introduced on 6 April, the revised regulations mean all events with structures must have a Client who in turn appoints [...]
Court of Appeals rules against state in State Fair stage collapse
INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller says he plans to appeal to the Indiana Supreme Court a state Court of Appeals ruling that could leave taxpayers on the hook for millions of dollars more in damages from the 2011 stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair. In a 2-to-1 [...]
Safety on the stage – SIEMENS
Increasingly creative demands from performers, producers and audiences mean shows are becoming more thrilling and exciting all the time. Pushing the limits of artistic expression and mechanical capabilities means an increased need for sophisticated safety systems that can keep pace with the action on and off the stage. Rob Sharrock, [...]
Safety Integrity Level
<b>Safety Integrity Level</b> (SIL) is defined as a relative level of risk-reduction provided by a safety function, or to specify a target level of risk reduction. In simple terms, SIL is a measurement of performance required for a Safety Instrumented Function (SIF). The requirements for a given SIL are not consistent among all of the functional [...]
The new standard IEC/ISO 17305
The <strong>standard IEC ISO 17305</strong> is planned to be a merger of the standards EN ISO 13849 and IEC 62061. In future, the new IEC ISO 17305 will describe the <strong>functional safety of plant and machinery</strong> as well as the <strong>measures and steps</strong> to be considered en route. <h4>IEC/ISO 17305 will probably come into force from [...]
Fans killed in collapse at South Korea pop concert
SEONGAM (AFP) - Sixteen people were killed and nine others seriously injured when a ventilation grate gave way while they were watching an outdoor pop concert in Seongam south of Seoul on Friday, rescuers said. “They were standing on the ventilation grate to get a better view when it collapsed [...]
The PLASA Rigging Conference
The PLASA Rigging Conference returns this year on Monday 6 October, running alongside PLASA London 2014 at ExCeL London. The only international annual meeting of its size dedicated solely to the rigging community. Don’t miss the opportunity to get together with practitioners, managers, engineers, safety professionals and policy makers from [...]
CEN/TC 433 Entertainment Technology – Machinery, equipment and installations
Developing a set of standards for machinery, technical installations and work equipment used in places of assembly, in staging and production facilities for events and theatrical productions. Such facilities include theatres, multi-purpose halls, exhibition halls; film, television, photography and radio studios as well as facilities in concert halls, schools, bars, [...]
Failed clamp caused circus performers to fall investigator says
PROVIDENCE, RI -- The weekend accident that injured nine members of a circus troupe, along with two other people, during a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey performance in Providence, Rhode Island, was caused by a 5-inch D-ring that snapped, the lead investigator for the city's fire department said Monday. [...]