NEWS
One hurt at Brighton pier’s Air Race fairground ride
One person was injured when part of a fairground ride on Brighton Palace Pier came loose and hit them. Pier chief executive Anne Ackford said part of the Air Race ride had become detached and had struck a passer-by. Ambulance crews said one person was taken to hospital with a leg injury. Paramedics checked others over for shock. Ms Ackford said: "We have been in immediate contact with the manufacturer to ask them... to investigate." A spokeswoman for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said: "The HSE is aware and we are investigating the incident." Ms Ackford said the pier's [...]
Coachella Worker Dies in Fall at Festival Site – Rolling Stone
One week before Coachella 2019 begins, a worker constructing a stage at the Indio, California festival site fell to their death. Coachella organizers Goldenvoice said in a statement Saturday, “Today, Goldenvoice lost a colleague, a friend, a family member. Our friend fell while working on a festival stage. It is with heavy hearts and tremendous difficulty that we confirm his passing. He has been with our team for twenty years in the desert and was doing what he loved. He was a hard-working and loving person that cared deeply about his team. As our lead rigger, he was responsible for [...]
Falling roof kills Leeds stage hand
A STAGE hand from Leeds suffered multiple fatal injuries when a stage roof for a Madonna concert partly collapsed during "flawed" construction process, an inquest heard. Charles Prow, 23, was working on a Madonna world tour and was helping erect the stage roof ahead of the singer's concert at the [...]
Entertainment Industry: UK imports tariffs under no-deal plan
Summary: The UK government has announced that most imports into the UK would not attract a tariff in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Under a temporary scheme 87% of imports by value would be eligible for zero-tariff access. At the moment 80% of imports are tariff free including hoist [...]
Using the UKCA marking if the UK leaves the EU without a deal
The UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) marking is the new UK product marking that will be used, subject to parliamentary approval, for certain goods being placed on the UK market if we leave the EU without a deal. If the UK leaves the EU without a deal you will still, in [...]
Restored theatre opens after 80 years
A theatre closed to the public for 80 years has opened its doors following a three-year multimillion-pound restoration project led by architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios. Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust (APPCT) unveiled its Theatre and East Court as finishing touches were made for the opening events in early [...]
The first global drone standards have been revealed
As drone use grows, rules and regulations remain in flux and vary among jurisdictions. Last month, for instance, the Federal Aviation Administration granted operators of certain drones approval to fly them in controlled airspace in the US, but the UK has an outright ban on using them within a kilometer [...]
BLUMANO Launches Netherlands Operation
BLUMANO, engineering consultancy for design and safety in the Entertainment Industry is expanding its operation with the announcement of BLUMANO Netherlands. This prime west European base will work in close collaboration with the existing offices of BLUMANO in the UK and in Italy. Michiel van der Zijde is joining the [...]
Safely On the Run with Beyoncé and Jay-Z
Worldwide - Entertainment engineering specialist WIcreations was asked to work on two specialist elements – a moving / tracking video wall and a ‘Star Lift’ – for Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s “On The Run II” (OTR II) stadium tour, part of an epic and spectacular set design concept designed by Stufish. [...]
BSI secures membership of CEN and CENELEC
On 23 November, the General Assemblies of the European Standards Organizations CEN and CENELEC approved a plan that secures BSI’s full membership post-Brexit. BSI welcomes these decisions as a pragmatic solution that provides stability for the European standards system while meeting the needs of our stakeholders. The decisions, taken separately [...]
Three More ESTA Standards in Public Review
Lighting and Sound America has reported that three more ESTA Technical standards have been posted for public review: ANSI E1.34 -- 2009, Entertainment Technology -- Measuring and Specifying the Slipperiness of Floors Used in Live Performance Venues, is being considered for reaffirmation again (i.e., no changes in requirements, only updating [...]
Stage light crashes down during Tracy Byrd’s performance at Brazoria County Fair, injuring band member
BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A concert turned terrifying at the Brazoria County fair when a stage light fell and sent members of a country singer's band scrambling Saturday night. Cellphone video captured the frightening moment that occurred as Tracy Byrd's band was wrapping up their show. In the video, [...]
New CEN standard – Entertainment technology – Specifications for design and manufacture of aluminium and steel trusses (EN 17115)
Summer is traditionally the season for outdoor events, and the warm summer that is now coming to an end has been no exception: concerts, festivals, open-air theatres and cinemas have multiplied, giving people the possibility to enjoy the warm weather. Nevertheless, organising successful events is a huge technical feat: complex [...]
IEC 62443: Levels, Levels and More Levels
By now we’ve all become familiar with safety integrity levels (SIL), as they have become part of our everyday lives. However, with the recent release of several cybersecurity standards in the IEC 62443 series, things are getting more complicated. This series of standards introduces two more levels that we will need to [...]
Vigo festival collapse in Spain injures hundreds
More than 300 people have been injured, five seriously, after a section of wooden platform collapsed at an urban sports and music festival in Spain. It had been packed with people watching a rap artist at the two-day O Marisquiño event in the north-west city of Vigo, in Galicia. Police [...]
Summary : UK to apply to stay in European standards system after Brexit
The following summary is a news extract made by Blumano via the Financial Times: Recently the Financial Times published an article discussing the UK’s possible bid to stay in the “European standards system for industry products” after Brexit. According to the FT article, the UK is to apply to stay [...]
ANSI Approves Standard to Prevent Falls from Stages
On Friday the 13th of July, the ANSI Board of Standards Review approved a revised version of ANSI E1.46, Standard for the Prevention of Falls from Theatrical Stages and Raised Performance Platforms. The standard has been revised to address changes to the OSHA regulations for fall protection, while keeping the [...]
Cloudburst with winds up to 100 km/h: Pink Night stage collapses in Bellaria
An intense storm struck the Rimini coast on Thursday afternoon in the Bellaria area. It was a thunderstorm supercell which fell from the Ravenna to the Riminese, also bringing medium-sized hailstorms and gusts of wind up to 98.2 km/h. The storm manifested itself with the phenomenon of a "downburst", and [...]
Civilian Drones
This paper outlines current regulations for the use of recreational and commercial drones in the UK. It also presents recent policy development in the UK and internationally, as well as emerging technological and regulatory issues related to drone integration into domestic airspace. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the independent [...]
Man electrocuted to death after climbing stage at music festival
A concertgoer was electrocuted to death after scaling the stage and touching power cables at a music festival in Brazil. Daniel Guedes, 32, died instantly in the massive electrical explosion during the show in Natuba, Paraiba state. Images too gruesome to publish show the man’s charred body lying beside the [...]
Raising the Standard – Lluis Diaz-Guerra confirmed speaker at ITEAC 2018 conference
Twenty years ago, there were hardly any engineering standards specific to the theatre industry. Thanks to the hard work of many individuals within the entertainment industry there are now a draft of standards created both in Europe and the USA. Presented by BLUMANO, Lluis Diaz-Guerra, Michael Lichter and Bill Sapsis, in this [...]
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,' [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 hoists 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 [...]
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 the Europa website for the machinery sector (the English version for the time being, and requests for translations will be placed in French and German). The Machinery Guide will [...]
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 [...]