installing a lighting bar in a school hall
- Thread starter mellykp1
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how many whats? theatre managers or council inspectors?
how do you go about rating and tagging an old stock of safety chains?
I have an interest in lighting and help with the technical side in a local theatrical group. We were recently in the theatre for the lighting setup and were short of safety bonds for a Martin Mac moving light which is fairly heavy.
We suggested swapping a bond from from a relatively light par can fitting and replace it with two or even three safety chains on just for extra reassurance, but they point blank refused to let us do it for insurance reasons unless each link was rated in the chain...... I can understand health and safety is there for everyone, but there is certain times where you'd think common sense would take lead
We suggested swapping a bond from from a relatively light par can fitting and replace it with two or even three safety chains on just for extra reassurance, but they point blank refused to let us do it for insurance reasons unless each link was rated in the chain...... I can understand health and safety is there for everyone, but there is certain times where you'd think common sense would take lead
I don't think you can really.
The problem with chains is that they can get damaged to the point where they still look ok but will fail when they are actually required, and like the saying goes, a chain is only as strong as the weakest link.
It is much easier to spot damage on a safety bond, and they will (should) be marked with their WLL.
The problem with chains is that they can get damaged to the point where they still look ok but will fail when they are actually required, and like the saying goes, a chain is only as strong as the weakest link.
It is much easier to spot damage on a safety bond, and they will (should) be marked with their WLL.
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I have an interest in lighting and help with the technical side in a local theatrical group. We were recently in the theatre for the lighting setup and were short of safety bonds for a Martin Mac moving light which is fairly heavy.
We suggested swapping a bond from from a relatively light par can fitting and replace it with two or even three safety chains on just for extra reassurance, but they point blank refused to let us do it for insurance reasons unless each link was rated in the chain...... I can understand health and safety is there for everyone, but there is certain times where you'd think common sense would take lead
You must have some well over rated bonds on your par cans
You must have some well over rated bonds on your par cans
Care to show me a 2kg safety bond? I've often wondered about the need for a safety on parcans, you're holding up a fairly thin metal tube with a hook clamp bent out of maybe 10mm steel, and then all held together with M10 bolts, with no dynamic loads anywhere. I really can't see a single situation in which the safety would do anything. Obviously I never rig without safeties in place!
Well a mac is about 22kg dead weight, so you really ought to be using a 50kg safety bond. I wouldn't expect to find a 50kg bond on a 5kg parcan.
It's unlikely that a hook clamp on a parcan will go wrong, but you never know. As it's a single fixing point above peoples heads, it must also have a safety.
It's unlikely that a hook clamp on a parcan will go wrong, but you never know. As it's a single fixing point above peoples heads, it must also have a safety.
You must have some well over rated bonds on your par cans
Well the theatre only had the one type of bonds on all of the fittings in the building, the larger ones, suppose it's one way of making sure the bond will support the weight!
edit: They just didn't have enough of them!
also, people assume that the safety bonds are the be all and end all of the problems.
When I was at school we had a similar issue, It was two safety chains holding up a group of 4 coda's for the cyc (three gorups). I was aware of the fact chains were not "politically correct" anymore, but knew the building was being flattened in the coming 12 months.
However I noticed a few months later that the actual bar was hanging off the ceiling and the fixings at one end had failed. I suppose whether chains, or bonds, it would still have hurt your head if the whole bar fell
When I was at school we had a similar issue, It was two safety chains holding up a group of 4 coda's for the cyc (three gorups). I was aware of the fact chains were not "politically correct" anymore, but knew the building was being flattened in the coming 12 months.
However I noticed a few months later that the actual bar was hanging off the ceiling and the fixings at one end had failed. I suppose whether chains, or bonds, it would still have hurt your head if the whole bar fell
You're not kidding! That's why you really must have all your lighting bars and flying points etc periodically properly load tested.
yeah, it was a neglected setup. (Strand Tempus dimmers, 12 channels over 2 dimmers) by the time I got involved in operating it, there was only 8 channels operational (not fused, burned out I assume), and the bulbs were popping on the profiles on the 20odd ft high ceiling, but the council just wouldn't maintain it, and wouldn't send in a genie/scissor lift to relamp
Also, the rubber cable was badly breaking up and had been upgraded with a layer of insulation tape covering every flex!
edit: 2 dimmers, not 6!
Also, the rubber cable was badly breaking up and had been upgraded with a layer of insulation tape covering every flex!
edit: 2 dimmers, not 6!
You'd do 20ft off a tower dead easy!
Where was your install? We used to find the very worst in private amature theatres, and village halls. I've seen some horrendous stuff over the years.
It was probably dead triacs in your dimmers, but there's not much point repairing them these days when you can puck up a second hand betapack for £300
Where was your install? We used to find the very worst in private amature theatres, and village halls. I've seen some horrendous stuff over the years.
It was probably dead triacs in your dimmers, but there's not much point repairing them these days when you can puck up a second hand betapack for £300
The first installation I spoke about with the martin mac was a medium sized theatre, relatively new (2008)
The dodgy install was my secondary school, in school hall with a medium sized stage, install 'upgraded' to the strand setup approx early nineties, but never maintained so in awful state.
It was a case of (for the lamps on stage anyway!) grab the big ladder when no one was looking, balance on the top step and relamp/focus whilst all the staff were on their lunch break, they never knew (and luckily I never fell off!)
The dodgy install was my secondary school, in school hall with a medium sized stage, install 'upgraded' to the strand setup approx early nineties, but never maintained so in awful state.
It was a case of (for the lamps on stage anyway!) grab the big ladder when no one was looking, balance on the top step and relamp/focus whilst all the staff were on their lunch break, they never knew
(and luckily I never fell off!)
I remember at my secondary school the main hall lighting bars were made of wood. It's frightening thinking back really.
Well these were a bit better! steel, or aluminium, whatever metal, internally wired and bolted to the ceiling, but it was a leak that weakened the area around one of the fixings, and caused it to fail, but they couldn't refix them as the ceiling was full of asbestos
So the whole lot was left as is until the building was moved out of a year later
So the whole lot was left as is until the building was moved out of a year later
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