Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1986 - 11

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RECOMMENDED
GUIDELINES
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1.9

1.10

1.11

1.12

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Motorized counterweights systems shall have suitable safeguards to prevent persons from accidentally
reaching or walking into the path of the moving counterweight carriages.
Spreader plates, top spacers, hold down plates, etc.
shall be manufactured in such a way as to be safely
secured until needed. Spreader plates shall be employed at all times. Each counterweight carriage shall
have enough spreader plates to allow for one plate for
every two (2) lineal feet of applied counterweight.
Counterweight carriages shall be marked in such a
way as to indicate the appropriate locations of spacer
plates during the loading process.
The floor of the loading gallery or catwalk, and the
bottom of the counterweight carriage at maximum
high trim, shall allow for safe access at all times to
the entire counterweight carriage.
The flying system design and installation shall provide some mechanism, other than the rope lock, to
prevent counterweight carriage travel during the loading and unloading operations.

1.13

Manual rigging systems without a loading floor shall
be provided with a capstan winch capable of raising
or lowering a fully loaded out of balance counterweight carriage.

1.14

Trim chains shall have a safety factor of eight to one
and shall be attached to the lifting line or wire rope
with use of appropriately sized thimbles and wire rope
clamps or thimbles and Nicopress sleeves. For temporary attachment to a batten, one-and-one-half (1 112)
wraps around are minimum with the chain attached
to itself with load rated hardware.

Suspended work areas
1.15

1.16

1.17

Gridiron, catwalks. and loading galleries shall be accessed only by personnel directly engaged in work in
these areas.
Prior to engaging in overhead work all line sets shall
be secured and all areas below shall be secured or
posted to prevent unauthorized entry.
No objects may be stored or temporarily placed on
the gridiron. Proper containers shall be provided for
those items used during maintenance, set up, and
strike. All tools shall be tethered to either the structure or the user.

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SECTION

MARKING AND LABELING

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Manufacturer
2.1

A manufacturer's label shall be conspicuously and
permanently attached to each piece of technical
stage equipment.

2.2

Visible and permanent system capacity information
shall be displayed at a location which is easily seen
by the operator.

2.3

2.4

2.5

The capacity of the gridiron, catwalks, and galleries in
Ibs. per sq. ft. shall be conspicuously displayed.
Master switches, emergency switches, and emergency keys (or other devices with similar purpose)
shall be identified and marked with the O.S.H.A. "Red
T" color.
Those parts of technical stage equipment which require lubrication and maintenance shall be safely and
easily accessible and serviceable. The name and type
of the lubricant shall be conspicuously displayed near
the lubrication points. Lubrication points shall be
conspicuously marked.

Operation
2.6

Critical instructions for a given piece or similar group
of technical stage equipment shall be visibly mounted
at the operating and/or control station. Such instructions shall be brief and concise, e.g. "cut in case of
fire," "disable when not in use," etc.

SECTION

SAFETY AND PROTECTIVE MEASURES

3.1

3.2

Hoisting equipment shall be secured against unauthorized and inadvertent use.
For the suspension of flying equipment wire ropes,
with a minimum safety factor not less than eight (8),
must be used.

continucd on pagc 42 ...
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)986 Thealre De,ign &.

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1986