Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2008 - 27

If these two pictures were run in the tabloids, they would
be stark black and white examples and fall protection success
on the one hand fall protection failure on the other. And I
would have pretty much have bought into those characterizations twelve years ago when Rocky Paulson and I wrote
"Fall Protection for Arena Shows" (TD&T, Winter 1996).
But experience working on both well-designed and poorlydesigned systems have led me to conclude that the devil is
in the details, and often those are the mundane "soft" details
we hardware-and-engineering aficionados tend to gloss over.
What do I mean by "soft" details"? Details like strictly enforced fall protection system use procedures and protocols,
formal fall protection system training coursework and written
tests, equipment tracking and maintenance logs, written rescue plans, regular rescue drills, and post-fall rescue workers
present on every call when the fall protection system is in use.
While these details may not have a load rating stamped on
them, they can be just as deadly when they fail a worker in
a fall protection system as would a broken connector or an
anchorage that pulls out.
My appreciation of these soft details of fall protection,
have also come with an appreciation of one of the least-liked
aspects of OSHA regulations: the demand for documentation.
Take the case of the fallen worker on the arena deck.
Fatalities always trigger a visit from OSHA. The first thing they
do is ask to see the fall protection system documentation. The
paperwork.

of the most effective ways for us to discipline ourselves to
conscientiously perform all the mundane prep work that will
result in a fall protection system achieving its intended result:
worker survival.
As technicians in the entertainment industry we have
focused too much on the equipment and the mechanics of
stopping a falling body. Too little attention has been given to
the mundane yeoman work that needs to be done before and
after a fall if that fallen worker is to survive and go home to
his or her family for dinner. The OSHA required documentation helps employers and workers pay attention to all the details. A safe fall protection system can't have any weak links,
hard or soft.
A review of a some broad concepts within OSHA
might be helpful before outlining the main elements of
OSHA fall protection that can be verified and supported by
documentation. (Note: much of this basic information is
documented in the 1996 TD&T article which is available for
free download from USITT's online bookstore: www.usitt.org/
bookstore/.)

OSHA concept 1
Employer is responsible for safety of
workers.
In OSHA's eyes, the employer is responsible for worker safety. In an arena, for instance, the facility owner is ultimately
responsible for the safety of stagehand riggers and lighting
techs up in the spaces where they are exposed to identifiable
fall hazards. Only the facility owner controls and is responsible for the physical space to which the fall protection system
is attached. The expectation of OSHA is that employers and
facility owners understand both the requirements governing
fall hazards and will responsibly take action to address those
fall hazards.
A related OSHA concept is that the employer cannot
avoid this responsibility nor can workers voluntarily take responsibility for their safety upon themselves. So in the world
of OSHA fall protection, an employed stagehand cannot voluntarily refuse to use an employer-mandated fall protection
system. Also, the employee/stagehand can only uses a personal fall protection harness or other hardware that the employer has approved-has inspected and has verified that the
gear is appropriate for the house system, is OSHA compliant,
and is well-maintained.

Why the paperwork? It's an objective gauge to determine
if the complete requirements of the fall protection regulations
have been followed. Facility managers/employers and stagehands should follow OSHA's example. Documentation is one

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2008