How many times have you walked into a store or a restaurant or your church and seen a TV or a loudspeaker hanging on the wall or from the ceiling? You’ve probably never given it a second thought. The truth is you probably hardly even notice anymore it’s so commonplace and it shouldn’t really be anything to be concerned about. But, if you’ve seen some of the things I have seen you would be afraid, VERY AFRAID!
You may have guessed that the topic of our article this month is safety. Specifically rigging safety. If you are suspending anything over people’s heads then you should always take every precaution and safety measure to assure it doesn’t come down until someone specifically takes it down. Otherwise, you are putting your congregation’s safety at risk and the very existence of your organization at risk as well.
Back in 2013 renovations were taking place at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham, AL. As part of the renovation new arrival/departure displays were designed and installed. As a result of multiple revisions of the design the base of these displays ended up being insufficiently small and one of them turned over injuring three members of a family and tragically killing a fourth. This young boy’s life need not have been in danger. All it really would’ve taken to avoid this tragedy was for the designers and/or installers to have done a simple test before turning it over as complete. The base could’ve been enlarged, or it simply could have been attached to the wall behind it and all would be well and those folks could have enjoyed their vacation instead of planning a funeral.
Granted, this is an extreme case, but it is honestly a little surprising that this sort of thing doesn’t happen more often. It is not at all uncommon to see loudspeakers suspended by the handles or other equipment suspended overhead by less than acceptable means. I was in a church several years ago and noticed they had several Peavey SP-1s (which weigh about 100 pounds) suspended by the handles. Bear in mind these handles are not designed as rigging points and they are held on with small wood screws. This is not even to mention that the dog chain they were suspended on is not designed for this purpose. It is a genuine miracle that no one was injured or killed in that space.
Did you know that a 10 lb. object falling from 20 ft. in the air can have an impact force of over 700 lbs.? So, consider how dangerous overhead suspension can be if it isn’t done correctly. Also, consider the liability you are taking on when you expose your congregation to these dangerous conditions.
Now, this is not to say that nothing should ever be suspended over people’s heads. It is a fact of life in theaters, churches, arenas, restaurants, etc. The key is to have it done correctly following industry standards and taking great care to meet or exceed the ratings of the equipment and hardware used to suspend said equipment.
Like I mentioned earlier, you don’t often hear of people being injured or killed by falling objects in these spaces. But if you search the internet, you will find no shortage of concert events where something went terribly wrong, and people were hurt. Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances, but often it happens because an error was made, or a corner was cut.
In 2008 we installed a loudspeaker cluster (back in the day of the RPA!) that weighs over 1200 lbs. and two line arrays that weigh about 700 lbs. each. They are still there to this very day (though they are nearing the end of their life spans) and will not come down until someone intentionally brings them down. Why? Well, primarily because we take great pride in how we do our work, but perhaps more importantly, we followed the proper procedures and used the proper hardware to ensure this installation was safe.
I think this is a good place to talk about how you go about choosing a contractor for your AV systems. When you are considering designs be sure to ask how they plan to install the systems and don’t be afraid to question their plans for safety. They may not have a ready answer if they haven’t had a chance to really dig into the structure of the building, but they should be able to deliver an answer in a timely manner and, at the very least, give an outline of their normal procedures when it comes to safety in their installations. If they can’t (or won’t) give you a good answer, then it might be time to consider someone else for your installation. Safety is far too important a matter to overlook.
Of course, there are other things to consider when it comes to safety in your facilities. Your AV systems are only one of many systems that are critical to your success. All of them should be properly planned and installed and each system requires different skill sets to be implemented properly. Always work with qualified individuals and companies and don’t be afraid to ask questions. No one has ever been harmed by asking a question. Many have been harmed by questions that were not asked.
If you are in the process of an upgrade, re-fit, or a brand-new facility I encourage you to attend the CFX show in Chattanooga, TN October 21-23. There will be a show floor full of companies that do church facility related things. From AV to security to building finance and maintenance, there is something for everyone involved in church operations.
PressOn is an educational sponsor, and we will have a booth as well. In addition, we will be presenting a session on how to choose the proper equipment on a very limited budget. Come by and say “hi” and check out some of our partners for the show. We would love to talk with you about your church’s needs and hear your stories, both good and bad. I hope to see you there!
