Accident at Pavilion Glasgow

[Pete McCrea]

Someone somewhere will, but I'd have thought there will only be speculation until the official report is published. Assuming the HSE etc are involved.

[Guest lightnix]

Krankies take legal action over Pavilion beanstalk fall

Equity has called for a review of safety procedures at the Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow, following an horrific accident...

Tough... sustained a fractured skull, broken rib and broken collar bone... Despite none of the injured parties or Tough’s husband and fellow performer Ian being members of Equity the union has decided to step in...

The beanstalk has been taken away by the Health and Safety Executive to be inspected and has now been replaced by a special rope-like prop...

 

The Stage

Full story here, more here.

[James C]

...

Equity has called for a review of safety procedures at the Pavilion Theatre

...

The Stage

 

No wonder - a few years ago my ex worked there and told me about CalorGas heaters (the kind that look like a large calorgas tank on it's side with a flame visible inside) being used keep everyone warm in the wings!

[paulears]

Another Ribbon Lift thread is here.

 

If you want to add to the krankies thread - please post here, but if the post relates to a new incident, please post in the newer thread.

paul

Mods

[dbuckley]

Just as a note - the ribbonlift website used to have a picture of the members of a boy band atop the thing, I notice the picture has now gone. I assume they are now adopting their own warning label about the suitability of people lifting with the things....

 

Pity, as it was a really cool picture.

[T*ny]

Ribbon Lifts were used on "Joseph" at the New London a few years ago to raise some obelisks through the stage floor. They were not particularly reliable and I would never consider using them to lift people.

 

It's a great idea in principle which didn't quite perform properly in practise. On one occasion there was a panic phone call to say they weren't working so after a mad 40 mile dash to arrive before the show started it was pointed out that they actually needed electricity to work! Someone had tripped a breaker somewhere and nobody had noticed. I took great pleasure in explaining this to the show's producer who was shouting at me at the time. I expect he wasn't too pleased when he got the bill either.

[Jram]

Today's Evening Times story edited and paraphrased:

 

Janette Krankie lodged a claim against The Pavilion in the Court of Session in Edinburgh. Glasgow City Council brought in the H&S Lab at Buxton (Derbyshire) to investigate.

 

The theatre has received a six-figure settlement sum from the British supplier of the Ribbonlift. Steeldeck Ltd has made the one-off out of court payment 'without admission of liability'.

 

Apparently, Steeldeck Ltd modified the ribbonlift for use as a people carrier - and after investigation was found to not be suitable for this purpose. The lift was designed to lift people to 20ft, but was never used anywhere close to this.

 

It is expected that the Krankie's insurance company will pursue Steeldeck for compensation.

 

 

Working there just now on Peter Pan (which runs 29th Nov to Jan 27th making it - apparently- the longest-running panto in Britain this year).

[bigclive]

Today's Evening Times story edited and paraphrased:

 

Apparently, Steeldeck Ltd modified the ribbonlift for use as a people carrier - and after investigation was found to not be suitable for this purpose. The lift was designed to lift people to 20ft, but was never used anywhere close to this.

 

I wonder which aspect was considered misuse of the ribbon lift. I always though the biggest risk was the fabric being used around the outside with the risk of being dragged in and interfering with the lifts ability to interlock the ribbons properly.

 

There was something very dubious about this incident last year. The ribbon lift was one of the smaller units and the actors were apparently swinging and twisting the cage at the top before the lift failed.

[djw1981]

For those wanting the story in full clicky

[gareth]

The theatre has received a six-figure settlement sum from the British supplier of the Ribbonlift. Steeldeck Ltd has made the one-off out of court payment 'without admission of liability'.

 

Apparently, Steeldeck Ltd modified the ribbonlift for use as a people carrier - and after investigation was found to not be suitable for this purpose.

 

It is expected that the Krankie's insurance company will pursue Steeldeck for compensation.

Perhaps I'm missing something here, but I don't see how Steeldeck can be refusing to accept responsibility for this accident. The facts as I see them are that they took a standard Ribbonlift, modified it to use with the beanstalk setpiece, an accident occured, and the H&S investigators concluded that the product which Steeldeck had supplied as part of the setpiece wasn't suitable for the purpose for which it was being used. Ribbonlift supplied their product to Steeldeck presumably without knowing exactly what it was going to be used for ... the Pavilion engaged Steeldeck to supply the beanstalk on the assumption that what Steeldeck supplied to them would be fit for purpose ... so who else could possibly be at fault? The fact that Steeldeck seemed so willing to pay out a six-figure sum in settlement, regardless of whether or not they admitted liability, seems to indicate that they know they're at fault.

 

Working there just now on Peter Pan (which runs 29th Nov to Jan 27th making it - apparently- the longest-running panto in Britain this year).

I'm afraid that's not correct - we beat you by 5 days! Click. :)

[Tomo]

The fact that Steeldeck seemed so willing to pay out a six-figure sum in settlement, regardless of whether or not they admitted liability, seems to indicate that they know they're at fault.

I suspect it's legal mumbo jumbo - an admission of liability means that the lawyers can beat them with huge sticks and get really silly money out of them.

It may also affect whether Steeldeck's PLI will pay out - I gather they have some very strange rules about admission of liability.

 

If they don't admit liability, then they can either settle out-of-court in a "We'll pay you lots of money if you to go away, but it's not really our fault, honest!", or go through an expensive legal battle if the Krankies want to prove liability.

 

All in all, the lawyers win, Steeldeck pay out lots of money, and everybody goes away upset and annoyed.

The legal system is truly wonderful, yes?

[musht]

Will the HSE report be released into the public domain, at least it would probably help with some do`s and dont`s with Ribbonlifts?

[Guest lightnix]

You mean like...

 

DO follow the manufacturer's instructions.

DON'T attempt to modify equipment to perform tasks it wasn't designed for.

 

...?

 

* - Ribbonlifts are not designed as personnel lifts.

[Andrew C]

This thread is in the Safety Forum, not the "How Big Is My Panto" forum. Keep it on-topic please!

[slipstream]

If you look at the ribbonlift's own analogy of a steel tape measure, we all know if you unroll 1 up a wall as long as you keep it vertical it's fine - slight movement, CLICK and its back on the floor with you. With a ribbon lift I am sure to lift a static load with no wind forces they will never fail, dynamic load or lateral wind load and it will come down. With 2 performers as they pass the sight lines in a panto will jump and wave or as the curtain comes down lean over to see the stage floor and the forces on the lift are no longer just vertical - CLICK - down it comes.

 

I am sure a lot of testing would have gone on - but in performance use the force in the basket would have been different from anything the techs would have done back in the factory. Sounds like a great idea loads of height from a compact package - if it was not for the accident wouldn't you have thought - thats easier than a 2 tonne telehoist - it would make changing lamps way easier?

 

Sam