Toronto Stage Collapse

[HolyPhish]

I cant work out how to say this but here goes:

 

By adopting and adapting the Purple Guide for another country will it raise issues with the way it is written for the UK?

 

As in, will we see a new purple guide being released in the UK along with the industry wiki/website idea that is currently under construction?

 

Or is it just a policy that will be taken and updated for North America while they write and build their own?

 

 

Also, is this the start of a global standard of Health and Safety for the industry? And if so, which country is currently the world leader in safety?

 

I hope this makes sense.

[kerry davies]

In turn; No it won't. The rewrite continues and if the Yanks or Strines come up with anything really good I am sure we will steal it for ours, that's all. There may be some form of hard copy but I doubt it, the new web-based CIEH hosted guide and the new HSE Event Safety website are flexible and can be updated instantly.

 

The ESA is trying to formulate a guide using 195 as a base rather than re-invent the wheel. 195 is the only national guidance and the US, Canada and Australia do not have the national safety enforcement we do so it will be (for now) simply an industry tool with Indiana the only state to give it weight. ESA intends to take what is good and "Internationalise" it taking out UK specific references and replacing them with US relevant notes. Laws, institutes, weights and measures etc. ESAA looks like doing something similar in Australia.

 

A global standard? If you want it make it so, Scotty. It really is up to you lot out there.

Is the UK the world leader in events safety? Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn, none of us is as good as we could be and that is what counts. Improvement.

 

And do not be shy of asking questions of any kind. Making sense of H&S is what some of us live for.

[kerry davies]

And the very day that the Event Safety Alliance launch their new website with consultations for their version of the Purple Book, Roderick points this one out; Linky.

 

Keep a close eye on the right side of the screen for idiots trying to hold it down. Note the construction skills using pallets and the entirely home-made nature of the structure to say nothing of the anchorage and kentledge which they seem unable to even spell.

 

Some people seem immune to any concept of their own stupidity. Check out the still photo for how not to build a roof.

[cfmonk]

I actually laughed at seeing the photos of that one. Some people do deserve all that happens to them!

[Junior8]

I actually laughed at seeing the photos of that one. Some people do deserve all that happens to them!

 

Yes but what about the innocent bystander?

[Stuart91]

Yes but what about the innocent bystander?

 

Luckily, in this case, it seems they all retreated to a nearby bar to watch the action unfold. From what I can glean from a google translation some of the wreckage landed on some portaloos, which thankfully were unoccupied at the time.

 

The chap walking across in front of the camera seems a little upset at the turn of events though.

[cedd]

I still marvel at humanity's ability to take good video footage on a phone while something disastrous is happening!

Got to be honest, I think getting my phone out to snap some video would be the last thing on my mind, either as a punter or as crew!

[brainwave-generator]

I still marvel at humanity's ability to take good video footage on a phone while something disastrous is happening!

Got to be honest, I think getting my phone out to snap some video would be the last thing on my mind, either as a punter or as crew!

 

I've always said that one day the fire service will find a body on the stairs of an office block, burnt to a crisp, with the remains of a charred blackberry in hand.

 

The post mortem will result a time of death of 16:04 and it'll turn out that at 16:03 the victim will have tweeted a photo of their office on fire, saying "office on fire now. maybe time to leave? #scared #hot #officefire"

[Jivemaster]

Sadly (in many ways) today's youth seem unable to exist without a phone doing something.

[rossmck]

I still marvel at humanity's ability to take good video footage on a phone while something disastrous is happening!

Got to be honest, I think getting my phone out to snap some video would be the last thing on my mind, either as a punter or as crew!

 

Strange as it sounds - there's a few times this is useful - if I could record such an incident safely I might, as such evidence may help investigations as to the cause.

 

This is quite commonplace, I believe the AAIB for example will actively ask passengers and any eye witnesses for video / photographs in the event of an accident.

 

Obviously if it was a situation where I was able to help in some constructive way I wouldn't be standing with a video camera...

[cfmonk]

I actually laughed at seeing the photos of that one. Some people do deserve all that happens to them!

 

Yes but what about the innocent bystander?

 

I fear you may have misunderstood me (I probably didn't make it very clear). I don't find stage collapses in themselves funny, what amused me here was the anger shown by the chap who appears to throw a hammer (!) in frustration at what's happened. If he's part of a crew who made an over-sized bamboo frame and called it a stage then he deserves everything he gets.

[Junior8]

And only seven years later https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-plans-for-radiohead-stage-that-collapsed-had-sloppy-mistakes/

[Bryson]

Indeed. The rate at which the inquest proceeded was ludicrous. Many people are deeply, deeply unhappy about how that part of the process took place, with extremely good reason. (For example: They dismissed any potential criminal proceedings as the accused rights to a speedy trial had been violated...)

 

On the bright side, there are some very real implications for how these things are going to be done in Ontario going forward. (And, as Ontario has almost all the people, it will filter out across Canada too, eventually.) The Canadian Institute of Theatre Technology, Event Safety Alliance, Professional Association of Canadian Theatres, Canadian Live Music Association and the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees have all been issued tasks by the Coroners Office with regards to improving this situation. There is going to be a lot more scrutiny of outdoor stages from the responsible authorities.

 

One of the big things is that we're moving towards copying British Columbia's "Actsafe" model - having a publicly funded safety trade association that provides advice and training, but crucially not enforcement. This works extremely well in BC and I'm excited to see it getting adopted across more of Canada.