The Importance of Inspection – Support for the ANSI Standard
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) published standard (ANSI E1.6-1 – 2012, available from PLASA here for free) for Entertainment Technology: Powered Hoist Systems, ANSI states: “Systems shall be inspected annually, or on a more frequent schedule, as determined by a qualified person.” At J.R. Clancy, we support this philosophy wholeheartedly whether you own a J.R. Clancy Rigging System or any other brand. Nearly 130 years of experience tells us that it’s a good idea to inspect rigging systems annually. Not to make light of a serious topic, but you’ve seen the “Scary Rigging Photo of the Week” we post on our Facebook page—evidence that things happen that no one could foresee. The sooner you find what’s been altered or damaged, the safer and more dependable your rigging system is to use.
We strongly recommend that you follow the ANSI standard and inspect your system annually. If your system has a J.R. Clancy three-year warranty, an annual inspection is required—but even if it doesn’t, you need to be in compliance with the ANSI standard to protect your own liability. Your J. R. Clancy rigging system should operate perfectly for many years, even if you don’t have it inspected. But if your venue works with volunteers or student operators, or if you’ve taxed your system in unusual ways—for example, with a booked-in Broadway show that’s bigger than your normal production—then we join with ANSI in encouraging you to get your system inspected annually, or more often if your operators report any problems.
In our zeal to promote backstage safety, particularly when it comes to your rigging system, we adopted the acronym TIM: Train, Inspect, Maintain. We strongly recommend that venues train their rigging systems operator and keep a close eye on their systems, and that a qualified professional perform an annual inspection. An ETCP professional rigger can help you be sure that no alterations have been made to the system by accidents, equipment issues, or human error.
Not only is it the standard, it’s the right thing to do.
Visit http://jrclancy.com/training_inspection_maintenance.asp to learn more or to schedule an inspection today!