Surrey Stage Crew Nov2012

Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012
Welcome to Surrey Stage Crew and welcome to our Level 1 training.
The purpose of level 1 is not to be an in-depth explanation of everything we do, more a guide to the basics which will enable you to start crewing and getting the most out of events.
Both the talk and this manual may seem a little hefty, but the underlying premise of what we do is very simple – common sense. It is very rare that you will be expected to do something that is illogical, and whether you see, hear or do something that seems illogical, ask!
Throughout the year we offer a number of specialised training days for lighting, sound, rigging, working at height and electrics. We will never be able to teach you everything you might need (or want) to know, which is why we place much emphasis on asking questions and doing gigs.
Our aim is for everyone who joins us to enjoy working at events whilst keeping them (you) and the kit safe.
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012
Safe use of cables
Obviously the nature of what we do involves lots of cables of all kinds – sound, light, power, video plus a number of more unusual things. There are a number of things you should be aware of when dealing with them.
Cable types and uses:
With the number of different cables we use, it is important to use the right cable for the job. Below are a few examples of what we use and where they are useful.
Most cables have a ‘male’ end and a ‘female’ end, denotes by whether it has pins or holes. For long cable runs, make sure you know which way round you need to run it – for instance, sound ‘comes out’ of pins, but power ‘comes out’ of holes. This will save a lot of time having to rerun long cables!
Signal cables (XLR/DMX/BNC etc.) are generally quite thin and fragile. Power cables on the other hand vary in thickness – the rule being, the more current you need to draw, the thicker the cable you should use.
Along with standard cables, we have a vast assortment of adapters with which you can probably connect most things to most other things. Be sure to know the limitations of each adapter – for instance, you can’t pull 32A through a 16A to 32A adapter as the limiting factor is the 16A bit.
Some cables are not suitable for outdoor use, namely 13A and 15A cables. This is because they are not water proof in any way! 16A and above cables can be used outside as they are splash proof – obviously they will not work if submerged or left in a puddle. Use a piece of wood to sit the connector on if it is likely to be sat on the ground.
Cable runs:
The most obvious danger is that you might trip over one. On and around stage there will always be a few cables running along the floor. Bear this in mind and move carefully around stage, especially if you’re pushing a flightcase (see manual handling).
Rubber matting or gaffa tape can be used to secure loose cables. Cable ramps can be used in high-traffic areas or for bigger cables.
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012
Coiling cables:
Cables can be remarkably expensive – as such we coil them when storing them so that they don’t end up in a tangled mess.
Coiling may appear simple, but doing so round your elbow, or round a piece of wood will soon damage the cable. Commonly, the cores inside will slip past each other and the cable will become a spiral which will be difficult to coil again. Other damage to the outer insultation or stretching can also occur.
If there is a cable drum, you should use this in the normal way, ensuring that there are no kinks being wound into the drum. For normal cables, follow the steps below (if you are left-handed, reverse the hands mentioned):
Untangle the cable and if long, then laying it out in an open area will help prevent further tangles developing and will allow kinks to run to the free end of the cable.
Take one end in you left hand and loosely grasp the cable with you right hand close to your left.
Slide your right hand about 1m down the cable (more for a long cable, less for a short cable).
Pinch the cable in your right hand and move it towards your left. o The key is to gently twist the cable as you do so, meaning the cable will drop into a smooth loop.
Take the loop into your left hand and repeat the process until there’s no cable left!
Use a small amount of insulating tape (electrical tape/sparky tape/PVC tape) to secure the coil.
Put the cable away…
Below are some dos and don’ts for cables which will serve you well:
DO:
Put any loose/unwanted cables away
Use gaffa tape to ensure cables are not trip hazards
Use cable ramps in high-traffic areas
Coil cables when putting them away.
DON’T:
Run cables across fire exits or main access doors
Run cables along hot water pipes (they melt)
Leave any cables loose in public areas where people may be unaware of the risk or where they are likely to pull on them.
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012
Leave cables (specifically the ends) dangling over the edge of a trunk – if the lid shuts by accident, it can cut through the cable.
Use too much insulating tape for cables, one wrap is enough and means that the tape can be broken easily for the next use.
Electrical Safety
Nearly all aspects of work carried out by Stage Crew will involve electricity in some way – in some cases, quite a lot of electricity. In the wrong circumstances, a small shock of 0.06 amps can be fatal.
The Electricity at work regulations have been issued by the government because of the potential risks involved. In line with these regulations, we have an electrical safety policy and have full and comprehensive maintenance and testing procedures.
Electrical safety devices:
There are a number of different things that protect you and others from harm when electricity is concerned.
Fuses: protect equipment from short circuits and overload. If a fuse fails, this usually indicates a fault with the equipment – this should be changed by a trained person. There are many different types of fuse – different current ratings (the current at which they will break) and different failure times (the time for which the fuse must be at the current rating). Fuses must be replaced by another of the same type and value – check that the fuse is suitable for the connector – some IECs for instance are only rated for 10A, others for 5A, so putting a 13A fuse in the 13A to IEC adapter is not safe.
MCB (Miniature circuit breakers): switch off when too much current is drawn. They are often used to turn equipment on or off – make sure you know who/what is plugged in the other end before turning something on. If one ‘trips’ it is important to find out why – it probably tripped for a reason, so don’t just switch it back on. It is useful to label distros with what and where things are plugged in so that fault-finding is quick and easy.
RCD (Residual current devices): quickly disconnect the power if a fault occurs that means the current is flowing somewhere it shouldn’t – ie to
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012 earth or through a person. It is doubly important to check why an RCD has tripped as it could mean someone is still attached to the end of it.
RCDs must be used on all power supplies, so if there isn’t one installed, a portable one should be used.
You: The best safety device is you – if you aren’t sure about something
(whether you have done it or have just seen it), then ask. The chances are if you think something is wrong then it is.
Current capacity and splitters:
It is important to be aware of roughly how much current a device draws.
Equipment drawing a lot of current will need a thicker cable – a thinner one would be a fire risk.
As mentioned in the cables section, we have a number of different adapters.
Some of these are ‘splitters’ which require a bit more attention in that it may be physically possible to plug a number of things into one source, it may not be safe. For example you cannot draw 16A down each ‘leg’ of a 16A split.
Using cables:
Although we have a routine testing procedure, it is a good idea to check each cable before you use it – at the end of the day, a test is only valid at the time of inspection, once the cable is back in use, damage can occur.
A quick visual check can usually show up most faults.
Firstly check the test label is in date – cables should be tested at least every year.
Check the plug and socket are present and that they are undamaged.
Check the length of the cable for cuts where you can see the inner cores
– also check where the cable enters the connector such that the outer sheath goes all the way in and is firmly attached.
Ensure there are no burn marks.
Isolate, label, remove:
If a cable or device appears to be faulty, follow the steps below:
Isolate: move the equipment away from where other people may either try to use it, or break it further.
Label: clearly mark the equipment as broken (usually in such a way that someone won’t use it – such as around the plug) and if you know the fault, label the equipment with the fault, or if you don’t know what happened, label it with everything you know that happened (such as
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012 when it was used and what it was doing or list how it was behaving when it broke).
Remove: remove the item from service. Put the kit in the workshop, or in a place that means people won’t try to use it.
Drinks:
It is important that liquids do not come into contact with electrical equipment
– they conduct electricity very well and can either cause electric shocks or short-circuits.
A dimmer rack or distro may be a convenient flat surface to put your hulfdrunk drink, it will be very expensive and dangerous if it were to fall over – it is best to have a proper break and finish your drink before carrying on work.
What to do in case of electric shock:
Firstly do not touch the casualty
Turn off the power – if this is not possible, stand on something dry and insulating and push the casualty away from the power using something else dry and insulating.
Never use wet of metallic items.
Ensure there is no further risk to yourself or others.
Call a first aider – the House Officer will usually be the best point of call – they will be able to administer first aid and can facilitate the calling of an ambulance.
If not already called, call for an ambulance.
Ensure the faulty item is removed from service as detailed above.
Fill out an incident report form
Level 2 Electrical Training:
We will offer a more detailed training session during the year ahead, after which you will be able to:
Make cables
Test equipment and cables for safety
Remake/rewire cables
The training also introduces temporary power distribution including the testing and signing off of power systems.
Until trained, we would ask you to leave this to those who have been trained, but we would also encourage you to ask about the things you see and do.
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012
Sound
The size of events we do ranges from a small sound system in a room for a speech to much bigger sound systems for a festival stage. This course focuses on what the component parts do without going into too much detail on how they go about doing it.
Active systems:
For a variety of reasons, we don’t just use one speaker to make all of the noise.
We use a piece of kit called a crossover which splits the sound signal into several parts (such as high, mid, bass, and sub); each part then goes to its own amp, which makes the signal bigger, and speaker which is suitable for the signal coming in.
Some pieces of equipment can be damaged if the wrong signal is sent to it, so we carry out line checks to ensure everything is plugged in correctly. Some speakers we own have built in crossovers; as such they will need power as well as signal running to them.
Mixing desks:
We own a number of sound desks suitable for a range of jobs. The job of the mixing desk is to take all of the individual input signals (such as microphones) and then output this as a single signal which is sent back to the amplifiers.
There are typically two desks used for each event. The first is located at front of house (FOH) and makes the act sound good for the punters – the desk is usually at the back of the room in the centre. The FOH desk sends its signal to the amps that power the large speakers to provide the crowd with lots of sound. In summary the FOH desk produces one ‘mix’.
The monitor desk (MONSons) is situated on or near stage and produces many
‘mixes’ which are sent to several sets of speakers which point at the act. Each member of the band will have their own set of speakers and can ask for different things in their ‘mix’ – this is so that they can clearly hear what they are doing.
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012
Analogue and digital:
Until fairly recently, sound has been an analogue world. One fader controls one channel meaning desks can be very large, and you need to have separate effects units (called outboard) all of which takes up lots of space.
Nowadays, digital sound desks are becoming more common, even in small venues such as ours. Digital desks can be much smaller than the analogue equivalent – for instance the Soundcraft MH3 has 40 channels and is about 3m long and weighs about 250kg in its case, our digital desk, the Midas Pro2c has
56 mic inputs, is about 1m long and weighs less than 80kg in its case.
Sound checks:
After making sure the system is plugged in correctly in the line check, the sound check can begin.
For FOH, the engineer will usually play some music through the system at full volume. It is important to warn people before doing so in order that they can leave or find ear protection should they wish. While playing the music the engineer will adjust various things so that it all sounds nice – this needs to be done for each event as the equipment used may be different each time.
For Mons, the engineer will talk into a microphone whilst stood in front of a set of monitor speakers. The engineer will adjust the sound so that the squeals and whistles (feedback) are prevented.
After this, the act is usually brought in and a further check is carried out so that the act will sound good as well.
Graphic Equalisers:
The equipment we have is designed to be as loud as possible. Graphics are used to make it sound as nice as possible.
The FOH engineer will use the graphics to this end, however the mons engineer will use a graphic to eliminate feedback (the squeals and whistles).
Setting graphics can take a while and usually involves loud noises.
Limiters:
We are licensed to hold events and use our equipment, but the license sets a maximum volume that is permitted. In addition, the kit is quite capable of damaging itself if used at high levels.
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012
For these legal and technical reasons, limiters are used to prevent the volume exceeding a threshold. It is also worth remembering that the first limiter in line is the engineer!
Once a limiter ‘kicks in’ the sound will not get any louder, no matter how much you push the fader up. Continuing to turn the sound up will cause distortion where the sound quality will deteriorate. Not only will this make the sound unpleasant to listen to, but it will also cause damage to the equipment.
Rigging
Rigging often forms a large part of what we do – in short; everything would sit on the floor without it. It is a complicated subject, but at this level you only need a basic understanding of the concepts involved and the hazards associated with it.
Truss and Scaffolding bars:
In order to rig something, you need something to put it on. We commonly use prefabricated trusses which are pinned or bolted together and can bear a significantly higher load than a simple scaffolding bar.
Clamps and hangers:
The simplest way to rig something (such as a light) is with a hook clamp. The most commonly used hook clamp is called a ‘g’-hanger; simply hook over the bar and tighten the wing bolt so that it is finger tight.
To hang a bar (such as a bar of par cans) below your truss, a ‘c’-hanger can be used. These hook on to each bar and the wing bolts are tightened.
Both types of hanger are not suitable for hanging things upside-down; instead you should use a half-coupler which bolts onto the item you are rigging, or a
‘full’ coupler (also called fixed clamps or swivel clamps) to connect bars to bars.
With all clamps, avoid over-tightening them as this will damage the truss.
Secondary Safety Devices:
It is always good to have a back-up plan, especially where rigging is concerned.
Everything that is rigged must have a secondary safety device. This is usually a safety wire – we have many different sizes which are suitable for individual
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012 lights all the way up to whole trusses. Safety devices should bypass as many possible failure points as possible – some lights have a point on the body to which a wire can be attached, otherwise a wire around the yoke will still be adequate.
Static and dynamic loads;
A safety device must be able to bear the load of the object it is attached to – a static load.
The device must also be able to bear the load of the object as it is caught in a fall – a dynamic load. Dynamic loads are greater for a longer fall, so safety wires must be kept as short as possible to minimise the length of a fall and so minimise the force on the wire.
Loading:
Every piece of rigging equipment will be certified with a safe working load (swl) and must have a CE mark. The swl has a number of safety factors ‘built in’ and is the maximum load allowed to be applied to the item by law.
Never exceed this load, and allow for any additional forces that may occur if a component fails (the dynamic load of a falling light for example).
Personal protection equipment (PPE) and climbing karibiners/slings are rated differently and display a breaking force instead of a swl.
The Union’s installed trussing is rated for more than you could want to hang on it. For other items, it is best to ask.
Rigging Equipment:
We will not cover the equipment in detail at level 1 as rigging is a complex subject and requires additional training and experience to develop an understanding of what is safe and what is not. The important thing to remember is that we are able to rig just about anything anywhere.
The rigging is there to stop things falling on people’s heads. It is important to learn to respect and care for the equipment as they can deteriorate quickly.
Generally fabric components have a maximum life of 5 years, while metal components have a maximum life of 10 years.
A few common pointers will keep everything in good condition:

Avoid leaving spansets on the floor or in direct sunlight – they can easily be damaged by grit, liquids and UV light.
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
Never tie knots in things to shorten them – a loose knot to store something in a box is ok, but nothing more.

Avoid dropping things like clamps and shackles as micro-cracks can develop and cause failure.
If in doubt about whether or not something is safe, then ask.
Stands:
In some cases, we can’t always rig things from the roof – in some cases there is no roof at all. Instead we can either mount truss on floor bases or we can use a number of push-up or wind-up stands.
We own a number of wind-up stands made by Manfrotto. These are quite sturdy and can be extended to about 4m with a swl of about 30kg. They do have a safety brake built in, but this will only work if the swl is not exceeded.
We also have a number of push-up stands which will have the swl marked on them.
With all stands, make sure the legs are on level ground. Manfrotto stands have an extendable leg if this isn’t the case; for other stands, use wood under the legs to level them.
Ropes:
We use ropes to haul things into the roof so that we don’t have to carry them up a ladder (see later). To attach the rope to the object, use one of two knots: a clove hitch or a bowline.
Clove hitches are suitable for tying around bars, whereas a bowline is used to tie a loop around something.
An alternative method for small objects (like tools or safety wires) is to tie a figure-of-8 loop in the end of the rope and attached a karibiner through the loop.
Vibration:
Most events we do have loud sub bass which can be strong enough to cause any items left in the rig to fall down – things like excess cable, tools, phones etc. These things may not weigh much but having fallen 5m it has the potential to render someone unconcious or worse.
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012
Video, a basic introduction
Video systems are increasingly used at events now. Each system is made up of input, control and output devices.
Inputs:
Cameras are probably the most common form. We have a number of static and moveable cameras, and some cameras that can be operated by remote control. It is important to think about where you are going to position the cameras in terms of how you will use the pictures.
DVD/VHS players can be used to good effect showing footage of old gigs or films. Be aware of copyrighted materials and obtain permission before using them. These players can be linked to your output system in case of emergency while you trace problems.
Although we do not own any Bluray players, this would be another acceptable form of input.
Computers can be used to show video clips, graphics, slide shows, and all sorts of other stuff. The Union has a text messaging system which outputs messages to the screens around Rubix.
Control:
Once you have your inputs, you can do a number of things to the image before sending it out.
The video mixer allows you to switch between inputs and apply transition effects – you can use a ‘fade’ where one image fades in as the other fades out, or you can use ‘wipes’ where an image is replaced by another in a variety of patterns. You can also create composite images by dropping out certain elements.
As well as transitional effects, you can apply special effects such as: negative images, mosaic, freeze frame, strobe, trail and many more.
The matrix it at the heart of the system, and takes all of the input signals and routes some of them to the mixer. The outputs of the mixer are then routed to the matrix allowing the operator to choose which signals go to which output devices.
A switcher is used select which inputs and outputs to use.
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Video signals degrade as they are split. Distribution amplifiers are used to split the signal without losing this quality, allowing multiple output devices to show the same image.
Outputs:
Outputs devices may include monitors/screens, projectors, DVD/VCR, or computers.
We have a number of screens, typically plasma screens, which can be rigged on floor bases or flown from trusses. Plasma screens should not be tipped on their face when being transported as they can flex and break.
Try not to keep the same image on the screen for a long time, this is a) boring and b) will ‘burn’ the image in and you will see it every time you use the screen.
CRT monitors should not be placed near speakers as the magnets in the speakers will cause the colours to distort on the screen.
For larger images, projectors can be used. A more powerful projector may not be better than a lesser one if the surface you are projecting on is of poor quality. We have a number of screens which give a good surface to project on.
These screens should be treated with care – don’t walk on them, keep them face up and fold them so that the fasteners are not pressed into the screen as this causes dents.
Rubix has a ‘house’ system, House A and House B, allowing you to output to the screens and projector around Rubix. When connecting laptops to the house system, ensure they are outputting in the correct resolution or the image will be stretched or squashed.
Unicol is a system of hooks, tubes and brackets used to rig screens and projectors. The tubes are loosely gripped by two grub screws and have a bolt which passes through the tube. The grub screws should not be over-tightened as they will dent and damage the tubing.
Temporary staging:
We have three types of temporary staging available to use. The first is less commonly used and is made by Sico. Sico staging can be wheeled into place and then folded out – it is generally heavy and cumbersome to use, so is used very rarely.
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012
Steeldeck is a modular system of deck units to which scaffolding tubes are used as legs. The staging comes in a number of sizes so different units may be combined to give the desired stage area.
Litedeck is the final type and is very similar to Steeldeck – the only difference being that the frame is made of aluminium.
Bracing and handrails:
If there is a risk of falling off the stage, you will need to fit handrails. In addition, if the deck is over 4ft high (1.2m) then the legs must be braced to prevent the legs buckling. Both of these items are outside the scope of this course.
Fixing multiple bits together:
Sico staging has hooks around the edge of the deck which the next bit slots in to.
Steeldeck and Litedeck units are bolted together from below. Firstly, mind your head! It may be easier and safer to fetch a hard hat when working under a stage to avoid hurting yourself. Secondly, do not over-tighten the bolts. The units need to be securely joined, but not in such a way that the frame becomes bent by over-tightening.
Uneven surfaces:
In almost all cases, we only build stages on flat, level ground. Occasionally we will use wooden boards to level staging, but this is not covered in Level 1 training.
Some outdoor stages will have a slight slope (called a rake) to assist rain water run-off. This slope may become a hazard if wheeled flightcases are left unattended.
Finally, take care when building staging. Pay attention to the manual handling section of this course and, in particular, mind your fingers!
Drapes:
Drapes are large (typically black) curtains used to mask walls and objects that are unsightly and provide a nice, even background to the stage. Draping can be very effective in theatrical settings to create entrances and exits to stage.
They are very expensive so there are a few things you should be aware of.
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Fireproofing:
By law, everything on stage must be fire retardant – this means it must be difficult to burn. This is not the same as being fire proof, which means unable to burn. Therefore, you should still exercise care and ensure sources of ignition are not too close.
Never hang a cloth on stage that has not been properly constructed or treated
(such as a painted bed sheet).
Lighting:
The lights we use can become very hot – hot enough to cause a drape to catch fire. Most lights have a minimum distance away from a drape that they can be placed – this is either printed on the light, or will be in the manufacturers manual.
Similarly, avoid blocking vents with drapes as this can cause problems elsewhere.
Care of drapes:
As with most things, drapes are rarely improved by dunking them in beer or other rubbish. They are big and difficult to clean due to their size, and expensive to clean as they will need re-treating to make them fire retardant again.
Always fold drapes with the ‘front’ on the inside, this will help keep them clean as any rubbish picked up during folding will be out of sight when used.
Drapes should be folded so the label is visible. This makes it easy to identify drapes when they are stored on the shelving in 202 – the room on the way to the Living Room.
Tying Drapes:
You should tie drapes as you would your shoes, with a nice bow, not a triple granny knot. Drapes are heavy so the knots will tighten, and when the time comes to pack the drapes away, you don’t want to be stuck with stubborn knots.
A final note to make is about fire exits, don’t block them! Similarly, fire extinguishers and alarm break-glasses should not be obscured. We have a large stock of temporary signs if it is not possible to avoid blocking an exit.
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Lighting:
In a similar way to video systems, lighting systems comprise three main components: a lighting desk, some processing units, and some lights.
Analogue/DMX:
As with most technology, lighting control used analogue technology. Stage
Crew have a couple of analogue desks, such as the Avolites Rolacue 60. This desk has 60 faders, and can control 60 channels i.e. there is one fader per channel. Each channel is sent down its own cable from the desk to the processing unit (using one core of a 37 pin socapex cable).
This approach has become widely superseded by another system known as
DMX.
When lighting companies started using digital technology, they all developed their own way of sending channel data to the lights. The result was a number of incompatible systems which were eventually developed into a standard called DMX.
DMX resulted in intelligent lights that were compatible with each other and a range of (physically) smaller desks. DMX allows you to control 512 channels with one small cable.
Stage Crew use a number of DMX desks such as the Avolites Tiger Touch which is less than half the size of the Rolacue, but can control 6144 channels!
When using DMX, each item which will be controlled (such as lights or dimmer racks) is given a unique address between 1 and 512 – for things like intelligent lights which take up more than 1 channel, the next address should not overlap the previous.
For example, take two lights that each use 5 channels: if the first is addressed as 1, then the second must be addressed at 6 or above otherwise when controlling the last channels of the first light, the start channels of the second light will also be controlled.
The desk generates the DMX signal, and (very quickly) sends out the information about each channel sequentially, from 1 to 512. The signal passes through each fixture, with each one only picking up the information contained in its address.
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One of the key advantages of DMX is that one cable can control many channels, but the key disadvantage is the delay caused by the time taken to generate, transmit, and decode the signal – particularly if the chain of DMX is long.
Types of lighting:
There are three groups of lighting fixture: dimmable, switchable and intelligent.
Dimmable lights (also called ‘generics’) are simple, one channel lights which consist of a lamp and a casing. The more power you apply to the lamp, the brighter it gets. These lights are pointed in one direction during set-up and stay there until packed away or knocked.
Dimmer racks are used to control these lights. Some of our racks can take analogue and DMX input, but the principle is the same; they take a small control signal and convert this into a mains voltage. The dimmer will deliver the amount of power to the light in proportion to the level of the input signal.
Switchable lights can either be on or off. You cannot dim them, and you probably don’t want to have them on all the time, so you don’t want to hard power them. A switch pack (also called a SWOP rack). Switch packs do a similar job to dimmers in that they look at the signal coming in, if the channel level is above a threshold, the full power is applied to the light.
Be mindful not to connect a light with a discharge lamp to a switch pack as this can damage both the light and the switch pack.
Finally, lights that need hard power – that is, they are powered all the time.
These lights tend to be ‘intelligent’ lights. Intelligent lights have a number of attributes that the operator can control, such as colour, pattern, position etc.
For this reason, they tend to take up more than one channel, so can only be controlled by DMX. Intelligent lights do not need any intermediate processing, you could connect your desk directly to the light and it would work.
Gel and colour:
As much as we all like the warm white light produced by generic lights, this can be a little boring. To produce a coloured light, we use lighting gel.
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Gel is a transparent plastic sheet and comes in just about every colour there is.
The advantages of gel are that it is easy to use, they take up little space, and they are easily swapped.
It is, however, very easy to damage gel. Leaving a gel on the floor effectively makes it useless, as it will become scratched, dirty and people will walk on it.
Folding or creasing gel also damages it, but also makes it difficult to put in the gel frame. We have a box for storing gel, so make sure any unused gel goes in the box!
Intelligent lights do not need gelling, as they will have a colour control inside them. Similarly, LED lights don’t need gelling!
Working At Height:
A lot of work we do will at some point involve working at height – be it rigging lights, drapes, banners or speakers. Even if you aren’t too keen on heights, this section is still important as you will be working below those who are working at height.
The current regulations state that “A place is ‘at height’ if a person could be injured falling from it, even if it is at or below ground level”. This includes working at the edge of stage for example.
Regardless of your job, you should be aware of what others are doing around, above and below you. The rigging team will consist of at least one aerial rigger and one ground rigger.
If you are the aerial rigger:
Remember that things may only take a small knock to send them hurtling to the ground, or worse, to someone’s head. Minimise the number of tools you need, and empty your pockets before leaving the gound. If you must take tools with you, consider tethering them to the rig once up there – don’t tether them to you as they may cause you to fall out of the roof too. If you do drop something, shout “HEADS!” as a warning to those below you.
If you are the ground rigger:
Your job is to make the aerial rigger’s job as easy as possible. Prepare as much of the equipment as you can, including loosely attaching safety wires, undoing clamps, unwrapping wires etc.
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012
You will also be the one pulling on the hauling rope to get the kit to the roof, so make sure you are happy with the knots before yanking the rope – also avoid standing directly beneath an unrigged item in case it does fall.
If you aren’t part of the rigging team:
Be aware that the riggers can find it difficult to communicate from roof to ground – don’t be too put off if asked to be quiet.
The same goes for the sound team. Don’t carry out your full volume sound check while people are in the roof. It will make it impossible for people to communicate, and potentially, it may be impossible to hear if someone shouts
“Help”. Give a warning before making loud noises.
For all people on the ground, if you hear a call of “HEADS!” don’t look up.
Unless the object is directly above you, stand still until you hear the crash.
Stage Crew own several hard hats which are readily available, we would recommend that if working below people it is sensible to stick a helmet on.
Similarly aerial riggers should wear a helmet to protect against hitting your head on beams and other things should you fall.
The Public:
When working at height, you should consider the general public who may be able to walk around beneath you. They will be completely oblivious to what you are doing, and may not understand the potential danger. The best way to negate this is to rope off the area, but at a minimum, we have some signs which inform them people are working above them.
PPE:
As mentioned before, we have a stock of helmets for your use. It is usually your choice if you wear one, we would recommend it, but sometimes you will be told to wear one – for instance when working in the Hall.
We have two types of helmet. The white ‘builder’ style one is not suitable for aerial riggers as they do not have a chin strap. The ‘climbing’ style helmet is for use by aerial riggers as it has a chin strap to prevent it falling off. Ground riggers might also use the ‘climbing’ style helmet as they will do a lot of looking up, and the helmet may come off.
We occasionally use harnesses and other safety equipment, but this requires further training and is outside the scope of this course. We will offer a
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012 working at height course during the year in which the use of this equipment is covered.
The Hierarchy of Control:
When working at height, or planning working at height, use the following hierarchy for access methods.
1) Don’t do the work – go and have a cup of tea and think about whether the work is needed.
2) Bring the work to you – this avoids all working at height and can be achieved using motors.
3) Choose suitable access method:
Ladders:
Ladders should be used for short duration, low effort tasks such as changing a gel. We have two main types; A-frame and hybrid.
An A-frame is a fixed height ladder and simply folds together for storage.
Our hybrid ladders are made by Zarges. They can be used as straight extension ladders, A-frame ladders (or a combination of the two), and can also be set up for use on stairs.
Always inspect them before use – check the straps are not frayed or cut, check the rungs are not cracked.
Check the surface you are working on is flat and stable, and follow the guidelines on the ladder. Your belt buckle (or that area) should not leave the area of the ladder (at the sides or the top), leaning beyond these points will likely result in you falling. You should always have three points of contact – so when walking up the ladder, two feet and a hand, or two hands and a foot; and when at the top, two feet and your waist leaving yor hands free.
If working around a ladder, remember someone may be up it, so don’t move it or knock it.
You may be asked to ‘foot’ a ladder which means to stand on the bottom rung below someone at the top. This is to give greater stability and may give the person at the top a little more comfort. Footing a ladder does not mean lazily placing one foot on the bottom rung – you are acting as a counterweight, so make sure your weight is on the ladder! When footing a ladder, pay attention
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012 to what’s going on otherwise the person up the ladder may come down and step on your fingers.
Scaffold towers:
Scaff towers are more suitable for longer term jobs. The platform has the capacity for two people and some tools, so putting a lighting rig up using a tower can be very quick.
You do not need training to use a tower, but someone with a PASMA certificate must be present when erecting and dismantling towers. We send a group of people on PASMA courses every other year.
Similar rules apply to scaff towers as ladders. Don’t over reach as you can fall and be wary of people below you. Towers are usually built on wheels, they should only be moved when no-one is at the top and the brakes should be applied when not moving.
Aerial Platforms:
Some members of Stage Crew have IPAF certificates for vehicles such as cherry-pickers and scissor lifts. You may be a ‘passenger’ if there is a) room in the vehicle, and b) the other person is qualified. Again, we send a group for training every other year.
Rescue Plan:
For all working at height activities, a rescue plan must be in place should an accident occur. In the union, it is likely the person will have hit the floor, so simply find a first aider who will call an ambulance if necessary.
We often use harnesses in the Hall, someone falling in a harness could die within 10 to 15 minutes due to the physical trauma associated with landing in a harness. We can either: lower trusses on motors; use the aerial platform; or carry out a rescue at height. A number of people are rescue trained; again, further training is necessary.
While some people deal with the immediate rescue, others can be finding a first aider and/or an ambulance. If on campus during such an event, we would usually bypass Campus Security when calling an ambulance as they will only delay the process – once/while an ambulance is called, contact Security to inform them where to direct the ambulance.
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012
Manual Handling:
Most of our work will involve manual handling. Most things we own is fragile and can be damaged if thrown around – flightcases are designed to minimise the effect of small knocks, nothing more, so avoid pushing things down stairs!
Stop and Think
While our kit is fragile, you are more fragile – some of our cases weigh in excess of 100kg and are made of and full of wood and metal. They will hurt.
Think about each time you move something that you are treating the kit and yourself with care. By far the most common injuries occur after lifting something. Think about whether there is a better way to move something.
Solo lifting:
Some cases are small enough to lift by yourself.
Firstly, check how heavy it is – there’s no point trying to lift something if you will injure yourself or drop the case. Some cases are deceivingly small for their weight, always test whether you think you can lift something before doing so – ask for help if you need it.
Think about whether the place you are going will be clear, and whether the route is clear. Avoid stairs if the case will obstruct your view, or ask a friend to help.
The important thing when lifting is to keep your back straight. Bend your knees if you need to reach down, and keep the object close to your body.
Some objects are unevenly weighted, so begin with the heavy side facing you.
Avoid twisting as this places additional strain on your back. Back injuries can be very painful and can last a long time.
Group lifting:
Some cases are too big or heavy (or both) to lift alone. Communication is key in order to avoid injury.
Call your team and decide who is doing what and make sure everyone knows which way the case wants to end up facing.
Check everyone is ready to lift – if someone says “no”, then wait or go over the plan again until everyone is ready. Don’t be afraid to say “no” – it is better to leave the case on the floor and find more help than to get half way up and have to put it down again. If you drop it mid-way through, you can injure others as well as you.
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012
Once ready, count aloud and lift together.
Similarly, don’t join in if you see people lifting unless you have been asked to.
You could unbalance the load and end up hurting people.
Wheeling:
A lot of our kit is on wheels to make it easier to wheel around, but there are some pointers to note here as well.
When tipping a case on to its wheels, mind your toes. We provide steel toe boots and recommend you wear them in case things land on your feet.
Wheeling cases should be done in a controlled way. Some cases are top heavy and can tip over easily, even over a cable on the floor. Tipping cases can damage kit, and can injure unsuspecting Crew. Other cases, such as the larger sound desks, can tip very easily so it is best to have one person at each end when moving these.
Cases with wheels are often used to transport cases without wheels. This is fine so long as the stack is not unstable. If necessary, use a strap, but more likely, leave something behind and go back later.
Wheeled flightcases can have a mind of their own if left on sloped ground (or stages). Some cases have brakes, but otherwise, tip a heavy case next to the wheeled one to make sure it doesn’t roll away.
Use of Ramps:
Ramps are useful for loading vans or for navigating stairs. If you can use a ramp, it will be easier than lifting everything.
You should always stand below a case on a ramp rather than above it in case you lose control. Take the case down at a controlled rate. Be aware that ramps can become slippery when wet or muddy, so take care.
As with lifting, don’t join in unless asked. A case can spin out of control or fall off the ramp – both of which are not good.
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012
Other Health and Safety Issues:
This course can be a little dry and heavy to take in all at once, but it covers all of the basic health and safety issues that you could come across when crewing.
Most of it is common sense, but to some people, this will all be new.
Our intention is not to scare you away, but to make sure you can enjoy Crew safely.
This final section covers the little bits of information that don’t really fit in elsewhere.
Chemicals and COSHH (Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health):
We have some potentially dangerous substances around which include things like paint, oil, and haze fluid. For each substance, we have a COSHH form which gives information about the chemicals used, how to protect yourself and others when using them, what to do if you spill it and what to do if you inhale/ingest it.
Substances are stored in a yellow cupboard in Workshop 2. You must always put things back in this cupboard when you have finished using them.
If you are unsure about a substance, find and read the COSHH form and follow the guidelines within. We have face masks, goggles and gloves if you need them – they are also stored in Workshop 2.
Noise Levels:
What we do is loud. The punters are unlikely to spend the entire gig in front of the speakers for a long period of time, you are.
If you value your hearing, we advise you wear earplugs. The damage to your hearing is accumulative, so if you are at a disco every Friday for a year, by the end your hearing will be significantly less acute if you did not wear earplugs.
Once gone, your hearing will not come back without hearing aids.
Sometimes we will insist on you wearing earplugs. We will provide a set of reusable earplugs at the start of the year. Alternatively, disposable plugs are located in Workshop 1.
If using power tools in Workshop 2 (or elsewhere), we have ear defenders you can use.
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012
Strobes:
Strobes can be potentially dangerous. Those with photosensitive epilepsy can suffer fits caused by strobe lighting, other people can just begin to feel ill after prolonged exposure. In Rubix, a sign is displayed on entering the venue to explain that we sometimes use strobe lighting – check that signs are in place if working elsewhere.
If you are asked to stop using strobes, please do – there may be an urgent reason. Guidelines for use of strobes are given in the manual, but typically consider the following:
Use sparingly as an effect – no longer than 30 seconds if no other effects are being used.
Do not exceed 8 flashes per second – synchronise strobes if using more than one.
Do not gel strobes.
Pyrotechnics:
These are generally not allowed at any venue of the University. Their use is strictly controlled, and detailed risk assessments must be carried out.
Alcohol:
As well as working hard, we also like to kick back with a beer or two and have a good time. We use the following as a guide as to what is a sensible limit to drink:
Working at height? No alcohol at all – this includes ladders. Alcohol can lower your appreciation of risk and puts others in danger as well as you.
Engineering? The drink-drive limit – a few beers is ok.
Crewing? Not too drunk
If you are asked not to work because you appear too drunk, then please don’t work. Either go home, or sit and have a soft drink in a quiet area for a bit. This is ultimately for the safety of others around you. The decision usually rests with the person in charge of the gig. Don’t take it personally if asked to leave.
If you are removed from the building because you are too drunk, don’t swipe back in or try to re-enter by another entrance.
A more general drinks note is that spills often make cases sticky and make equipment a lot worse. Keep drinks away from kit, and don’t leave half-drunk drinks around as they will be knocked over.
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012
First Aid:
In Rubix, first aiders are located in the Union offices during the day. During an event, the House Officer is trained, as are some security staff. If you can’t find one, pick up the phone and call 3333 for Campus Security.
There are first aid kits around backstage and the workshops, however any incident needing more than a plaster should be reported to the House Officer and an accident form must be completed.
If you cut yourself, remember to wash out the wound well. There is all manner of stuff around backstage that you wouldn’t want in a cut.
If someone has broken a bone, don’t move them until the first aider arrives and takes over.
Workshops:
Workshop 1 tends to be where equipment fixing and testing happens. Usually there will be piles of screws and bolts and bits around, don’t move them as they might be important. If something is sat on the work bench, then don’t touch it – it may be on test, or in an unsafe state if someone were to play with it.
Workshop 2 is where things are built and where the COSHH cupboard is. It tends to be covered in sawdust, so is not suitable for opening up our kit as the electronics will get covered in muck. Workshop 2 also has a number of power tools for use; please ask if you are unsure of how to use them safely.
It is important to leave both workshops clean and tidy as they are ultimately a place of work, not a break room.
PPE (again):
We will provide you with steel toe boots, earplugs and gloves. We recommend you use them. Have a think about the gig you may be going to – while flip flops might seem attractive in summer, they are hardly practical.
Recycling:
We recycle lamps, batteries, cardboard, wood, electrical items, metal and more. Various bins are located around backstage and in the loading bay.
If you see the bins are getting full, please take them to the bins in the loading bay. It is not the responsibility of the venue staff to do this for us.
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Stage Crew Level 1 Manual Nov2012
Fire
Fire Evacuation in the Union:
If a fire alarm is activated in Rubix, an automatic recording will activate and play through all of the speakers informing people that they should leave the building. If this does not happen, the sound engineer should do so.
If it is safe to do so and only if on your way out of the building, hit the main breakers backstage to turn them off.
Your only obligation is to leave the building, you should do so calmly and head to the nearest assembly point. If exiting the building on the Stag Hill Court side, the assembly point is near Hillside Restaurant and Surrey Court. If leaving on the other side of the building, head to Starbucks. There are signs around if you are unsure where your assembly points are.
If you are feeling helpful, there are high visibility jackets backstage which you can put on and help herd people to the assembly points. On the Stag Hill side, the punters need to be moved beyond the loading bay so a fire engine can gain access if required.
If you discover the fire:
Raise the alarm, then leave.
If there is a fire between you and an exit, consider fighting the fire but only up to one extinguishers worth.
CO2 should be used for electrical fires (and most others). Don’t get too close or you will just blow the fire around, but don’t be too far away or you won’t put it out. Only hold the handle – the horn and the bottle will get very cold and they can freeze your fingers.
Foam extinguishers can be used for wood and paper fires.
Water should not be used on electrical or liquid fires (the liquid will just spread). Use on wood or paper fires.
In all cases, make sure you empty the extinguisher fully then mark it that it needs refilling.
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