Want to see something really scary?
Go to J. R. Clancy's Facebook page to see some of the worst examples of rigging nightmares, in real photos sent to the company by rigging inspectors and theatre managers.
Each week, Clancy posts a new photo of a rigging accident-waiting-to-happen at http://www.facebook.com/JRClancy . These photos stand as vivid examples of amateur errors, often involving hardware that was never meant to bear weight.
Visitors can see a batten held up by lightweight chain that's never seen a welder … dog clips where load-rated wire rope clamps need to be … a head block distorted in an attempt to compensate for a poorly placed loft block. These are the frightening scenarios that exist every day in high schools, community theatres, worship facilities, and even in some professional performing arts centers.
“On the surface, it's fun to bring technical theatre professionals together on our Facebook page to see what crazy things people do with their rigging,” said Tom Young, J. R. Clancy vice president of marketing. “Much more important, however, is our message to those who may not know that these things are dangerous. Using household clips and chains, compromising the system's hardware by bending or breaking it, and ignoring broken arbors, blocks, or wire ropes are all practices that can lead to disaster.”
To see the photos, read comments from rigging professionals about each photo, and add your own comments, visit the J. R. Clancy page on Facebook and click “Like” at the top of the page.
