Rigging Systems in the Performing Arts: Required Knowledge and Training for Every Technician
Rigging in the performing arts is among the highest-consequence technical skills in any industry. A rigging failure that occurs during a performance or work call can result in fatalities, catastrophic injury, and structural damage to the facility. Dr. Doom’s standard is precise: no technician shall be allowed to operate any rigging system without having been fully trained by a professional, and there shall be no exceptions. This article explains what that training must cover and why the standard is non-negotiable.
The Performing Arts Rigging Environment
Theater rigging systems suspend loads, including scenery, lighting equipment, speaker systems, and in some productions, performers, over occupied areas. Unlike industrial lifting applications where the area below a suspended load can usually be cleared, theatrical loads routinely move over performers and audience members. The margin for error is zero.
Rigging systems in the performing arts include:
- Manual counterweight systems (ANSI E1.4-1-2016): the most common fly system in North American theaters, using counterweighted arbors to balance scenery loads on battens.
- Hemp/rope systems: older rope-based fly systems still found in historic theaters, requiring significant skill to operate safely.
- Motorized hoist systems (ANSI E1.6-1-2019): electric chain hoists and wire rope hoists controlled by a hoist controller, increasingly common in modernized theaters.
- Automated rigging systems: computer-controlled motion systems capable of moving multiple loads on programmed paths at variable speeds.
- Spot lines and dead-hung rigging: individual lines used to support specific loads at fixed positions.
Load Calculations: The Foundation of Rigging Safety
Every rigging operation begins with load calculation. The technician must know the weight of every item on a batten or lift line before any movement occurs. This includes the batten itself, all trim chains and hardware, all scenery attached, and all accessories. The total load must be compared against the system’s rated capacity.
ANSI E1.6-1-2019 requires that motorized hoist systems for entertainment be designed with a minimum design factor of 5:1 for wire rope and 8:1 for chain. ANSI E1.4-1-2016 for manual counterweight systems specifies structural and component requirements. These design factors mean that a system rated for 1,000 pounds was designed to withstand 5,000 to 8,000 pounds before catastrophic failure, but the rated capacity is the working limit, not a target to approach.
Wire Rope Inspection
Wire rope is the primary structural element in most theater rigging systems. It degrades over time through fatigue from bending, corrosion, mechanical damage from hardware contact, and improper installation. ANSI B30.9 (Slings) provides criteria for wire rope removal from service that apply broadly to entertainment rigging:
- Six or more randomly distributed broken wires in one rope lay, or three or more broken wires in one strand in one rope lay.
- Wear of one-third of the original diameter of the outer wires.
- Kinking, crushing, bird-caging, or any other damage resulting in distortion of the rope structure.
- Evidence of heat damage, including discoloration or loss of lubrication.
- Corrosion, including pitting or severe external corrosion.
- Reduction in diameter of 10% or more from the nominal diameter.
Wire rope inspection should be performed by a qualified person before each use and documented as part of a formal inspection program. Rope that meets any removal criterion must be replaced immediately and destroyed so it cannot be returned to service.
Rigging Hardware
All hardware used in theatrical rigging must be rated for the application and inspected regularly. ASME B30.26 (Rigging Hardware) governs shackles, eye bolts, turnbuckles, swivels, and other hardware used to connect rigging elements. Key requirements:
- Shackles: use only rated, forged steel shackles for overhead lifting. Bolt-type shackles must be moused (secured with wire) to prevent the pin from unscrewing. The working load limit (WLL) must meet or exceed the load applied.
- Snap hooks: never use snap hooks (carabiner-style) as primary overhead lifting hardware. They are approved only for safety cables and fall arrest applications where they are specifically rated.
- Turnbuckles: ASME B30.26 specifies minimum thread engagement; inspect for bent bodies, damaged threads, and missing jaw pins.
- Eye bolts: must be rated for angular loading if the load is not in line with the bolt axis; shoulder-type eye bolts are required for angular loads.
Manual Counterweight Systems
The counterweight fly system requires training in load-in procedure (building the arbor with the correct amount of counterweight for the scenery load), operational procedure (walking the purchase line to raise and lower the batten), locking and braking (setting the rope lock before leaving the system), and emergency procedures (what to do if a system gets out of balance).
An out-of-balance counterweight system is one of the most dangerous conditions in a theater. If the scenery side is heavier than the arbor, the batten will descend on its own if the rope lock is released. If the arbor side is heavier, the arbor will descend. Either condition can cause a catastrophic drop. The rope lock must never be released without a trained operator at the rail, and loads must be carefully calculated before any trim adjustment.
Motorized Hoist Systems
ANSI E1.6-1-2019 governs powered hoist systems for entertainment rigging. Key requirements include:
- Upper and lower limit switches must be installed and tested regularly.
- E-stop (emergency stop) must be readily accessible and functional.
- Load monitoring is recommended and increasingly required by institutional policy.
- Maximum allowable hoist speed must be observed; do not exceed the hoist’s rated load or speed.
- Hoist chains must be inspected per manufacturer schedule and ASME B30.16 criteria.
Load-In and Load-Out Safety
Load-in and load-out are statistically the most dangerous periods in the theatrical production cycle. Multiple tasks occur simultaneously, workers are fatigued, time pressure is high, and supervision may be distributed across multiple areas. Specific rigging safety practices during load-in include establishing exclusion zones under all overhead rigging work, requiring hard hats for all personnel in the work zone, using spotters when flying large pieces, never allowing anyone under a moving load, and maintaining voice or radio communication between the fly rail and the work area.
ETCP Certification
The Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP) offers a rigger certification in both arena and theater categories. ETCP certification is an industry standard demonstrating that a rigger has met a defined knowledge and experience threshold through examination. While ETCP certification is not universally required by law, it is increasingly required by contract riders, venue policies, and institutional risk management programs. It is the most widely recognized credentialing program in entertainment rigging.
OSHA and Rigging
OSHA does not have an entertainment-specific rigging standard, but the General Duty Clause applies. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.179 (Overhead and Gantry Cranes) contains crane rigging requirements that are sometimes applied by analogy to theater hoists. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.251 (construction rigging equipment) provides rigging hardware requirements that overlap with entertainment rigging practice. In the absence of an industry-specific standard, OSHA inspectors use the General Duty Clause and reference ANSI standards as recognized industry practice.
Key Takeaways
- No person may operate a theater rigging system without professional training. There are no exceptions.
- All loads must be calculated before rigging operations begin.
- Wire rope must be inspected before each use and removed from service per ANSI B30.9 criteria.
- All hardware must be rated, inspected, and properly secured.
- ANSI E1.4-1-2016 and ANSI E1.6-1-2019 are the primary standards for manual and motorized theatrical rigging systems.
- ETCP certification is the industry benchmark for rigger competency.
References
Entertainment Services and Technology Association. (2016). ANSI E1.4-1-2016: Entertainment technology: Manual counterweight rigging systems. ESTA. https://tsp.esta.org
Entertainment Services and Technology Association. (2019). ANSI E1.6-1-2019: Entertainment technology: Powered hoist systems. ESTA. https://tsp.esta.org
American Society of Mechanical Engineers. (2022). ASME B30.9: Slings. ASME.
American Society of Mechanical Engineers. (2021). ASME B30.26: Rigging hardware. ASME.
Entertainment Technician Certification Program. (n.d.). ETCP rigging certification. https://etcp.esta.org