ANSI Rigging Standards are the industry accepted standards that are written by the Entertainment Services and Technology Association‘s Rigging Workgroup. These are the standards that all U.S. entertainment rigging should follow and they are available for free.
International Code of Practice (ICOPER) was created in response to calls from the international entertainment rigging community, rigging professionals from around the globe came together to create the ICOPER to promote awareness and safety worldwide. This is a model code of practice with a focus on arena rigging, however it’s also applicable to all event production rigging disciplines. It can be found on the PLASA website here.
The Event Safety Alliance is an organization dedicated to promoting “life safety first” throughout all phases of event production and execution. They strive to eliminate the knowledge barrier that often contributes to unsafe conditions and behaviors through the promotion and teaching of good practices and the development of training and planning resources.
Wire Rope Users Manual is available in print form. It can be ordered here. This document is produced by The Wire Rope Technical Board and it contains all of the ASTM A1023/A1023 M standards that we follow in the entertainment world.
There is a free Wire Rope user manual that can be found here. This one is published by one of the wire rope manufacturers.
JR Clancy has recommended calls for operation of a fly system that can be found here. Please keep in mind that every venue has it’s own procedures, but if in doubt or wanting a baseline to create your own procedures, these calls and the recommended procedures are an excellent place to start.
JR Clancy also has a cheat sheet of information that they think riggers should know. It can be found here.
Improper use or care of shackles can result in serious accidents that not only injure employees but damage property as well. To avoid this, shackle inspection is critical and Columbus Mckinnon has this list of things to look for.
Figuring out which Nicopress tool to use and which groove is the correct one frustrates even the most seasoned rigger. JR Clancy has made us all a cheat sheet on use and selection of Nicopress tools and swages.
Entertaining Safety is a wonderful website full of resources. It covers everything from First Aid/CPR to best practice for hanging a light on a batten. Check it out here.
Bill Sapsis has zoom seminars that are excellent sources of information and they are free. He records them and they are available here. They cover a wide range of topics from Fall Arrest Harnesses to Performer Flying Winches.
Chicago Flyhouse has a great youtube channel full of great information! check it out here.
If you are looking for more Arena style rigging, Check out Siobhan Colleen in her videos for Area Four Industries. Their You Tube Channel can be found here.
Shackles, Burlap & Lies is a free podcast produced by a company called Entertainment Rigging Services (ERS). Each episode features a different subject matter expert being interviewed by the owner of ERS, Ethan Gilson, who is without a doubt a subject matter expert in his own right.
NFPA Standards are hard to track down for free, but you can find them here.
If you are looking for a good giggle and some great fall protection information, check out the Harmon Fall Protection video on YouTube. It’s a bit dated, but it’s full of great information.
Rigging anchors for balanced loads is a great video explaining bridle tension at various angles.
Tip jar!