.On Saturday 7 January, 'Knots & Splicing' will cover the handling of different ropes and tying knots proficiently and safely. Knots that are useful in a theatre situation will be taught by practical demonstration. Attendees will learn knots including bowline, clove hitch, reef knot, wagon hitch, rolling hitch and sheet bend, and also the tools for splicing ropes, and to differentiate between the different natural fibre ropes. The tutor will be Spike Thorrington and the course will cost: £100 + VAT.
On Saturday 14 January, 'Counterweight Flying' will teach the safe handling of counterweight sets and will cover: terminology, parts of a counterweight set, loading and unloading, operating, first line maintenance, single and double purchase systems, putting knots into practice, tying off at a pin rail, spotting and other methods of hanging. Course tutor will be Rikki Newman, and the course will cost: £110 + VAT.
On Saturday 21 January, 'Electrical Fundamentals' will include accompanying documentation to cover basic electricity, electron flow, conductors, insulators, switching, measuring, resistance, power, electrical supply, generation, AC/DC, frequency and three-phase power. An introduction to IEE Regulations. Course tutor will be Adrian Hickinbottom, and the cost will be £100 + VAT.
Running on Friday 27 January and Saturday 28 January, 'Portable Appliance Testing' will set out systems to organise the Portable Appliance Testing of theatre electrical equipment and for theatre electricians to comply with the Electricity at Work Act Regulations for inspecting and testing of portable appliances. Course content includes visual inspection and electrical testing, testing periods, record keeping, managing a system of inspection and testing,selection of suitable testing instruments. Tutor will be Martin Blease and the cost of the course is £100 + VAT.
Finally, on Saturday 4 February, 'Manual Handling & Intro to Health & Safety' will give an introduction to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, followed by a manual handling course, which has been designed for mixed abilities groups. Team lifting and dual Handling is major constituents. By the end of the course, attendees will be able to demonstrate an awareness of types of injury and how they are caused during manual handling. You should also be able to demonstrate improved handling and lifting skills in a theatre environment. The tutor will be Paul Edwards and the course will cost: £110 + VAT.
For further information, visit the ABTT website at the address below.
(Lee Baldock)
