Stage lifts, such as orchestra pit or theatre forestage lifts, are not the subject of any current national standard. As a result, safety requirements and inspections of them are inconsistent. This project is to develop a standard for stage lifts that can be referenced by the International Code Council and the National Fire Protection Association.
The scope is limited to safety and to lifts that are installed as a part of the building and that are not for a single theatrical production. Any person involved in the design, manufacture, use, or inspection of stage lifts and who is willing to actively work on the project is invited to join the new working group.
A working group application form is available on the ESTA website at www.esta.org/tsp/documents/procedural_docs.html.
An ambitious schedule has been proposed for developing BSR E1.42 so that the project can be completed in two years. Meetings will be held monthly to accomplish this. Most of the meetings will be virtual meetings on the Web, but the working group will also meet face-to-face at the usual quarterly ESTA Technical Standards Program meetings.
A high-quality webcam and headset, as well as a computer with a broad-band Internet connection, are required for participation in the on-line meetings. The first meeting will be an on-line meeting scheduled for Monday 20 December, from 15:00 to 18:00 Eastern Standard Time.
(Jim Evans)
