The Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA) has announced that the draft American National Standard BSR E1.14, Entertainment Technology--Recommendations for Inclusions in Fog Machine Manuals, is available for public review until March 14. All persons and organizations that have an interest in fog machines or fog machine manuals are invited to review it and to offer comments.
BSR E1.14 applies to the instruction manuals for fog machines manufactured for use in the entertainment industry. In order for a user to safely and effectively make and use fog, the user must have some general knowledge of the technology, a clear understanding of how to operate the system, and be aware of the potential hazards related to the use of fog, particularly the hazards related to the fog system he or she is using. This draft standard describes what information should be included in manuals to help ensure that the user has this knowledge.
The standard is a project of the Fog and Smoke Working Group, part of the ANSI-accredited standards committee E1, Safety and Compatibility of Entertainment Technical Equipment and Practices. ESTA is the secretariat for the committee, and provides administrative support to it. Membership in the working group is open to all who are affected by standards-making in the area of fog and smoke effects in entertainment venues, and who are willing to actively participate in the group's projects.
Public review and comment is being sought so that the draft standard may reflect the consensus of informed opinion in the industry. A copy of the above standard may be obtained from the ESTA website at www.esta.org/tsp/, or by writing to: Technical Standards Manager, ESTA, 875 Sixth Avenue, Suite 2302, New York, NY 10001, fax: 212/244-1502, e-mail: standards@esta.org.