The Rigging Working Group, part of the Entertainment Services and Technology Association's Technical Standards Program, has approved the following new standards projects and notified the American National Standards Institute of their initiation:
BSR E1.21, Temporary Ground-Supported Overhead Structures Used to Cover Stage Areas and Support Equipment in the Production of Outdoor Entertainment Events
The standard will offer guidance to ensure the strength and structural reliability of the structures within its scope and does not address fire safety or safe egress issues. The structures within the scope of this standard are ones in which the structural elements are rigid towers, trusses, and space frames; membrane structures and other structures in which the majority of the structural elements under tension are made of flexible elements such as cable are not included in the scope of this standard.
BSR E1.22, Entertainment Technology - Fire Curtain Systems
The standard to be developed will cover the materials, fabrication, installation, operation, and maintenance of fire curtain systems used for proscenium opening protection and designed to restrict the passage of heat, hot gases, and smoke from the stage to the audience area. The standard is planned to have three major sections: (1) an overview section that describes what a fire curtain is supposed to do; (2) a section offering a set of performance specifications a fire curtain shall meet in order to be able to serve the intended function; and (3) a "deemed to comply" section that offers common solutions for constructing, installing, and operating fire curtains that have been found to work in the field. The intent of this structure is to offer guidance so that fire curtain systems in the entertainment industry will be effective, while not stifling innovation by mandating one or a few construction techniques.
People interested in working on these standards projects and who are not already members of the Rigging Working Group are encouraged to contact ESTA technical standards manager Karl G. Ruling for information on how to become involved. ESTA membership is not a requirement for participation.