Stages for shows and similar events
Laws - Rules - Guides
Premise
On December 12, 2011 in Trieste and on March 5, 2012 in Reggio Calabria, during the preparation of the concerts of Jovanotti and Laura Pausini respectively, two young workers, Francesco Pinna and Matteo Armellini, lost their lives.
The tragic events highlighted the potential risk present in the assembly, dismantling and setting up of temporary works used during shows, but also exhibitions, trade fairs, cultural events and similar.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Policies promptly set up a working group to provide, in a document, practical tools applicable to all the aforementioned activities of assembly and dismantling of temporary works, including their set-up and dismantling with audio, lighting, stage equipment, etc.
The working group, made up of representatives of the Ministry itself, of INAIL and of the Interregional Technical Coordination for Prevention in the Workplace, began drafting the 'Technical-operational guidelines for the preparation and management of temporary works and equipment to be used in the production and realization of musical, cinematographic, theatrical and entertainment shows'.
The drafting of the 'Guidelines' continued until the publication of the legislative decree of 21 June 2013, n. 69 (the so-called 'Doing Decree'), coordinated with the conversion law of 8 August 2013, n. 98, containing 'Urgent provisions for the relaunch of the economy.
With this decree, 'musical, cinematographic and theatrical performances and trade fair events' were included in the scope of application of Title IV 'Temporary or mobile construction sites' of Legislative Decree 81/08 and subsequent amendments, taking into account the particular needs connected to the performance of the related activities, which had to be identified by decree of the Minister of Labour and Social Policies in agreement with the Minister of Health, after consulting the Permanent Consultative Commission for Health and Safety at Work, to be adopted by 31 December 2013.
The group had to interrupt the drafting of the 'Guidelines', since the task of drafting the decree in question was given to the future 'Inter-ministerial Decree of 22 July 2014', also known as the 'Stages and Fairs Decree,' which took into consideration both 'musical, cinematographic and theatrical performances' and 'trade fair events'.
Subsequently, in order to provide clarifications on the decree of 22/7/2014, the Ministry of Labour published, in accordance with the opinion of the same working group, circular no. 35 of 24 December 2014 containing the 'Technical-organisational operating instructions for the setting up and management of temporary works and equipment to be used in the production and realisation of musical, cinematographic and theatrical shows and trade fair events in light of the Interministerial Decree of 22 July 2014'.
The working group then resumed drafting the 'Addresses' which had not yet been published.
The issuing of the decree and the circular therefore filled gaps and uncertainties regarding the activities described so far with particular regard to the design, assembly and dismantling, and the safe setting up of the same that took into account the particular needs of the operational context.
Introduction
The accidents that occurred during the preparation of the concerts of Jovanotti and Laura Pausini suggested the idea of a research that examined the technical tools available regarding temporary works (hereinafter indicated with OT) and the equipment to be used in the activities illustrated in the introduction.
The assembly, dismantling and set-up activities of OT used during shows, exhibitions, trade fairs, cultural events and similar events are particularly risky if one considers the peculiarities of the operational context, such as, for example, the simultaneous presence of several executing companies in the work areas, the high number of workers, including of different nationalities, and the need to complete the work in a short time and in restricted spaces.
Furthermore, these OTs are structures, generally prefabricated, which are installed, from time to time, in different places, having different characteristics, both in terms of soil bearing capacity and meteorological conditions. These characteristics influence their structural design and stability, and must be evaluated at each change of site.
The supply of OT created for musical, cinematographic and theatrical shows, includes the activities of assembly and dismantling, set-up and dismantling with lighting, audio, video and general stage-technical systems, related accessory processes, such as loading, unloading and movement of equipment.
The aim of the research is to identify and provide information from the national and international context, useful to public and private sector operators.
In this document, which takes stock of laws, regulations and guides in Italy, England and the USA, only one type of OT will be taken into consideration: stages.
The availability of technical tools (laws, standards and guides) promotes knowledge, study and analysis, thus contributing to the improvement of safety.
1. The Italian context
In Italy, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, with the support of the working group it established and made up of representatives of the Ministry itself, INAIL and the Regions, has recently contributed to providing a set of reference documents for the preparation and management of temporary works and equipment to be used in the production and implementation of musical, cinematographic and theatrical performances and trade fair events.
From a legislative point of view, the legislative decree of 21 June 2013, n. 69 (so-called 'Doing Decree'), coordinated with the conversion law of 8 August 2013, n. 98, containing 'Urgent provisions for the relaunch of the economy', establishes that 'musical, cinematographic and theatrical performances and trade fair events' are included in the scope of application of Title IV 'Temporary or mobile construction sites' of Legislative Decree 81/08 and subsequent amendments.
The 'Stages and Fairs Decree', published in the Official Journal no. 183 of 8 August 2014, takes into consideration both 'musical, cinematographic and theatrical performances' and 'trade fair events'.
Circular no. 35 of 24 December 2014 published by the Ministry of Labour, in accordance with the opinion of the same working group, contains the 'Technical-organisational operating instructions for the setting up and management of temporary works and equipment to be used in the production and realisation of musical, cinematographic and theatrical shows and trade fair events in light of the inter-ministerial decree of 22 July 2014'.
Compared to what was planned, the only thing missing is the 'Technical-organizational operational guidelines for the preparation and management of temporary works and equipment to be used in the production and realization of musical, cinematographic, theatrical shows and trade fair events, in light of the inter-ministerial decree of 22 July 2014', on which the working group is working.
The three documents, the legislative decree, the ministerial circular and the operational guidelines, intend to fill gaps and uncertainties regarding the assembly and dismantling activities of temporary works and the equipment to be used in the production and realization of shows and similar events, with particular attention to the design, assembly and dismantling, and safe setting up of the same that take into account the particular needs of the operational context.
Below are the main contents of the published documents as well as considerations and indications derived from the technical regulations of the sector and from consolidated practices. As regards the decree and the circular, only Chapter I will be discussed, which deals with musical, cinematographic and theatrical performances, excluding Chapter II regarding trade fair events.
The Appendix contains the full text of the inter-ministerial decree of 22 July 2014 and circular no. 35 of 24 December 2014.
1.1 Definitions
Temporary Work (OT)
There is no definition for OT in Italian legislation. In this document, the following definition is proposed: a temporary work (OT) used for musical, cinematographic and theatrical performances is understood to be a civil engineering work that is designed to be assembled and dismantled several times, characterised by temporariness, as it must be removed after the purposes for which it was conceived have been achieved and in any case within the periods foreseen by the designer and that can be subsequently reused after adequate checks.
The OT considered in this document is the stage which consists of a platform, vertical structures and the roofing structure.
1.2 Technical standards
In Italy there are no standards issued by UNI regarding the temporary work as a whole, understood to be for example, made up of a platform, vertical structures, superstructures for the support of the equipment and their movement, closing walls and covering structure and concerning the specifications for the design, manufacturing and control.
The European technical standard regarding tents installed in an itinerant and temporary manner UNI EN 13782:2006 – Temporary structures – Tents – Safety has been implemented. It specifies the safety requirements that must be observed in the design, calculation, construction, installation, maintenance, management, checks and tests of tents installed in an itinerant and temporary manner with a covered surface area greater than 50 m2.
For tents with a covered surface area of less than 50 m2, it is not necessary to produce the tent booklet and the manufacturer will provide documentation regarding the fire behaviour of the fabric and the stability of the structure. There is a UNI technical standard relating to the elements constituting the OT, in relation to systems for public entertainment, UNI 11580:2015 – Systems for public entertainment – Specifications for the design, manufacturing and inspection of structural elements in aluminium and/or steel.
It specifies the requirements for the design, calculation, fabrication, and inspection of beams, towers and any associated elements, constructed of aluminum and/or steel for use in public entertainment. Structures composed of these elements can also have complex shapes through the use of corner elements, arches or combinations of other special elements that are not linear beams. The beams and towers are used mainly to support static and dynamic loads or for purely decorative purposes. They can be suspended, supported by the ground or on a wall, permanently installed or used as a mobile structure. In particular, the aforementioned standard refers, among other things, to provisions contained in other publications:
- UNI EN 1090-1 – Execution of steel and aluminium structures – Part 1: Requirements for the conformity assessment of structural components; Stages for shows and similar events 10;
- UNI EN 1090-2 – Execution of steel and aluminium structures – Part 2: Technical requirements for steel structures;
- UNI EN 1090-3 – Execution of steel and aluminium structures – Part 3: Technical requirements for aluminum structures;
- UNI EN 1991-1-1 – Eurocode 1 – Actions on structures – Part 1-1: Actions in general – Unit volume loads, self-loads and surcharges for buildings;
- UNI EN 1993-1-1 – Eurocode 3 – Steel Structure Design – Part 1-1: General rules and rules for buildings;
- UNI EN 1999-1-1 – Eurocode 9 – Design of aluminum structures – Part 1-1: General structural rules.
There are also European technical standards that do not specifically concern the assembly, dismantling and installation of OT, but which concern installations for spectators, which are listed below:
- UNI EN 13200-1: 2012 – Installations for spectators – Part 1: General characteristics of the observation spaces for spectatorsIt specifies the design and management requirements for spectator facilities in permanent or temporary entertainment venues, including sports stadiums, sports halls, indoor and outdoor facilities, in order to ensure their functionality.
- UNI EN 13200-3: 2006 – Installations for spectators – Part 3: Separation elements – Requirements. It specifies the design requirements for the layout and product characteristics of separation elements within spectator installations in permanent or temporary entertainment venues including sports stadiums and sports halls.
- UNI EN 13200-4: 2007 – Installations for spectators – Part 4: sessions – Product characteristics. It specifies the mechanical, physical and chemical product characteristics of fixed seating used in sports entertainment venues (indoors and outdoors) in spectator observation areas. The standard also specifies the criteria for fixing the seating to the structure.
- UNI EN 13200-5: 2007 – Installations for spectators – Part 5: Telescopic stands. It specifies product characteristics for telescopic stands in permanent or temporary entertainment venues, including stadiums, gymnasiums, indoor and outdoor installations. Stands in amusement parks and funfairs are excluded from this standard.
- UNI EN 13200-6: 2013 - Installations for spectators – Part 6: Removable stands (temporary). It specifies product characteristics for demountable (temporary) stands in permanent or temporary entertainment venues, including sports stadiums, sports halls, indoor and outdoor installations. Stands in amusement parks and funfairs are excluded from the standard.
- UNI EN 13200-7: 2014 – Installations for spectators – Part 7: Entry and exit elements and pathsIt specifies the safety and design features of entry and exit passage elements that are used in spectator installations, either individually or in combination, to provide a route.
Further technical standards relating to steel constructions are those relating to the National Research Council:
CNR 10027:85 – Steel structures for temporary works. Instructions for calculation, execution, testing and maintenance.
It specifies instructions that provide the calculation basis for the design of steel structures of temporary works.
These are divided into two categories: the first includes temporary road viaducts, temporary stands, structures for demonstrations and advertising billboards. The second includes temporary piers and formwork (including self-launching), equipment (including self-launching) and props for casting concrete on site (for piers, beams or arches of bridges; for dams and hydraulic works; for lining tunnels; for civil and industrial buildings), scaffolding, shooting galleries and trestles.
The following are covered: loads, materials, controls and minimum thicknesses, calculation bases, displacement limitations, resistance and stability checks of construction elements, anchors, project drafting, calculation and acceptance tests, use and maintenance.
1.3 Construction typologies of the stages
The stages are made up of a complex of prefabricated elements connected to each other, each intended for a particular function and all coordinated together for a specific function (reception of the artistic performance, the film screening, the theatrical representation, support of lifting equipment, video screens, cameras, loudspeakers, lights, special effects, etc.).
The stage is the OT on which the performance/representation/entertainment action takes place. The stage, usually made with a metal structure, is generally made up of a platform (or stage, possibly with steps with different levels of height or inclined) and is equipped or not with covering elements. If present, the covering is made on site, generally on the ground and brought to height with manual or motorized lifting systems; it can be used to support audio, video, lighting and stage equipment.
