ENTERTAINMENT RIGGING
producer will not want his carefully designed effects spoiled. So matte black is the standard colour – and not only for the hoists but the visible chains too. Most manufacturers, CMCO among them, offer optional black finishes. For small, intimate productions and settings, hoists can be hand- powered as they are simple, cost-effective and amateur productions can use them with ease.
Horses for courses Hoists – often referred to as a ‘motor’ within the theatre industry – that are intended for use in the sector must satisfy legal requirements. However, the requirements differ according to jurisdiction. For example, the UK, EU and US each have different sets of rules. In addition, in most jurisdictions, safety
requirements for entertainment hoists differ according to what they are being used for. There is static lifting, installing scenery before a theatre run, for example. There is dynamic lifting above the stage – a suspended load (or performer) moves in sight of the audience as part of the performance. And there is lifting above the auditorium, where the audience are seated. Different categories require increasing inbuilt standards of safety. In the UK, the new entertainment standard is ‘BS EN 17206:2020 Entertainment technology. Machinery for stages and other production areas. Safety requirements and inspections’, which was published in June 2020. It replaces the previous standards BS 7906-1:2005 and BS 7905-1:2001. It applies to hoists and lifting equipment for stages and production areas in theatres, schools, concert halls, sports facilities and the like. It divides entertainment lifting into six categories, each with its own requirements. Categories UC1 and UC2 are hoists for the movement and suspension of loads during set- up, stage preparation and the like, which do not move when people are in hazard zones, that is underneath the load or nearby. UC1 covers statically determinate loads, UC2 is for statically indeterminate ones. Hoists for UC1 and UC2 uses are recommended to have safety functions including, among other things, emergency stops and protection against overload and improper winding. If a safety function is not implemented, then the rationale behind not using it should be detailed. Categories UC3 and UC4 cover such lifting when people are in the hazard zone, such as lifting over the heads of actors during a performance or rehearsal. UC3 is for loads lifted in a single axis of motion, UC4 is for when movement is in multiple axes. Such hoist should have additional safety features including (but not limited to) protection against
20 | September 2025 |
www.hoistmagazine.com Riggers, skilled and trained for work at height.
position and speed deviations, slack rope conditions and brake failure. The final categories, UC5 and UC6, are for people-carrying entertainment hoists – the ones that support actors who are ‘flying’. (UC5 covers single hoist lifting, UC6 is for flying using triangulated and synchronised point hoists or people riding a platform suspended from multiple hoists.) Here, of course, still further safety functions are called for. They include protection against underload and against loss of hoist synchronisation. GIS are hoist manufacturers based in
Switzerland, who have a long history and division specialising in hoists for entertainment. “With regard to safety precautions, we classify our chain hoist range according to the applications they are used for, into D8, D8 Plus and C1. However, you must be aware that there are country-specific differences in safety regulations and their designation,” explains Lukas Bühlmann, a representative of GIS, of the EU regulations. “The German IGVW quality standard SQP2:2024 is the relevant one in entertainment applications. Under those standards, a D8 hoist is an industrial chain hoist which can be used for stage technology.” It can be used on its own in applications where no people are underneath, however, when used to hold loads above people a secondary safety device – such as a sling chain or wire rope for twice the load – is necessary. “A D8 Plus hoist is an electric chain hoist specially designed for holding loads above people – for example, a video cube above an ice rink, or a truss with speakers, LED wall and spotlights above a concert stage. In contrast to the D8 motor, no secondary safety device is required to secure the load.
“It is important to note,” he adds, “that a second brake can be fitted to GIS hoists, but this does not automatically turn the D8 hoist into a D8 Plus hoist. The required safety criteria for the D8 Plus chain are a static chain safety factor of at least 8:1, double nominal load capacity of all components in the flow of forces and the addition of a second brake.” For loads being held and moved above people, there are specific high safety requirements that apply and a C1 hoist must be used, Bühlmann explains. “There must be a dynamic chain safety factor of at least 8:1; double nominal load capacity of all components in the power flow; a second brake; a geared limit switch with additional emergency stop contacts; and a load sensor for overload protection. Often a path measurement by means of an encoder is also required to determine and track the position of the load hook.
GIS hoists in the D8 version can be used without modification as climbing or stationary hoists up to 4,000kg safe working load (SWL) in one-fall or 6,300kg SWL in two-fall operation. Our D8 Plus hoists can be used up to 2,500kg SWL in one-fall or 3,200kg in two-falls operation. Capacities of our C1 version are up to 2,000kg SWL in one-fall or 2,500kg in two-falls.” In open-air situations, such as festivals, Bühlmann points to GIS’s LPML and LPL S chain series, which were specifically developed for D8 rigging applications. With IP 65 protection and a lifting capacity of 500, 1,000 and 2,000kg available, they are dust-tight and protected from water jets, and can be used outside without any issues. “Control systems for entertainment hoist brings in another level altogether. Here,
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