ENTERTAINMENT RIGGING


too, it depends very much on which safety requirements must be met and which features the chain hoists are equipped with,” says Bühlmann. “For simple group applications in the D8 and D8+ range, we offer case controls. These briefcase controllers are distributed worldwide. Things get a little more complex when the chain hoists are equipped with position and load measurement, as is required in the C1 range. We only take on projects involving complex control systems in our local market in Switzerland. For the global market, we are a component supplier of chain hoists and our partners develop the appropriate solution in collaboration with their control engineers and providers.” And for the US, regulations are different again. But if we seem to be in a maze of overlapping requirements, there is a simplification available. Entertainment is increasingly an international business. Few performers are content to limit their touring to just one jurisdiction and re-organising the rigging for each new country is impractical. For that reason, the most rigorous standards tend to become the most universal and to be used beyond their region of origin. CMCO, the division of US hoist makers Columbus McKinnon that specialises in hoists for the entertainment industry, puts it succinctly: “European regulations and standards are increasingly being applied in the US as well.” There is also an International Code of Practice for Entertainment Rigging. While this is not statutory, it is instead a response to the trans-border needs outlined above. In its own words, “Rigging professionals from around the globe have voluntarily collaborated to create this International Code of Practice for Entertainment Rigging (ICOPER). Recognition and acceptance of this universal code will help promote regulatory harmony and reduce potential conflicts between regions around the world. The resulting improvements in communications and relations with regional and local regulators will be particularly beneficial to those professionals involved in international production. Acknowledging that regulations and standards differ around the world, ICOPER is not prescriptive, rather it provides a series of guidelines that, if followed, will produce uniformly predictable results and enhance safe practice. Adopting and supporting ICOPER, therefore, benefits everyone involved in event production.”


The show must go on There are other requirements besides safety. Kube Rigging, based in Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire, supplies construction and


22 | September 2025 | www.hoistmagazine.com


The LP2500 stage hoist from GIS.


we supplied the hugely successful Disney production Cruella with equipment and riggers. We have filled rigging requirements on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and on the Amazon Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power series that came out last year.” Paddington 2 used their services as well. “And we have done commercials for Habitat, Jimmy Choo, F&F, Nissan, Audi [and] Mercedes- Benz...” They do music productions as well, including artists such as Stormzy and Lily Allen. Think of a UK film studio and they have


electrical rigging to film and TV productions, commercials and fashion and pop promotions. The BBC, Netflix, Amazon and Disney have all been among their clients. Suzie Wrennal is their co-director and a LEEA registered technician as well. “In 2024 we achieved full LEEA member status,” she says. “This means that our customers know that Kube Rigging follows extremely high safety standards.” LEEA is the Lifting Equipment Engineer’s Association and all members go through rigorous training and audits, with continuous professional development as a priority. “Our riggers are working at heights a lot. They are all members of BECTU [the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union] and that effectively makes sure they are all certified.” BECTU’s Creative Industries Safety Passport is an internationally recognised health and safety course for riggers in the entertainment sector, and is accredited to the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. “Most of the productions we work on have non-disclosure agreements, so I cannot talk too much about them; but I can say that


probably supplied it: “We currently have rigging equipment at Shepperton, Pinewood, OMA, Dukes Island, Black Island and Bray studios, as well as out on location. One of our issues is keeping track of where our equipment is – everything needs to be labelled, from the half-tonne hoists down to the last cable. That’s not about theft, it’s simply about logistics.” And they are expanding: the day we spoke, Kube was taking possession of a new large warehouse for their hoists and lighting equipment. “We hire out equipment to productions, or we supply a full rigging service. Typically, it could be the construction manager or a rigging contractor that contacts us. They may already have done the calculations, and have a list of the hoists and capacities that they need to hire from us – so many half-tonne hoists, so many quarter-tonners and so on; or we might take on the whole job of planning, supplying and rigging,” says Wrennal. On top of hoists, Kube Rigging also uses electric motors, cables, beams, as well as a dozen other fittings and fixtures. As Wrennal explains, they have load cells, trusses, a large l-beam, blackout drapes, with a waterproof option for open-air shoots and green screens, which all need to be lifted into place.


“Lights and sound equipment need lifting of course; but so do props. The other day we were lifting some huge pretend trees. Lifting false ceilings is a very common thing that we have to do,” adds Wrennal. “Most lifts are not too heavy. Our hoists are mainly quarter-tonne and half-tonne capacity. At the moment, I am looking at a Pro-star 250kg from Columbus McKinnon; we use their Lodestar 0.5t hoists as well. “We have to be able to transport all these


things to the studio or location, and bring them back again, so lightweight and ease of rigging and de-mounting are valuable. Some productions call for synchronised lifts, which in turn need good control systems. We use various controllers from small portable four- way models controllers to six-way, eight-way and 12-way controllers, depending on the size and requirements of the production.


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