|
|
Backstage Ladder
Repaired
August 8, 2008
Dangling Ladder prevented inspection of rigging
system
Another project that was high on the priority list was to
inspect the structural steel, access grid, and rigging system
over 50
feet above the stage, but there was one thing that stood in the
way - the ladder which goes straight up to the grid. When
we examined the theater prior to purchasing it, one of our
rigging experts was ready to climb the ladder to inspect the
rigging, but when he pulled on the first rung, the bottom of the ladder
came off the wall (so he didn't go up).
After we took possession of the theater we investigated the
dangling ladder and learned that the wall it was anchored to was
the back side of the chimney and that rainwater, which had been
running down he chimney for years, had soaked through the
brickwork and caused the anchors holding the ladder to fail.
One of the main challenges in fixing the ladder was how to
access it - we needed a way to go up alongside the ladder and
examine the attachment points and repair them.
Fortunately, a theater services company in Virginia loaned us a
Genie Lift, a machine similar to a cherry picker that could
raise a person to a 30 foot working height. When we
inspected the ladder, we found that there were only 8 anchors
holding the 53 foot high ladder and that the lower four anchors had
failed. The first step in the repair process was to
install four additional anchors which would strengthen the
ladder and, more importantly, keep the ladder from falling while
the anchors that had failed were removed and replaced.
With the ladder stabilized, the old anchors were removed and
replaced with new ones making the ladder ready for use.
General
Manager Dave Leske was the first person to climb (test?) the
ladder. Wearing a full body harness with multiple lanyards
(clips) Dave slowly ascended t he ladder, stopping every few feet
to check the strength of the ladder and re-position his safety
lanyards to make sure that if he fell off the ladder, he would
only fall a few feet. Once he reached the top, Dave
attached his lanyards to an I-beam and began installation of a
self-retracting lifeline system. This system has a steel
cable which is attached to a climber's full body harness.
As the climber moves up or down the ladder, the device reels in
or lets out cable, maintaining a constant tension on the
climber. Should the climber fall off the ladder the device
senses that the cable is going out too quickly and locks,
instantly stopping
the climber's fall. They say it hurts when one kicks in, but
it's nowhere near as bad as hitting the floor! |
