ESTA Announces a Dozen Draft Standards in Public Review

ESTA announces a dozen draft standards in public review: 11 in development, one to be withdrawn.

Twelve public review action items came out of the recent July Technical Standards Program working group meetings held in Westlake, TX, where over 160 attendees across ten discreet working groups came together to keep our development process moving forward. These public reviews will all run for 45 days, ending on September 26.

Three draft standards originate in the Rigging Working Group:

BSR E1.1, Wire Rope Ladders
This standard describes the construction and use of wire rope ladders in the entertainment industry. Wire rope ladders are distinguished from other ladders by having flexible rails. They are used in applications where ladders with rigid rails are impractical to use, or where a rigid ladder would pose a greater danger to the user or other workers in the area. ANSI E1.1-2018 is being revised to update references and technology.

BSR E1.43, Performer Flying Systems
This standard establishes a minimum level of performance parameters for the design, manufacture, use, and maintenance of performer flying systems used in the production of entertainment events. The purpose of this guidance is to achieve the adequate strength, reliability, and safety of these systems to ensure safety of the performer, other production personnel, and audiences under all circumstances associated with performer flying. ANSI E1.43-2016 is being revised to reflect changes in technology and referenced standards.

BSR E1.50-1, Requirements for the Structural Support of Temporary LED, Video & Display Systems
This standard covers the support of temporary installations of large format modular display systems, LED, video and other self-illuminating display structures not otherwise addressed by existing standards. The scope of this standard includes planning and site preparedness, assembly and erection, suspension and safety of components, special access requirements, use, and dismantling of these systems. ANSI E1.50-1 - 2018 is being revised to reflect current technology and practices in the industry.

One draft standard comes from the Floors Working Group:

BSR E1.76, Tension Wire Grids
This standard for wire rope tension grids will cover design and application criteria including: the loading, self-weight considerations, transitions between levels, and suspension from structure. The standard will provide deflection criteria for both structural elements and the woven mesh. The standard will offer guidance on the size of openings, including trap doors and bays similar to loft-wells. The standard will provide requirements for hand rails and consideration for other accessories such as stage lighting battens.

Two more draft standards of a series originating in the Event Safety Working Group

BSR ES1.2, Event Planning, Management, & Major Incident
This standard describes a process for event organizers and supporting staff to create and implement event-related plans for health and safety management. This process includes a framework, guidelines, and recommended practices that can be used to reduce risk as much as reasonably practical and to respond appropriately when an incident occurs.

BSR ES1.5, Event Safety - Medical Preparedness
BSR ES1.5 helps identify the steps necessary to create a reasonable level of protection from medical hazards that can be created by, exacerbated by, or cause effective treatment delay as a result of, the unique challenges & circumstances presented by the special event environment. Its scope includes the assessment of specific medical hazards, and also addresses the potential impact to local medical services, which may be temporarily impacted by the specific needs of the special event.

Another hat-trick of draft standards from the Stage Machinery Working Group:

BSR E1.42, Safety Standard for Entertainment Lifts
This standard is a revision of ANSI E1.42-2018 Entertainment Technology - Design, Installation, and Use of Orchestra Pit Lifts. Stage and orchestra lifts are specifically excluded from ASME A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators. The previous version of E1.42's scope was limited to orchestra pit lifts. This revision expands its scope to include stage lifts and other similar lifts, as well as lifts used temporarily for a single production. These lifts have widely varying requirements and operating conditions. Procedures for risk assessment and risk reduction have been added to accommodate these conditions. As a result, many sections have been reorganized and renumbered. To reflect the increased scope and more closely follow ASME A17.1, the title has also been changed to Safety Standard for Entertainment Lifts.

BSR E1.64, Stage Machinery Control Systems
This standard establishes minimum requirements for the design, manufacture, installation, commissioning, inspection, operation, and maintenance of machinery control equipment in the Entertainment Industry including equipment that is used in production, touring, and temporary or permanent installation.

BSR E1.71, Powered Curtain Machines
This standard establishes requirements for the design, manufacture, installation, inspection, and maintenance of machines intended solely for the movement of curtains for performance, presentation, and theatrical production. These requirements would apply to machines that provide movement of fabric in any direction, irrespective of their mounting location. This standard does not apply to the structure to which the machine is attached, or to machines such as those used for fire safety curtains or for performer flying, which are covered by other existing standards. The provisions of this standard are not intended to prohibit any design, materials, or methods of fabrication, provided that any such alternative is at least the equivalent of that described in this standard in quality, strength, and effectiveness.

One draft standard from the Control Protocols Working Group

ANSI E1.31, Lightweight streaming protocol for transport of DMX512 using CAN
ANSI E1.31 - 2018 describes a mechanism to transfer DMX512A packets over a TCP/IP network using a subset of the ACN protocol suite. It covers data format, data protocol, data addressing, and network management It also outlines a synchronization method to help ensure that multiple sinks can process this data concurrently when supervised by the same controller. It includes support for IPv6 as well as IPv4. It is being considered for reaffirmation because no revisions are necessary.

Another draft standard from the Fog & Smoke Working Group

BSR E1.23, Design, Execution, and Maintenance of Atmospheric Effects
E1.23 offers advice on the planning, execution, and maintenance of theatrical effects using glycol, glycerin, or white mineral oil fogs or mists in theatres, arenas, motion picture studios, and other places of public assembly or motion picture production. The guidance is offered to help effects designers and technicians create effects that can be executed repeatedly and reliably, and so that they can avoid excessive exposure to the fog materials and other foreseeable hazards. This revision adds a requirement for a short summary of the measures being taken to assure reasonable safety, and to add advice about ventilation and carbon dioxide fog-blast effects.

One to withdraw from the Photometrics Working Group

ANSI E1.48 - 2014 (R2019), A Recommended Luminous Efficiency Function for Stage and Studio Luminaire Photometry
This standard is being withdrawn because it is rarely used.

All of these documents are available from ESTA's TSP Public Review Documents download page, found at /tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/public_review_docs.php. Return the public review form and any comments you may have before September 26, 2023.