BELFAST – Production Services Ireland has noted that its latest round of three 2-day Rigging Awareness Training courses were completely sold out. They were held at PSI's Belfast HQ, where an area of the warehouse has been designated, complete with a full training truss structure set up. Courses were limited to 8 people per session, although the number was expanded to 10 on the final course to accommodate demand. The cross section of attendees represented all areas of the industry and included venue personnel, freelancers and sound, lighting & staging rental companies. Three technicians from BBC Northern Ireland were there along with two from University College Dublin.
Freelancer Phil McVeigh used the course as an invaluable all round "primer" opportunity before going on to successfully complete his National Rigging Certificate (NRC) Level 2 in the U.K. the following week.
The courses were instructed by PSI's rigging specialist Sean Pagel, and have been designed to suit all experience levels, from novices to seasoned professionals. PSI reports advantages with a mix of abilities, which seems to enhance overall learning by cross-referencing experiences.
PSI's courses are designed to give everyone who has any contact with rigging, its practical applications and its concepts a better understanding of all aspects of the discipline, from the actual rigging hardware – shackles, motors, trusses, etc – to its correct and safe working practices.
At the end of each day, attendees took an examination to ensure they had fully understood all the topics covered.
"For years, the importance of solid rigging awareness when delivering events has been overlooked," Pagel said. "Equipment has often been used in the wrong applications or people have used incorrect PPE or working procedures when dealing with rigging issues. We are not aiming to teach people how to become 'a rigger' in two days, but anyone working in environments where rigging is a core element needs to know what's happening around them."
This is why the course offers something for all skill levels. Technicians working solely on the ground should need to be aware of what's happening overhead; venue staff need to be sure that any rigging is carried out properly and safely by qualified personnel and professional riggers who are responsible for the safe installation of the equipment need to know that people understand what their job entails … and so does everyone else involved in between these areas, Pagel noted.
The course has an even split between classroom style training and practical hands-on sessions. Modules covered in the program include regulations; ACoPs and Standards; PPE options and their applications; an introduction to the PLASA NRC Scheme; hardware application including baskets, bridles, etc.; trussing and hoists; motor anatomy; good and bad practices and practical working.
"The levels of interest were extremely high," said Pagel, adding that it was a "real pleasure" to teach those who were listening, learning and asking lots of questions. "We had some serious in-depth Q&A sessions during each course, lots of feedback and all the days proved to be long and intense as everyone was so hungry for knowledge."
PSI will be running more Rigging Awareness Courses later in the year; information will be posted on www.productionireland.com.
