Would You Call Cut?
The Scenario
A lighting crew is preparing to raise a large overhead lighting fixture using a rated hoist and approved rigging equipment.
The lift has been planned, the equipment inspected and the rigging team is competent. An exclusion zone has been established beneath the load.
Just before the lift begins, a production assistant asks whether it's safe to have such a heavy fixture suspended above the set.
What's your call?
Best answer: KEEP ROLLING
Lifting and rigging involve significant hazards, but that doesn't mean properly planned operations should automatically be stopped.
In this scenario, the lift has been planned, the equipment is suitable and inspected, competent personnel are supervising, and an exclusion zone is in place.
There's no indication that the agreed arrangements are inadequate or that conditions have changed. The lift can proceed under the established controls.
If circumstances change or a specific concern emerges, the operation should be reassessed.
Takeaway: Effective safety management enables complex operations to proceed safely; it doesn't prohibit them simply because hazards exist.
Make the call!
Or you could just roll VT… but where’s the challenge in that? [02:30]
