EN 17206
THE STANDARD FOR STAGE MACHINERY DESIGN
ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY
MACHINERY FOR STAGES AND OTHER PRODUCTION AREAS
SAFETY REQUIREMENTS AND INSPECTIONS
The long-awaited European standard based on CWA 15902-1 has been
PUBLISHED
EN 17206:2020 will supersede national standards and CEN workshop agreements, for example:
CEN/CWA 15902-1:2008
DIN 56950-1:2012
BS 7905-1:2001
SIS-CWA 15902-1:2010
The EN 17206 standard considers situations that give rise to danger, such as moving or holding scenery or equipment:
over persons and/or unprotected areas;
in areas with low light conditions, limited visibility, while using stage fog and other masking effects.
These situations apply not only during performances, but also during rehearsals, technical set-up, preparations, installations and other situations.
The standard covers these hazards and suggests appropriate procedures to maintain safety.
Machinery installations are all technical installations and equipment used for operations in stage and production facilities in the entertainment industry. Such installations are used to lift, lower, suspend and carry loads (e.g. scenery, traverse systems, or lighting, film/video and sound equipment). They can also be used to move persons, and persons can stand under such equipment while the loads are at rest or in motion.
“Stages” are, for example, staging facilities and production areas in theatres, multipurpose halls, studios, production facilities for film, television or radio, concert halls, congress centres, schools, exhibition centres, trade-fair centres, museums, discotheques, amusement parks, sports facilities and open-air-theatres.
“Events” are, for example, concerts, shows, congresses, exhibitions, presentations, demonstrations, film or television recordings, etc.
EN 17206 considers permanently and temporarily installed lifting and movement equipment for stages and production areas within the entertainment industry.
Typical applications of this new standard include but are not limited to the following:
acoustic doors | auditorium elevators | compensating elevators | cycloramas | fly bar systems (manual and motor driven) | lighting bars | movable lighting towers | movable proscenium arches | orchestra elevators | performer flying systems | point hoists | chain hoists | wire rope winches | revolving stages and turntables | scenery storage elevators | side stage and rear stage shutters | stage elevators | stage wagons | tiltable stage floors | trap elevators