Rigging and suspension checklist

This is the one lighting position where a mistake cannot be recovered. An undersized cable trips a breaker, a forgotten fixture gets replaced, but a rigging point that lets go injures someone.

This checklist replaces neither training nor the judgement of a rigging professional. It gathers what gets checked every time, and the order it gets checked in.

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1. The rigging point

Before looking at the fixture, look at what will hold it.

Identify what the support actually is, not what it looks likeA false ceiling, an office lighting track or a decorative beam hold nothing.
Know the working load of the point, as a figureAn estimate by eye is not a working load.
Get confirmation from the location manager or owner if the point is structuralWhen in doubt, something in writing protects everyone.
Check the condition of the point: corrosion, play, fixingA strong point badly fixed is a weak point.
Spread loads rather than concentrating themTwo lightly loaded points beat one loaded to its limit.
Check what is underneath the rigging pointCrew movement, the frame, the cast, fragile gear.

Doubt means no. If nobody can put a figure on a point's working load, nothing gets hung from it. Find a stand, a free-standing structure, or move the fixture.

2. Work out the load

The weight of the fixture is only part of the total.

Add the weight of the fixture, its accessory and its power supplyA softbox and a ballast often weigh more than expected.
Add the weight of the hanging cableOver ten metres it stops being negligible.
Account for leverage if the fixture is offsetA metre of offset multiplies the force at the anchor.
Allow for dynamic load, not just staticAn adjustment, a gust or a knock all exceed the resting weight.
Keep margin against the stated working loadYou do not load a point to its published limit.
Check the rating of every link, not only the pointThe chain is worth its weakest element: clamp, safety cable, carabiner.

3. Hanging it

The act itself. Done by two people whenever possible.

Use a clamp matched to the tube diameterAn oversized clamp cranked tight is still an oversized clamp.
Tighten firmly without forcing, then check itOver-tightening deforms and weakens.
Fit a safety cable, every timeNo exceptions, even for a light fixture, even for five minutes.
Pass the safety cable around the structure, not around the clampA safety on the clamp is useless if the clamp is what fails.
Keep the safety cable short: it must limit the fallToo long and the fixture picks up speed before it catches.
Lock the pan and tilt once positionedA yoke that turns on its own eventually works loose.
Secure the accessories themselvesBarndoors, grids and boxes fall too, and nobody safeties them.
Tie the power cable to the structure, with slackThe cable must never carry the fixture, nor pull on it.

The safety cable has to take the load independently of the clamp. Fixed to the clamp, it does nothing on the day the clamp is what fails.

4. Tall stands and offset loads

A stand is not a rigging point, but it falls over too.

Weight every tall or loaded stand, without exceptionThe weight goes on the leg nearest the load.
Open the legs as wide as the space allowsA stand closed up to save room is an unstable stand.
Check each section lock before loadingA section that creeps down under load is an accident.
Extend sections in order, thickest firstThat is what keeps the stand rigid.
Mark or crew any stand in a walkwayA stand in a corridor gets knocked.
Add a safety if the stand is high or overhangingTied off to the building, or counterweighted, depending on the setup.

5. Check before switching on

The final pass, before the crew comes underneath.

Walk every hung point again, physicallyLook, touch, and do not trust the memory of having done it.
Check every safety cable one by oneThat is two minutes for a whole stage.
Check nothing is resting on a cableThe most frequent case of unintended load.
Check nothing is balanced loose up highSpanners, gels and gloves fall a long way.
Tell the crew what is hung and whereWhat is flagged gets avoided.
Run the check again after any change during the dayA repositioned fixture is a rigging point to check again.

After every move. A fixture brought down, repositioned or moved goes through all of section 3 again. That is where habits slip, and that is when it happens.

This checklist describes set practice, not a standard. Depending on the country, the venue and the weight involved, rigging may fall under lifting regulations and require a qualified person. If you are unsure about a load or a structure, bring in someone who does it for a living.

In Cinecyclop, the list check flags fixtures that call for rigging hardware: a hung fixture wants a clamp, a safety cable and a barrel clamp per head.

Frequently asked questions

Is a safety cable needed even for a small fixture?

Yes. The safety does not depend on the weight but on the consequence of a fall. A one-kilo fixture dropping four metres injures someone. The useful rule is simple: anything above a person is safetied, with no exception for size or duration.

Should the safety cable go around the clamp or the structure?

Around the structure. A safety fixed to the clamp is useless if the clamp is what fails: it has to take the load independently of the main rigging system.

How do I know a rigging point is strong enough?

By getting a stated working load from the location manager, the venue owner or a rigging professional. A visual judgement is not enough. With no figure, nothing gets hung: go on a stand or a free-standing structure instead.

Does a short stand need weighting?

A short, lightly loaded stand in an area with no traffic can go without. As soon as there is height, offset, wind or people passing, weight becomes necessary, placed on the leg nearest the load.