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October 4, 2021

How to pick the right stage?

15 QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ASK

In order to help you make an enlightened and wise decision, here is a list of questions we strongly recommend you ask the company representative when shopping for your perfect stage. We have divided them in 3 simple categories: Supplier, Product and Safety & Emergency Procedures.

* Note that some might only be applicable for rental and some others when looking to purchase.

Supplier:
Pick a competent supplier able to demonstrate its knowledge and understanding of your needs and the work involved. Engineering of temporary structures is considered a specialized field. The design and engineering of such structures should only be carried out by qualified professionals with certified experience. Furthermore, the supplier should fabricate under strict guidelines, such as the International Building Code.

Product:
An outdoor structure must demonstrate safety, strength and stability, fully erected and during each phase of its erection. The structure must be built to withstand high to extreme winds and safely support rigging loads according to its operators brief. The product should be fully tested and undergo regular maintenance and step by step inspection. .

Safety & Emergency Procedures:
No matter how small, in a crowded and confined space, the failure of any outdoor structure can have devastating effects. Therefore, the staging supplier must have an Operations Management Plan highlighting what measures needs to be taken in case of emergency (overloading, heavy rain or snow, ice, lightning, flood, fire, etc.) and the various operating stages of the structure when confronted with any of the previous situations. It is also a good thing to inquire about the work experience of the onsite technician and what he (she) or they is (are) responsible for.

Make sure that you are provided with a satisfactory answer to all of the following.

Supplier

❎ How many years of activity does the manufacturing company have?

❎ What is the safety track record of the company and was it ever involved in any major accident (if yes, ask for a list)?

❎ Are the stages manufactured by workers that have the appropriate welding certifications (if they are not available, the stage might have been fabricated by unqualified manufacturer and workers.)?

❎ What is the quality program of the company (ISO or equivalent)?

❎ Ask for stamped document from a professional engineer, attesting that equipment conforms to all applicable standards (ex.: CNB, IBC, ESTA, ANSI E1.21, ASCE 7, etc.).

Product

❎ What type of stage is it (hydraulic, constructed, hybrid)?

❎ What are the manufacturing procedures and how does it work (ask for drawings, operating manuals, rigging plans, etc.)?

❎ Have all the components used in the staging products been duly tested and does the company assume full responsibility of all components and sub-contractors?

❎ What are the safety features of the equipment (ask about the redundancy of the said features)?

❎ What is the roof made of (if it’s canvas, beware of its shape to avoid any water accumulation that could overload it)?

❎ If the equipment isn’t self standing (this is the case with most constructed structures), how is it being anchored to the ground (how much weight and stabilizing cables are being utilized, ask for a signed confirmation by a professional engineer)?

❎ What is the tolerable wind speed of the engineered structure (77 mph with wind walls / 115 mph without wind wall) ?

Safety & Emergency procedures

❎ What is the Operations Management Plan in case of equipment malfunction, difficult weather or any other hazardous situations?

❎ How is the weather being monitored prior to, during and after the event?

❎ What is the work experience of the technician in charge of the stage set up and tear down and what is the extent of his/her responsibility?

Event organisers turn to Stageline mobile stages in the knowledge that the equipment:

❎ Reduces event set-up time and labor by 75-90%;

❎ Has a wind resistance of up to 115 mph (185 km/h);

❎ Offers quick and easy access to event sites;

❎ Is renowned throughout the world as being the highest quality, best value and safest equipment;

❎ Offers unbeatable rigging capacity for screens and sound in drive-in configurations

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