Rolling Stone: No Industry Safety Standards for Outdoor Concert Stages
In an article written by Steve Knopper, published in the September 15, 2011, issue, Who's to Blame in Deadly Stage Collapse Tragedies? it was stated that there is no system for inspecting U.S. concert stages, nor provision for the evacuation of large numbers of people in case of intense weather.
The article was written following the wind-caused collapse of the stage at the Indiana State Fair, where seven people perished on August 13, 2011, and within five days, a similar mishap at Belguim's Pukkelpop, in which five fatalities occurred.
Although the Governor of Indiana, Mitch Daniels, blamed the deadly stage collapse on "fluke" weather, it appeared that State Fair officials had a 25 minute warning of the possibility of 60-mph winds, and did not notify the crowd gathered near the stage to leave the potentially dangerous area. Officials issued a tepid message of "where to evacuate", not directly saying "leave now!".
Although there are many staging companies involved in the concert presentation business, here are no consistent regulations or industry standards in the US for concert venue stages and structures.
Knopper said "Instantly, the Indiana State Fair and the Pukkelpop Festival joined the black list of concert tragedies: The Rolling Stones at Altamont in 1970, the Who at Cincinnati in 1979, Pearl Jam in Denmark in 2000 and the Great White Rhode Island nightclub fire of 2003".
Engineering companies hired by potential personal injury and wrongful death plaintiffs and defendants are investigating the causes of the stage collapse.
Let the music loving concert-goer beware.
