PLASA is pleased to announce the launch of its new National Event Lifting Certificate
(NELC), with the support of the National Rigging Advisory Group (NRAG) and key
industry sponsors including the BBC, White Light and Britannia Row.
The official NELC launch took place on Thursday 3rd March at the International Live
Music Conference Production Meeting at the Copthorne Hotel, Kensington, London,
with PLASA’s NRC Manager Paul Riddiford introducing the new certification scheme
to those present.
NELC has been created to meet the needs of those who already work in the industry
in disciplines other than Rigging, such as Lighting, Sound, Video or Scenery etc, who
are called upon to carry out Rigging tasks including lifting operations as part of their
duties. It is also suitable for individuals wishing to be assessed for their skills within
Rigging, without undertaking Working at Height elements of the role and for
candidates on PLASA’s Trainee Rigger Programme who have no inclination or
intention to work at height.
In developing NELC, PLASA worked in close collaboration with the NRAG, the
representative body for the entertainment rigging industry in the UK. The group’s
membership includes key stakeholders from the industry, including rigging
companies, venues, major employers, trade bodies and professional societies along
with freelance riggers. The group’s membership covers all sectors within the
industry including live events and festivals, concert touring, theatre, and film and
broadcast.
Part of the NRAG’s mission is to “recognise the diverse nature of the entertainment
rigging industry and address the needs of different sectors.’ One aspect of the
NRAG’s mandate is to educate and assist the industry in meeting its requirements
under UK and EU regulations, and the group were concerned that the industry may
not always have been meeting the requirements of the Lifting Operations and Lifting
Equipment Regulations (LOLER), specifically 1998 No 2307, Section 8: Organisation
of Lifting Operations, which states: “Every employer shall ensure that every lifting
operation involving lifting equipment is properly planned by a competent person;
appropriately supervised; and carried out in a safe manner.’
The new National Event Lifting Certificate meets the above LOLER requirements
whilst also responding to the need for this qualification currently being voiced by
many key players from across the entertainment industry.
For more information on NELC, please contact Paul Riddiford:
paul.riddiford@plasa.org or at www.plasa.org/skills
