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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,445
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Cat Servant
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Just an observation here ....

Many electricians are surprised at all the area the term 'electrician' can cover. The vast majority of codes, licensing regulations, etc., are directed towards electricians who construct permanent electrical systems. (Having a few pages of the NEC addressing 'temporary' electrical work is not going to change this).

One area is that of industrial 'maintenance' electrical work. Another is the work of 'stage electricians.'

Look at the credits of any film; did you ever wonder what a 'gaffer' was? He was the lead electrician, and with the training and experience to make him a 'master' by any standard. He's a 'real' electrician; he just belongs to a different union.

As for 'following codes,' I think you'll find that the trade practices of the stage technicins are far beyond anything OSHA or the NEC can imagime. "Temporary" work on the scale of a movie set or rock concert is a world of its' own.

Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 404
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Originally Posted by renosteinke
He's a 'real' electrician; he just belongs to a different union.

As for 'following codes,' I think you'll find that the trade practices of the stage technicins are far beyond anything OSHA or the NEC can imagime. "Temporary" work on the scale of a movie set or rock concert is a world of its' own.


Although our projects may be different, there is more overlap than you might think. Although most entertainment & film electricians and technicians fall under the juirsdiction of IATSE (if Union), there are some who report to IBEW. IBEW Local 45 in Hollywood is one that deals exclusively with broadcast and television, which is a shared area with IATSE and NABET, among other organizations.

There is an entire section of the NEC that deals with stages, film and other temporary power setups. There are also NFPA, OSHA and other codes--although just as you talk about with resi/comm here, there are good codes and bad codes. OSHA is a favorite target. There's an entire industry that creates power distribution products that are designed to be used exclusively within the entertainment industry. There are common practices, but much of what I do would be noncompliant in resi/comm, just as much of what you do would be noncompliant onstage.

Since I do a lot of work with schools, it's often difficult to make parents in the electrical and construction trades understand how our practices and codes differ--many facepalms have occurred when such a parent has tried to be "helpful". I have occasionally been called to help with install crews, who are usually commercial electricians; when an install is done by someone who doesn't have an understanding of our industry, a lot of anti-progress can be made--that usually has to be corrected with more money and time that necessary.

I am working towards my JSE, however with the current situation with work in the area it will probably be at least 5 years before I can even think about taking the test. There are a lot of hoops to jump and ladders to climb, first in the Union (which at this point is the only way to get licensed without going out of state for hours) and then to fight for hours in the right departments to qualify for licensing. In my area, there are very few Union "shops" that offer a structured way in; for those like me who are natives of the area (and not imports from other locals) we have to pick up "extra" work and build up hours for membership eligibility that way. It's very difficult to make it here; I could probably go to LA, Vegas or New York or go on tour and get my hours much faster but I've yet to be given an opportunity lucrative enough to uproot from my home.

I am sure there is some stigma associated with my asserting points here; I'm sure you have seen plenty of hacks who claim to be stagehands/grips/electricians--if that is your experience, I understand your hesitance. I am sad to say I know many of these people as well, which scares me--especially when they're dealing with a 400A 3-phase distro. I have seen jumper cables used as tie-ins, but know that there are those of us who are dedicated professionals who are trying to do the best job we can within safe practices and codes, and defer to higher authorities when we're in over our heads. The issues with licensing, experience and practices are very similar to what you experience, as I have seen here with the pictures and discussion of dodgy work.


Don't know why I'm revisiting this topic, something just stirred it in my brain.

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