Outdoor Grandstands: Guard Rails & Closed Decks 101

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We recently stopped by a facility to take some measurements to up-grade their visitors’ side grandstands. Last summer, we made the upgrades to their home side grandstands so we thought it would be good to take some before and after photos and share some Grandstand Service & Safety tips.

Grandstand Code Compliance and Safety is very similar to your indoor Telescoping Bleacher Code Compliance and Safety, including the limits of a 4-inch sphere. We’ll start with the Guard Rails. If the first tier is elevated more than 30 inches, you need to have a guard rail that prohibits the passage of a 4-inch sphere and a height of 42”. An easy way to be safe and code compliant is to close off the guard rail with chain-link fence anchored to the top and bottom rails. This way you are sure nothing and no one will pass through. This is applicable with all guard rails, not just the front and back.

Take a look at this older grandstand (don’t worry – we’re about to do an up-grade!).

The concept of the rear guardrail in place is good – there is fencing enclosing the area to prevent spectators from falling. However, the fencing isn’t anchored down very well on the bottom which means if you lean back too far, the fencing will expand and it’s possible to fall through. As I was standing on the top row, I can understand completely why this code is in place. If everyone in your section is cheering on the home team, you in the back row are going to stand up and cheer them on too. If the crowd is going crazy, it’s possible to lose your balance and lean a little too far off the top railing of the rear guard rail. It’s a long way down from the top row. For a person that is 6-ft tall, your waistline, or “bending point” is going to be higher than the guard rail you’re looking at here which is approximately 36-37 inches tall. A few inches can make a large difference when it comes to safety.

Notice the side guard rails above also. They do not prohibit the passage of our 4-inch sphere, nor are they high enough. The best option here would again be to increase the height of the rails and close it off with appropriate fencing.

Now let’s talk semi-closed and closed Deck & Rear Risers. According to code compliance, all decks, seats, and risers with a height above 30-inches must be closed so a 4-inch sphere cannot pass through in any location. Take a look at the two photos below.

The one on the left shows code compliant decking that is semi-closed and closed. The photo on the right has an opening of almost 16 inches which is incredibly dangerous and does not meet code compliance. Not only could a child fall through that opening, but a grown man could fall through. That opening alone made me ready to go back down the steps.

Those were just a few safety tips to get you thinking about your Outdoor Grandstands. Remember, not only are annual indoor Telescoping Bleacher Inspections required, but you’re also required to have Outdoor Grandstand and Bleacher Inspections. Contact us for more information – we can help keep your spectators safe!

 

LEED Certification for Your Projects with Stevens Industries Products

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FEC’s Dave Fahrenholz & Patrick Kindelin Feature Stevens Industries Products

Last week, we tweeted about our attendance at Design Columbus Education Day & Trade Show held at COSI. This was our first year attending and we’re so happy we did! The primary focus of the show was Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certified buildings.

If you’re not familiar with LEED, it’s a certification program that “promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in key areas: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, Locations & Linkages, Awareness & Education, Innovation in Design, and Regional Priority.” You can find more information on LEED and the US Green Building Council Here.

If you read the Columbus Dispatch last Sunday, you may have seen the article ‘Green’ Building Designs Pop Up in State. As stated in the Dispatch, Ohio ranked 12th in the nation according to the US Green Building Council. While going green does increase the initial cost of a building project – it’s efficiency more than makes up for it. More and more people are taking a green approach to building and design – including Stevens Industries.

While at Design Columbus, we featured Stevens Industries. Their products of laminated composite panels, cabinets and furniture components, including Stevens fully assembled casework and furniture systems, are GREENGUARD Certified as well as Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) Certified and provide LEED potential contribution considerations for your next project. Stevens Industries laminated panels, components, and cabinetry are manufactured with wood composite panels that contain 100% recycled and/or recovered wood fiber content. You can access the full Stevens Industries LEED Statement here as well as their Stevens Advantage Green & Sustainable Information here.

Are you ready to go green?

Three Cheers for the Home Team!

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Spring is definitely in the air with temperatures in the 70’s and 80’s. While everyone is itching to get outside and enjoy the tease of early summer, we’ve got one thing on our mind – making sure you’re ready for spring and summer sports and Ohio State University’s Bill Davis Baseball Stadium is ready.

The Bill Davis Baseball Stadium has done a lot of sprucing up to prepare for the season, as mentioned in today’s Columbus Dispatch,  and we were able to help. This week, we finished up a project with Ohio State University to add new SofStop wall padding in their foul territory and now they’re ready to play ball!

Ohio State University Baseball Stadium

SofStop offers a variety of Wall Padding for gymnasiums, wrestling rooms, stages, and outdoor sports. Not only do you have a wide variety of colors to choose from, you also have the option to customize your Wall Padding with vinyl or digital graphics that are sure to add spirit to your sporting events. Below is a design sample for Waynesfield-Goshen local schools we have provided from SofStop.

As we said in our earlier post Safety Looks Good with the Help From Others, you can make customization fun by holding design contests with your students or even offer logo sponsorship to supporting businesses. We can help you make it happen with SofStop’s Custom Graphics.

For more information, contact us and check out SofStop on our Product Page.

Bleacher Service & Safety: Cantilever Frame Arms 101

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Are your bleachers sagging? Are you having trouble opening and closing your system? This is most likely because your cantilever frame arms are bent or damaged. Cantilever frame arms are vital to the life of your bleachers. They attach to the main frame essentially holding up each bleacher deck which makes it easier to open and close your system. If they start to bend or drag, the bleacher decks will start to rest on top of one another (as seen in the photo below) causing tension during operation and sometime stopping operation all together causing a continuous flow of premature wear to spread through your seating system.

What you should see is adequate space between the bleacher decks in the closed position as shown below.

As stated previously, your bleachers are installed to last the lifetime of your facility with proper maintenance and care. Part of that maintenance and care is making sure that your bleachers are used properly. We’re not saying that everyone has to sit quietly in the stands and limit the shifting of their weight though. Our bleachers are installed for the most fanatic fan – in the open position. In every O&M manual, you’ll see a statement similar to this one:

“Do not allow people to climb, sit, or stand on tiers other than the Flex-Row modules of the MAXAM system while closed.”  And, “Do not leave any section or bank open without the Flex-Row modules being open at the aisle locations.”
     – Hussey MAXAM Owners & Maintenance Manual.

Students and patrons climbing and/or sitting on the top tier of the bleachers while they are in the closed position is one of the main ways cantilever frame arms get damaged. If you need only a small section of seating, you can use your Flex-Rows if you have them, otherwise you should open the entire bank.

Another common problem we have seen is when people are sitting on the upper tiers in the closed position, they tend to want to jump down to the lower levels. This not only can be very dangerous for the person doing the jumping, but very bad for your cantilever arms and your bleacher decks. It will also be costly to repair since misuse of the system is not covered under the manufacturer’s warranty. It’s best to be sure anyone using your system: Athletic Directors, Coaches, Maintenance, etc., is aware of these rules and guidelines because what may look like a cool place for students to sit could end up costing much more.

If you don’t already have warning labels or signs in place stating the bleachers should not be occupied in the fully or partially closed position, you should add them. If you are in need of these warning labels, you can contact us and we would be happy to get you what you need!

 

Bleacher Service & Safety: Guard Rails 101

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Awhile back we shared with you the importance of a 4” sphere. It’s time to bring it back out and take a look at your guard rails and end guard rails. Any opening within those rails must prohibit the passage of a 4” sphere according to the International Code Council. Why a 4” sphere? Because a gap larger than 4” opens up the possibility of someone falling through, especially a child that can easily pass through which is a major reason why the code was put into place – to keep our children and spectators safe and without worry while rooting for their team.

While some upgrades are highly recommended, this upgrade is mandatory for existing bleachers. Any seat or seating deck above 30” must have end guard rails at a height of 42” above the deck that prohibit the passage of a 4” sphere as well as withstand a concentrated load of 200lbs.

Front and rear guardrails are required if the height of the first tier is 30” or greater and again, must prohibit the passage of a 4” sphere as well as withstand a concentrated load of 200lbs.

The photo below is a perfect example of what your front rails should not look like. What you can’t see is the height of the first tier is actually closer to 48″. When I took this photo, I was standing on the gym floor so this is an eye level photo. But you can see the openings on the front rail are over 6″. This is more than enough room for someone to fall through.

To eliminate possible injury and liability, our Service Team at Farnham Equipment Company can bring you up to code with Hussey Seating Company’s Omni-Rails that fit any Hussey Bleacher model. If you have questions about your current railings, you can contact us directly or put in a Service Request. If you do not have Hussey Bleachers, don’t worry, our Service Team will help you find the right Maintenance Solution! Don’t wait for an accident to happen to make safety your first priority!