With the average church size in the United States being approximately 80 members each, it is more likely that a church is a setup-teardown type than an established megachurch with professionally installed rigging, truss, and gear. While we know the importance of safety on the job, it can often be overlooked by small teams who are rushed to set up an entire church, sound, video, chairs, and all, in just a couple of hours. This is even more true when the teams are lay volunteers who do not understand the inherent dangers involved.
On Sundays, I TD one of 18 satellite locations of a major megachurch, and when worrying about getting rehearsal going, some last-minute change in the service order, or completely hurried because the custodians showed up an hour late to let us in, it is easy to cut corners. Yet, as church tech leaders, we are responsible for the safety of attendees when it comes to our AV equipment. Every roll-in roll-out situation is different. However, here are a few areas of concern we need to constantly watch.
1-Trip Hazards – This is probably the most common safety concern for portable churches. We run a lot of cable, and we run it fast. FOH to stage, stage to cry room, stringing speakers out to the patio, up-lights around and behind the stage, and of course the spaghetti that is the band. Each one of these creates a trip hazard that needs to be addressed. Whether we gaff it, use carpet rugs, or cable ramps, anywhere a public attendee could conceivably walk must be properly secured.
Train your volunteer teams to think safety first, and have a routine. Proper cable management starts from the top.
Train your volunteer teams to think safety first, and have a routine. Proper cable management starts from the top. And if we use rugs, those need to be secured as well. While running signal from point “a” to points “b, c, and d” are inevitable, we can try to limit the number of runs, for example through using digital stage boxes or wireless distribution, which are not only safer, but save time during setup and teardown. On stage, we can invest in a few drop-snakes to eliminate multiple long XLR runs.
2-Tip-Over Hazards – Speakers on sticks and lighting trees are our go-to. We have to get the audio up and over the congregation’s heads and lighting high enough that we don’t make the pastor look like there’s a flashlight being beamed up from under his chin. The biggest mistake made is sandbagging the stand after the speaker is on; most injuries happen because the weight topples it while trying to lock it onto the stand. Secure the stand first, use two people, face forward, lift with your knees. Most loudspeakers are weighted for safety in order to be placed on the stand in a specific method. Check with your manufacturer to find out what that is. Though not common, some portable churches will fly truss, which means that each leg base must be properly weighted and each light hung must have a safety cable and proper c-clamp. Likewise, I’m in an earthquake zone here in California, so code requires us to ensure that anything top heavy is accounted for. Check for any state and local ordinances where you are.
The biggest mistake made is sandbagging the stand after the speaker is on; most injuries happen because the weight topples it while trying to lock it onto the stand.
3-Power – Why does it always feel like when we get our portable church set to the ideal location for the congregation, it seems like the closest outlet is a mile and a half away? There is never enough and it’s always in the worst location. Likewise, it is probably dirty power as well, depending upon how well your venue maintains its own infrastructure. While the same tripping hazard concerns apply when running power, there are also added concerns with using extension cords that are not properly rated, stringing too many together, and plugging too many things into one outlet.
Not only can you fry your equipment, you can fatally hurt someone by being reckless with power distribution.
Not only can you fry your equipment, you can fatally hurt someone by being reckless with power distribution. Invest in a power conditioner for each rack, spider boxes and power distros, and purchase custom power cords with locking connectors that are exactly the length necessary. Never attempt to hijack power from a location you do not know from where the circuit breaker is located, one that you do not have access to in case of an emergency.
4-Venue Issues – We can take all the proper precautions we should, but the nature of a portable church is that there are items simply out of our control. We don’t know if the fire extinguishers or emergency lighting really works. For my church, we set up in a high school theatre, so I have no clue if the high school lighting crew setting up for the next spring production actually put a safety cable around the light that is hanging 30 feet above my worship leader, even though we have an agreement they will. This is where good communication with the venue facilities and events staff is important. Properly diagram your system, showing your needs, and schedule a reoccurring meeting at least every six months with the venue. Confirm the proper amps are available for your gear on top of what is permanently installed at the venue. Ensure that midweek users leave on Friday with all stage equipment properly stored and secured. Ask to see maintenance records, and be sure you perform proper maintenance on your own gear. Audit your location and share your concerns. Just as you do not want your congregation getting injured, neither do they.
Properly diagram your system, showing your needs, and schedule a reoccurring meeting at least every six months with the venue.
These are just the main areas of concern. Your venue probably has others not covered here, like wheels that can fall off road cases and handle screws that come loose over time. The key is, we must think about the well-being of our team and congregation first--not get caught up in the Sunday rush. As portable church tech leaders, we do not have the luxury of taking our time during the week, however, the responsibility is still the same. Following best practices will not only ensure that your equipment will last over time, but that everyone in attendance can comfortably focus on the saving gospel of Christ that the pastor wants to share.
