Electrical Safety for Live Events

Electrical Safety for Live Events is aimed at all who have to deal with electricity in their day-to-day professional lives, and primarily, states the author, as with any health and safety book, it should teach us when it is time to back off, and time to call someone else in. The title follows Marco van Beekís successful Practical Guide to Health & Safety in the Entertainment Industry, also published by Entertainment Technology Press.

Sections include: Basic Electrical Concepts, Basic Electrical Safety Rules, Fault Conditions, Protection Concepts, Protective Devices. Cables and Connectors, Three-Phase, Test Equipment, Loads, Power Sources, Advanced Issues and Case Studies, plus listings of Current Legislation, Current Guidelines and Further Reading.

In his foreword, Richard Salzedo of Avolites says: ìMarcoís book offers an excellent single reference point and it should be compulsory reading for everyone from producer to stage-hand. For if reading it makes a safer stage, then we are all better off.î

Marco van Beek studied for his HND in Electronics and Communications Eng. at the Polytechnic of North London and in 1984 joined Vari-Lite Europe Ltd as an operator/technician. He went freelance in 1987, working on major shows, but returned to Vari-Lite in 1989 as field service manager. In the same year he was appointed technical operations manager. In 1998 he set up his own company, which provides consultancy, resources and services to smaller companies within the industry such as ISO9000, CE marking and compliance, health and safety, project management, IT solutions and business consultancy.