Originally posted by Marcel Birgelen
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Just hope he didn't damage the piano too badly. A basic black Steinway-D will cost at least $125K to replace, these days. Apparently, from what I was able to translate from the comments page, this was supposed to be some kind of historic piano. The damage is probably repairable but it won't be cheap!
I find that organ lift a bit odd, too. Every motorized lift, hoist or similar stage equipment that I've ever used required the operator to keep the control button depressed. Some of them even had a second button for a deadman switch.
I think it's dangerous to have a lift like that which can't be stopped at a moment's notice and reversed if necessary. Even in a concert hall, as opposed to a legitimate stage, it would be easy for a person to get a hand or foot stuck in the mechanism, accidentally. Some of the concerts I worked, a lot of people walked around with their heads in the clouds, not paying attention to things going on around them. (Hey, they are musicians, they've got other things to think about.)
Regardless, when you're working on a stage, operating any kind of equipment, motorized or otherwise, it's the operator's duty to always look to be sure the area is safe before pressing any button, pulling any lever or hauling on any rope!
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