Panel members for “Who’s in Charge?” during the Riggers Forum include: Eric Porter, Harry Box, Mark Surtees, Sven Knight, and Oz Marsh. what are standards, codes of practice, workshop agreements, and other similar documents and how they impact the rigging world. To help make his point, Cristiano brought back his friend Mario, a drawing representation of a rigger working his way through Europe. Mario was a huge hit last year and we were all wondering if he would grace us with his presence again this year. His appearance on the screen was met with a spontaneous cheer and round of applause. I’m thinking that the conference has found its very own icon. Matthew Griffi ths, CEO of PLASA, rounded off the morning with a discussion on the future of rigging qualifi cations. The recent merger has left some people wondering how the different certifi cation and standards programs will look in the next few years and Matthew explained that PLASA wants to be at the forefront of the skills and qualifi cations programs and to do that more discussion and research is needed before any fi nal plans can be put into place. I think he’s absolutely right in his assessment of the situation. After lunch, Chris Blakely, Director of V,axess, with the Petzl Institute, led a lively discussion on the gravity of rules for fall arrest in Europe. He showed that although FALL 2011 gravity works the same the world over, the rules, regulations, and standards for fi ghting gravity aren’t necessarily the same the world over. Steve “Nippy” Williams, Managing Director of Nippy Industries, followed with a discussion on working at height, in particular rope access and rescue. Nippy’s presentation was extremely informative and insightful and he held us spellbound for the better part of an hour. I should also point out that Nippy is without a doubt the best-dressed rigger in Europe, if not the world. He looked as though he had just stepped off the runway in his pin-striped suit and spats. You do remember spats, don’t you? Ted Moore, Director of Rentals at Stage Technologies (and feeling decidedly underdressed after Nippy’s session) fi nished off the day with a further discussion on working at height, focusing on performer fl ying, and risk assessment. Day two dawned bright and clear, which changed the minute I left the underground for the walk to the conference center. Derrick Bailes, a Consultant to the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association, led off with a look back at some of the hot topics from the fi rst conference. Yes, it was time for the return of that vexing problem of how to meet the regulations for a unique marking system of all lifting equipment when you own 10,000 shackles. Possible solutions came from all sides, but the fi nal answer has yet to be found. Matthias Müller, the Engineering Manager for Hoffman Fördertechnik GmbH, led what was probably the most controversial session of the conference, titled “It’s Got two Brakes—It Must Be Safer!” Without getting into the politics of this topic, Matthias took us on a very detailed trip through a chain hoist to show what effect, if any, two brakes had on the system. It was, to say the least, an eye opener. Ron Bonner, PLASA Technical Resources Manager, followed with a very timely discussion on chain hoist failures. After the 2010 Conference, Ron sent out a survey to learn just how prevalent hoist failures are in the entertainment industry and what causes those failures. Ron was quick to point out that this was a straw poll and not a scientifi c PLASA wants to be at the forefront of the skills and qualifications programs . . . 86 FALL 2011