Transcript
Hi Brian, welcome on eventplanner.tv
Nice to be here.
You will be here in Belgium on March 25 for the Event Safety Day, where you will be talking about some considerations on the use of pyrotechnics in the events industry. But before we dive into that topic, maybe it’s good that you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit more about your background and what it is you’re doing.
My name is Brian Panther, and I work for a company called Pyrotech Special Effects. We are a full-service pyrotechnics and special effects production firm based in Canada, and we also have offices in Las Vegas, New York City, Nashville, Pennsylvania, and in Scandinavia now.
So we produce pyrotechnics and special effects all over the world for a number of large touring clients, special events, television productions, and other events like sporting events. I’ve been a licensed pyrotechnic operator for 35 years, and I also work extensively with co-development processes. I currently chair the National Fire Protection Association’s technical committee on special effects and laser fire safety, and I’m a member of the board of directors of the American Pyrotechnics Association, where I chair their committee on proximate pyrotechnics.
So I’ve definitely been in the industry for a long time, and safety is my primary focus in everything that we do.
Maybe the most obvious question to ask: is it safe? Because there are still venues that don’t like to have pyrotechnics in their venue.
Yeah, I mean, it’s a very good question. And honestly, we get this question a lot when we go to venues that are not used to dealing with pyrotechnics. A very common reaction is actually, you want to do what in this building?
The important thing to know is that if you follow the appropriate standards and guidelines, it can actually be done quite safely. Unfortunately, there are a lot of incidents you can see just by looking on YouTube of inappropriate use of pyrotechnics or other special effects that result in property damage or injury.
What we aim to do is take a comprehensive risk assessment and mitigation approach to the use of special effects in live entertainment applications.
Yeah, but you’re totally right. If you look on YouTube, there is more than one artist catching fire and things like that. That’s because people don’t follow the rules. Can you give some examples of what is a good use of pyrotechnics and when it starts going wrong?
Well, the most important thing is that you engage the services of a competent and licensed pyrotechnic operator or special effects provider. There are a number of guidelines in place, whether you’re in North America or the European Union, that outline the requirements for permitting and the safe use of pyrotechnics.
These include using appropriate materials, conducting a comprehensive hazard analysis, filing for the appropriate permits, and ensuring adequate separation distances, passive egress, and all other life safety considerations that you would have at any organized event.
You mentioned before that you were doing this all around the world, including Europe and the United States. Do you see many differences in approach, or is it more or less the same?
It’s becoming more and more harmonized every year. As a company that tours all over the world, we do still see a diverse set of regulations. But I will say that in the last 10 to 12 years, it has become a bit more standardized.
We’re seeing more and more of the world adopting the standards of the National Fire Protection Association and the European Union. Most countries and jurisdictions are utilizing a very similar set of rules and regulations to achieve a safe event.
It’s not really rocket science, it’s just common sense. And I think it’s nice that a lot of these safety organizations are starting to communicate with each other and trying to standardize the approach. Regardless of where you’re at in the world, if you’re looking at doing pyrotechnics indoors or outdoors, I can imagine there are a lot of differences—at the very least, the weather conditions can change. What are considerations event organizers and especially pyrotechnic technicians need to take into account?
The weather can certainly play a factor in any event. Anybody who does outdoor events knows that you’re always subject to the whims of Mother Nature. That can be especially the case when it comes to pyrotechnic effects.
If you’re doing an outdoor event, there are different types of pyrotechnics you might be using. You may see anything from smaller stage effects used in close proximity to the audience to larger aerial fireworks like T3 or T4-type products used as part of a large display at a greater separation distance.
Each of these classes of pyrotechnics has unique hazards and requires a completely different set of mitigations to make them safe. You really have to look at each event individually and analyze what is appropriate for the venue and the particular application.
But does it also mean that when planning such a concert, for example, you look at potential weather conditions and decide in advance that certain types of pyrotechnics might not be an option? Do you have backup plans in place?
Yeah, that’s a very good point. In fact, on a lot of our tours, we travel with, in some cases, three different show setups depending on the venues. We may have our A-show, which has the highest level materials, maybe going 150 to 200 meters into the air.
Then we have other shows where the venue is restricted, or there’s a stadium roof, and we need to limit ourselves to 25 to 30 meters or even smaller. And in some situations, if wind speeds become excessive, we may have to eliminate entire sections of a show.
So you always have to be ready to adapt and change to the circumstances on the ground. It’s always an adventure, especially when you’re doing outdoor events.
But whose decision is it to skip, for example, part of the show on the pyrotechnics part? Is it the operator who needs to be completely free in making that decision, or is it a joint decision with the director and organizer?
Generally, it’s a joint effort. These are conversations we like to have early in the planning stage so that the event organizer, the pyrotechnic operator, and the authority having jurisdiction are all on the same page regarding the criteria for making those decisions.
Whether it’s wind speed, wind direction, or a situation such as a loss of crowd control, we have to have a clear safety plan and emergency action plan in place. We try to agree in advance on the triggers that would lead to the cancellation or holding of a particular effect.
Ultimately, in the moment, the decision comes down to the judgment of the pyrotechnic operator. They need to be completely aware of everything happening in the venue and focused on the safety of performers and spectators.
Yeah, if you’re working with pyrotechnics, it all comes down to controlled explosions, let’s put it that way. What is the impact of those on, for example, a stage or a truss?
Yeah, those are not permanent buildings you’re working from sometimes. How does that play a factor?
Well, we have to work with all of our other disciplines in the production department. We integrate with the rigging team and with the other teams, such as the scenic designers. We have to make sure that all of the elements of the set are made from flame-retardant materials. If they’re not naturally flame-retardant, they need to be treated to become so.
We also have to ensure that any materials we’re placing on entertainment structures do not overload those structures. We’ve conducted extensive testing and even published studies on how different types of pyrotechnics and their recoil forces affect the structures they are mounted on.
If you’re firing devices that shoot 150 to 200 meters into the air and placing them on a truss 20 meters above the stage, you need to know the exact loads they will exert on the structure. We work closely with engineers and rigging teams to ensure we are not creating unsafe loading conditions.
So there’s a lot of details that go on behind the scenes?
Yes, and the most important thing is that we’ve developed a set of checklists to go through before every show. We’ll actually be discussing these checklists at the Event Safety Day. We’ll also be providing checklist resources for event planners to help them navigate the process from pre-production and planning through event execution and even post-event safety reviews.
There are many things that need to be considered when producing an event that involves pyrotechnics or special effects.
But if I hear this story, it comes down to something that fits a lot of disciplines in the event industry: get people like you involved as soon as possible in the process.
Yes, that’s one of the most important things. But it makes it challenging because pyrotechnics and special effects are usually one of the last vendors brought to the table when planning an event.
By the time we are contacted, organizers have usually booked their artists, planned their staging, and then suddenly realize, Oh, we have a little bit of extra budget, so let’s add some special effects.
This means that we often get involved in an event at the very last stages of planning—sometimes, believe it or not, just a few weeks before the event happens. That can create significant challenges because, in some locations, we need to file permits 15 or even 30 days in advance.
I always strongly encourage event organizers: if you’re considering using pyrotechnics, engage a competent, licensed provider as early as possible in the planning process. Many potential problems can be avoided simply by having those early conversations.
You touched on the topic already very briefly, and that’s about the audience. The audience is probably one of the biggest concerns when it comes to safety.
Yes, absolutely. We have standards that dictate how much distance we must maintain between our effects and spectators.
Additionally, we must always be prepared for contingencies. We’ve seen situations where the audience gets out of control, a barricade line is lost, or people push forward. In those cases, we have to be ready to respond by holding fire or cutting certain effects out of the show.
Safety and security are always factors when planning these effects. We need to make sure that there is adequate separation so that spectators, as well as crew members, remain safe.
When you get into festival situations, there’s also a lot of activity moving on stage. You have multiple bands, multiple crews, and everyone is focused on their tasks. Does that pose additional risks?
Yes, absolutely. Sometimes crew members or performers are not fully aware of all the elements present on the stage. That’s why we take extra precautions, like:
• Conducting detailed safety briefings with all crew members.
• Using clear signage on stage to indicate hazardous areas.
• Implementing flashing or warning lights to signal when effects are about to fire.
By putting these measures in place, we can communicate the hazards not only to the performers but also to the broader event personnel working on the show.
By and large, though, your audience is in a fixed location, so you can plan for that, right?
Yes. We generally know exactly where the audience will be, and we plan our effects accordingly. Even in the unlikely event that something malfunctions, we ensure that it happens in a way that does not endanger the audience.
But it’s interesting—you say that you need to be aware of everything happening on that stage at all times. But a stage is very large. Where is a pyrotechnics operator typically positioned?
Are they near the stage? Are they at the front of house so they have a full overview of the scene? How do you typically handle that?
Our preference is to be right on the stage. Typically, we are positioned just off stage right. However, on very large stages, we may have one or more additional safety spotters in constant communication with the pyrotechnic operator to ensure every area on stage is covered.
Some stages are so complex that the firing operator cannot physically see every location. In those cases, we use safety spotters or even closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to monitor high-risk areas.
For example, when using flame effects or pyrotechnics at elevated positions, CCTV allows us to maintain full visibility and control over those elements.
We’ve been talking about the audience, but of course, on stage, there is also another major risk factor: the performing artist.
Artists don’t always do exactly what was rehearsed. Is that a big problem for you?
It tends to be less of a problem than people think. Artists are actually, for the most part, quite aware of their surroundings. We engage with them early in the process to make sure they understand where all the pyrotechnic effects will be.
If you’re on a stage with a lot of effects, you’ll often see large orange gaff tape markers clearly indicating hazard zones—areas where they should not step.
But when you’re performing in front of thousands of people, it’s easy to get lost in the moment, right?
Yes, exactly. That’s why it’s critical to have a pyrotechnic operator who is calm, highly aware, and watching every move the artist makes.
If an artist moves into the wrong position at the wrong time, we do not fire the effect. That’s our job—to ensure the safety of everyone on that stage.
All right, I think it will be a very interesting talk you will be giving on the Event Safety Day. Brian, thank you so much for sharing already some highlights of your talk.
I look forward to it. I’m very excited to be coming to Belgium and participating in the Event Safety Day. I think it’s going to be a great conference.
All right, thank you. And to you at home, thank you for watching our show. I hope to see you next week.
