Working at heights in entertainment venues like theatres and stadiums presents unique fall protection challenges. While many permanent structures, such as catwalks, are equipped with built-in guardrails and toe boards to prevent falls and protect against falling objects, accessing areas without these pre-built safeguards can be extremely dangerous. Workers often have to climb out of catwalks and maneuver through structural roof members to reach these points. Eliminating these deadly hazards is paramount.

Catwalk Safety:

It is crucial to remember that catwalks and their permanent guardrail systems are designed to protect workers who maintain their balance and keep their bodies behind the rails. Workers should not climb on or lean over the rails, as this can offset their center of gravity and compromise the safety of the system.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):

Workers have multiple PPE options, including full-body harnesses, seats, lanyards, and Self-Retracting Lifelines (SRLs). The main objective is to minimize the worker’s free fall and total fall distance, thereby reducing the force exerted on the body during a fall arrest.

Permanent Fall Protection Systems:

As stages and performance areas evolve and designs change (often with the addition of heavy lights and speakers), installing permanent fall protection lifelines and anchor points may become necessary. Due to the original design loads and the cumulative weight added over the years, these systems must be designed by a Fall Protection Qualified Person. This expert ensures the system can withstand all potential forces.

Temporary Solutions:

Temporary fall arrest solutions are also available, including bolt-and-clamp-on systems and portable horizontal lifelines that can be installed and moved before work begins. Proper preparation is always the key to safety.

High-Risk Areas: Orchestra Pits and Stage Traps:

Orchestra pits and stage traps pose a significant risk to both performers and stagehands.

• Stage Traps/Trap Doors can be made safer by installing netting below them, providing a safety barrier if an opening is accidentally left uncovered.
• Orchestra Pits can also be equipped with netting to protect performers who accidentally fall off the stage, safeguarding both the performers and the orchestra below.

Next time you are in a stadium, arena, or theatre, take a moment to look up and appreciate the complex safety challenges faced by the behind-the-scenes personnel. If you are involved in these operations and require assistance resolving safety concerns, please feel free to contact FallProof.

📅 Schedule a Safety Assessment Today »

📞 Or call us at (609)-325-5555

Custom Fall Protection Solutions for Unique Work Environments

Custom Fall Protection: Why One Size Doesn’t Fit All?
Because safety should adapt to your environment — not the other way around.
Every facility is different. Whether you’re working in a steel mill, food processing plant, warehouse, or on a historic rooftop, one thing is always true: standard fall protection doesn’t cut it.
At FallProof Systems, we know that protecting workers means designing systems that match the environment, operations, and hazards of each specific site.

When “Off-the-Shelf” Doesn’t Work –
Pre-engineered systems often fail in facilities that have:

• Obstructions like overhead cranes, piping, or ductwork
• Unusual rooftop elevations or fragile surfaces
• Tight maintenance access paths
• Historic structures or visually sensitive environments

What Custom Fall Protection Looks Like –
A truly custom solution includes:

• Engineering analysis of structure and workflow
• Unique layout designs based on field measurements
• Custom-fabricated equipment (rails, anchors, platforms)
• Seamless integration into existing infrastructure
  It’s not just about compliance — it’s about real-world usability.

Real Results from Custom Designs
We’ve designed systems for:

• Protecting tanker truck hatches on uneven loading pads
• Installing track systems over machines that never stop running
• Adding fall safety to 100-year-old rooftops without permanent alteration

Let’s Build the Right Fit
Custom doesn’t mean complicated. With FallProof’s turnkey process, we handle everything — from site visit to install.
📅 Schedule a custom fall protection consultation »
📞 Or call us at (609)-325-5555

Final Word
When it comes to fall protection, a tailored solution isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.

Netting Systems Save Lives

Horizontal Perimeter Netting (HPN) Systems save lives by catching a falling worker before they hit the ground. With its concentration of skyscrapers and crowded streets, it is no surprise that New York City has led the nation in requiring HPN systems on high-rise construction projects. Due to its close proximity to NYC, Fallproof has been a leader in the design, testing and supply of HPN systems and components for over 20 years. Read more.

Large Horizontal Perimeter Personnel Safety Net System

FallProof recently partnered with a large general contractor to provide a personnel safety net system for a high rise construction project in Long Island City, NY. The building was intricately designed, with many levels and tiers, which created multiple attachment points for the safety netting outrigger poles. As a result, the safety netting needed to be installed in different configurations on different floors of the building.  Read more.

In a previous article, we talked about FallProof System’s recent work on the Pulaski Skyway. As part of the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s $1.8 billion renovation project, FallProof installed a custom debris netting solution to help road workers remove a section of the skyway’s old roadway. Today, we’ll take a look at another historic renovation project where FallProof provided a debris netting solution. Read more.

You’re probably familiar with the Pulaski Skyway from the opening of the TV show, The Sopranos. It’s the bridge with the black steel truss girders that Tony Soprano drives over on his way home to his New Jersey mansion.

Opened in 1932, the Pulaski Skyway is New Jersey’s most famous elevated roadway. It was built in the 1920s as one of America’s first “super-highways,” and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The skyway is named for General Casimir Pulaski, a Polish cavalry officer who led American troops in several New Jersey battles during the Revolutionary War. Read more.

Major Transportation Bridge/Highway Netting

FallProof was excited to have been given the opportunity to provide debris netting for the iconic Pulaski Skyway, which is currently undergoing a $2 Billion+ rehabilitation and renovation project. One of the primary traffic arteries into New York City, this project has many moving parts. Working with the New Jersey Department of Transportation and the general contractor awarded the project, we provided 115,000 square feet of our RocBloc netting product. Read more.

When it comes to fall protection systems, safety netting provides some of the best protection for workers on high rise construction or demolition projects. Personnel cantilever systems can be installed around the exteriors of high rise buildings. The safety netting is hung from outrigger poles, which are attached around the perimeter of a certain floor, to catch workers if they fall. (This type of system can also be installed on the sides of bridges to ensure worker safety.) Read more.

You might not think overhead conveyor belts would be a safety hazard. After all, a conveyor belt itself is not a work environment. Workers don’t stand on the conveyor while working, and don’t normally climb up to it unless it needs repair or maintenance. Even then, the apparatus is fully shut down as they service it, and no safety-conscious worker would ever service a system while it was still running. Read more.

Railroad Bridge Netting Installation

FallProof recently completed the last phase of a four-phase railroad bridge netting project for a major public transportation company in the State of New York. This particular project involved the netting of a 440-foot long lift bridge that spans mostly water. This involved the unique challenge of completing the entire project from a barge. We installed personnel-rated netting underneath the span, thus, providing an OSHA-compliant solution for fall protection, eliminating the need for workers to tie off while conducting maintenance and track replacement. The netting also served the two-fold purpose of debris collection. As part of the project we cleaned and inspected the existing nets. Read more.