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Thursday, September 03, 2026
Six Workers at Ed Sheeran Concert Injured in Forklift Accident
consequence.net: Six workers were injured while loading out after Ed Sheeran’s Saturday concert at Ford Field in Detroit, according to reports.
I found this article to be slightly worrying. Mainly, I found it concerning to hear about the extent of the workers’ injuries and how quickly the incident occurred, but I was also surprised to read about a total lack of compensation or legal ramifications. It’s possible that they were given and simply weren’t mentioned in the article, but I would have liked some confirmation that the affected workers were properly protected and compensated for their troubles. Additionally, I think that workplace hazards and dangerous environments should be a bigger concern than they currently are. I think that workers - even those only hired for manual labor, instead of creative - deserve more protections. I also would have liked to hear about what Ed Sheeran did/thought about this incident, considering that it was during his tour - instead, however, the website reporting on the incident simply provided a link to buy tickets for his tour.
This article makes me wonder if the number of accidents while loading in and out shows has gotten higher over past years because of the increase in demand for everything to move and light up and everything in every show. Or, I wonder if we are more safety continuous now than we have been in the past. Whatever the case, I hope everyone involved in this accident is okay. It sounds like this was just a case of something unexpectedly going wrong, and unfortunately people were caught in the crossfire. An accident like that seems like a hard thing to avoid if your constantly loading shows in and out at breakneck speed, trying to get to the next location without throwing off the tour schedule. Mistakes are bound to happen, and as sets get bigger and more demanding as technology increases, I hope someone stops to think about the people loading these shows in and out to keep these sorts of accidents to a minimum.
Something I find saddening about this article is the multiple links to purchase Ed Sheeran tickets. Obviously the website must make money, but does it not feel somewhat tone deaf to, in an article detailing the injuries of six stagehands, promote tickets to the same show? It worries me that we cannot find space to discuss incidents in our field without commercializing it. I also worry about the cause of this incident. From the reports of those affected, they seem to describe an unknown malfunction in the forklift, whether in software or hardware seemingly unknown. I worry that this malfunction may be capable in other forklifts of the same make and model. I hope that the investigation focuses on potential mechanical defects and does not assume it was only user error, though that may be possible. Most importantly, I hope that all those affected have a speedy recovery and that this can be a reminder to be vigilant in safe practices whenever possible.
3 comments:
I found this article to be slightly worrying. Mainly, I found it concerning to hear about the extent of the workers’ injuries and how quickly the incident occurred, but I was also surprised to read about a total lack of compensation or legal ramifications. It’s possible that they were given and simply weren’t mentioned in the article, but I would have liked some confirmation that the affected workers were properly protected and compensated for their troubles. Additionally, I think that workplace hazards and dangerous environments should be a bigger concern than they currently are. I think that workers - even those only hired for manual labor, instead of creative - deserve more protections. I also would have liked to hear about what Ed Sheeran did/thought about this incident, considering that it was during his tour - instead, however, the website reporting on the incident simply provided a link to buy tickets for his tour.
This article makes me wonder if the number of accidents while loading in and out shows has gotten higher over past years because of the increase in demand for everything to move and light up and everything in every show. Or, I wonder if we are more safety continuous now than we have been in the past. Whatever the case, I hope everyone involved in this accident is okay. It sounds like this was just a case of something unexpectedly going wrong, and unfortunately people were caught in the crossfire. An accident like that seems like a hard thing to avoid if your constantly loading shows in and out at breakneck speed, trying to get to the next location without throwing off the tour schedule. Mistakes are bound to happen, and as sets get bigger and more demanding as technology increases, I hope someone stops to think about the people loading these shows in and out to keep these sorts of accidents to a minimum.
Something I find saddening about this article is the multiple links to purchase Ed Sheeran tickets. Obviously the website must make money, but does it not feel somewhat tone deaf to, in an article detailing the injuries of six stagehands, promote tickets to the same show? It worries me that we cannot find space to discuss incidents in our field without commercializing it. I also worry about the cause of this incident. From the reports of those affected, they seem to describe an unknown malfunction in the forklift, whether in software or hardware seemingly unknown. I worry that this malfunction may be capable in other forklifts of the same make and model. I hope that the investigation focuses on potential mechanical defects and does not assume it was only user error, though that may be possible. Most importantly, I hope that all those affected have a speedy recovery and that this can be a reminder to be vigilant in safe practices whenever possible.
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