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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.
This article is disconcerting as to how so many people could get injured so quickly from an accident during load out. I wish the article would focus more about the safety protocols that were in place and that will hopefully be added in response to this incident as well as the compensation these workers will hopefully receive. I would have liked to hear about statements maybe from the venue and Ed Sheeran regarding the incident and what they are doing in response. The amount of links to purchase tickets to the concert is kinda disturbing, they are using the incident to help promote the concert. Also a few years ago I did a lot of research on the frequency of forklift related incidents and while in the grand scheme of things aren’t that frequent they happen way more than they should and the safety standards for the operation of such equipment should really be updated.
I really hope they publish more information about this incident soon after the investigation. To hear about this catastrophic of an accident with no explanation is very concerning. While there is a reason stated for the injuries (a forklift lost control), I still don’t like how there isn’t any more detailed information on the nature of the malfunction. There are so many safety procedures in place regarding this equipment, so the only logical explanation is that something was overlooked, resulting in dire consequences. I am glad to hear that the six technicians all recovered, but I really hope that we learn more about consequences (such as legal action or compensation for the workers) soon. When these kinds of stories get published but don’t receive any follow up with specific details, more and more incidents occur without the public ever being fully informed. This could lead to more technicians getting hurt because not enough attention is being paid to rising hazards that people should be aware of with an increase of workplace injuries.
The events described in this article are terrifying. A forklift incident injuring six people is insane, and the fact that these kinds of incidents are happening is scary. This article makes me wonder how common this kind of incident is, because even though this particular event got a press release, how many crew members on different tours have been seriously injured on a call without any media attention? How frequently do accidents and injuries happen, and what percent of them are publicized? Almost every stagehand I know has at least one story of having witnessed a major injury event, and I know that not all of those were publicized. The vagueness of this article is also very unnerving. None of the circumstances surrounding the accident were given, and I wonder how this could happen. This article highlights the fact that working as a stagehand is not an easy job, and there are many ways in which load-ins and load-outs can go catastrophically wrong.
It is easy to forget that the job of a theatrical technician is quite dangerous and if safety precautions were not followed properly people can be hurt badly. In the case of the workers at the Ed Sheeran concert it seems as though it was an improbable event as the workers were not actively doing anything dangerous they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Theater in general is also such an unregulated industry as we have tried to work within an incredibly safe zone while doing absurd and incredible individualized production components. This specific incident happened during strike and I would be interested to know the percentage of injuries that happen during load in compared to load out. I always assume that load in would probably warrant more injuries as equipment has a large chance of falling or possibly being installed wrong and breaking during that process.
I found it disheartening that half the article was about Ed Sheeran and his tour, not about the workers who were injured. There was extensive information on how to buy tickets to the tour, which was a tone deaf choice when people's lives were threatened. This incident concerns me and makes me wonder about the ways in which large tours handle their safety. This could've been an isolated accident, but I have to wonder if there was any way this could have been prevented. What are the certifications that a person needs to operate a forklift, and are they appropriate for the situations where a forklift is needed in a load out? Mainly, I am worried about the people injured and hope they will be compensated accordingly for what happened to them. Load outs are often chaotic, and it feels like this incident is an opportunity to find ways to make load outs safer for everyone involved.
8 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.
This article is disconcerting as to how so many people could get injured so quickly from an accident during load out. I wish the article would focus more about the safety protocols that were in place and that will hopefully be added in response to this incident as well as the compensation these workers will hopefully receive. I would have liked to hear about statements maybe from the venue and Ed Sheeran regarding the incident and what they are doing in response. The amount of links to purchase tickets to the concert is kinda disturbing, they are using the incident to help promote the concert. Also a few years ago I did a lot of research on the frequency of forklift related incidents and while in the grand scheme of things aren’t that frequent they happen way more than they should and the safety standards for the operation of such equipment should really be updated.
I really hope they publish more information about this incident soon after the investigation. To hear about this catastrophic of an accident with no explanation is very concerning. While there is a reason stated for the injuries (a forklift lost control), I still don’t like how there isn’t any more detailed information on the nature of the malfunction. There are so many safety procedures in place regarding this equipment, so the only logical explanation is that something was overlooked, resulting in dire consequences. I am glad to hear that the six technicians all recovered, but I really hope that we learn more about consequences (such as legal action or compensation for the workers) soon. When these kinds of stories get published but don’t receive any follow up with specific details, more and more incidents occur without the public ever being fully informed. This could lead to more technicians getting hurt because not enough attention is being paid to rising hazards that people should be aware of with an increase of workplace injuries.
The events described in this article are terrifying. A forklift incident injuring six people is insane, and the fact that these kinds of incidents are happening is scary. This article makes me wonder how common this kind of incident is, because even though this particular event got a press release, how many crew members on different tours have been seriously injured on a call without any media attention? How frequently do accidents and injuries happen, and what percent of them are publicized? Almost every stagehand I know has at least one story of having witnessed a major injury event, and I know that not all of those were publicized. The vagueness of this article is also very unnerving. None of the circumstances surrounding the accident were given, and I wonder how this could happen. This article highlights the fact that working as a stagehand is not an easy job, and there are many ways in which load-ins and load-outs can go catastrophically wrong.
It is easy to forget that the job of a theatrical technician is quite dangerous and if safety precautions were not followed properly people can be hurt badly. In the case of the workers at the Ed Sheeran concert it seems as though it was an improbable event as the workers were not actively doing anything dangerous they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Theater in general is also such an unregulated industry as we have tried to work within an incredibly safe zone while doing absurd and incredible individualized production components. This specific incident happened during strike and I would be interested to know the percentage of injuries that happen during load in compared to load out. I always assume that load in would probably warrant more injuries as equipment has a large chance of falling or possibly being installed wrong and breaking during that process.
I found it disheartening that half the article was about Ed Sheeran and his tour, not about the workers who were injured. There was extensive information on how to buy tickets to the tour, which was a tone deaf choice when people's lives were threatened. This incident concerns me and makes me wonder about the ways in which large tours handle their safety. This could've been an isolated accident, but I have to wonder if there was any way this could have been prevented. What are the certifications that a person needs to operate a forklift, and are they appropriate for the situations where a forklift is needed in a load out? Mainly, I am worried about the people injured and hope they will be compensated accordingly for what happened to them. Load outs are often chaotic, and it feels like this incident is an opportunity to find ways to make load outs safer for everyone involved.
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