Mirror concert was a performance event based in Hong Kong in late July of 2022 in the Hong Kong Coliseum. The video above shows a 560kg screen fall directly onto one performer’s head and hit another performer while tilting towards the ground after initial impact. According to fans, multiple different performers had voiced concerns regarding the safety of the stage like the material of the floor for a dance group and harsh corners if anyone were to fall.
A thorough legal investigation took place following the incident. Instead of a specific stage manager, the venue was said to instead have an event coordinator who was not responsible for stage safety and instead the occurrence of events and the general stage layout. The Hong Kong Coliseum had not had a stage manager with an expertise in stage safety since 2008, meaning the raised screens could have fallen from the decay of the material holding the screen up. In an article covering the investigation, posted by the local government, the reason behind the incident occurring was the snapping of wire rope caused by metal fatigue. Metal fatigue is the weakness in metal caused by repeated stress such as corrosion, wear or structural design.
From this, the main issue I can identify is the irregular or non-existent health and safety checks. Equipment wasn’t checked on a regular basis and as such had decayed to an unstable and potentially fatal condition. To prevent this accident, a professional team of equipment safety experts should have evaluated the condition of all equipment and the stage itself on a maximum of a 12 month basis and reported back to the venue manager for them to make appropriate changes. Additionally, there should be an option for performers to report their concerns directly to a team who will look into them.
The way the group’s manager dealt with the audience was sensible and effective, as they were told their tickets would be refunded and to leave the venue calmly. Additionally, some audience members were treated for shock, particularly those who were close to the stage.