[CAUT] Moving Pianos on Campus

[Avery Todd]

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Rob,

When I first got here, I talked to my boss & he agreed that we 
shouldn't use students to move pianos, especially grands, because of 
liability issues (state univ. are self-insured). So for 13 yrs., I've 
been using professional piano movers. So far, so good! No back 
problems, either. And I'm now 66. :-)

I'll help move a harpsichord with student help (usually a work study 
from the office) and VERY occasionally a vertical. But that's about 
it. Maybe I'm just lucky?

Avery Todd
University of Houston

At 11:31 AM 2/22/2006, you wrote:
>Hello,
>Typically I stay in the back ground and just observe the list but I 
>have worthy inquiry.  I am the staff tech at UNLV, (University of 
>Nevada, Las Vegas).  We have +/-65 pianos and occasionally a few 
>must be moved around.  I have one grand and one upright that I keep 
>aside for when someone needs one for special events.  The upright 
>has a permanent heavy truck on it for moving around.  For grands I 
>use a method that involves tilting the piano up onto the skid while 
>it's already on the dolly.  The dolly is custom made with extra 
>large hard wheels.  Two of the wheels do not swivel so that it 
>doesn't skip out while lifting.  If it is a reasonably small grand, 
>(nothing larger than a C-3), then it is surprisingly simple.  I'm 
>sure there are others who do this.  Anyway to the point.
>
>
>After lifting and moving pianos for years my back has just about had 
>it.  Every so often it slips out of place and I find myself in pain 
>for several days.  Recently I was required to move several pianos in 
>a day and it just about did me in.  This morning I found myself 
>stiff and unable to crawl out of bed.  The reality is that I can't 
>continue doing this.  At age 40 I have a long way to go and I don't 
>fancy ruining my back for the likes of ungrateful university staff.
>
>I would like to know what other university techs have done regarding 
>piano moves.  Because of liability reasons they are not too 
>enthusiastic about getting students to do it.  The facilities 
>management people are not reliable and can't be trusted to show up 
>on time.  The Faculty is certainly not interested in getting their 
>hands dirty.  I have occasionally called in another outside tech but 
>that is not always possible.  Unfortunately my Jedi skills aren't 
>mastered well enough to move pianos using "The Force".  So... what do YOU do?
>
>Rob Goodale, RPT
>Las Vegas, NV

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