Event Safety Policy

Our policy on Event Safety

This policy has been developed to assist hirers of PRACC to effectively manage occupational health and safety issues associated with events so that all reasonable steps are taken to identify and eliminate or manage risks before, during and after the event.

 

This policy and associated Event Safety Checklist apply to all events held at any of PRACC venues.

All hirers of PRACC planning and organising events are expected to comply with the provisions of this policy so that the risks to health and safety of patrons, staff, contractors and visitors are eliminated so far as reasonably practicable.

 

1 Event Safety Management

1.1 Planning

1.1.1 Safe events are well planned events – nothing should be left to chance. By using systematic planning processes, event organisers can identify potential hazards, determine risks and then eliminate them or minimise their impact. Good planning systems means being prepared well in advance and ensuring that safety is a priority throughout the event, including initial pre-event set up (bump in) and event pack up (bump out).

1.2 Event stakeholders

1.2.1 Event stakeholders will vary from event to event and may include as appropriate to each event:

• Event organisers/ Promoters/ Performers
• Hirers staff and volunteers
• Students
• Contractors (e.g. caterers, merchandising, amusement structures, equipment)
• Emergency services, Ambulance, Police, Metropolitan Fire Service, State
• Emergency Service, Country Fire Authority)
• Local council
• Security services
• Transport services (e.g. Department of Transport)
• Regulators, WorkSafe Victoria
• Media
• Visitors/ Patrons
• Venue owner

1.3 Hazard identification

1.3.1 Hazard identification is the process of recognising hazards associated with an event. A good practice is to use hazard categories to assist in the identification process. Hazard categories include but are not limited to:

• Human – including type and size of crowd expected, level of crowd participation, public safety & security, traffic
• Technological – including mechanical utilities such as gas & electricity, equipment, experiments
• Natural – including the physical location and site conditions
• Environmental – including weather, ground impact, Environmental Protection Authority requirements
• Financial (where applicable)
• Event image – what we want to be known as after the event.

1.4 Risk Assessment

1.4.1 Risk assessment is the process of estimating the potential effects or harm of a hazard to determine its risk rating. By determining the level of risk, the event planning group can rank risks to systematically eliminate or control the hazards.

1.4.2 In order to determine a risk rating, event planning groups should consider:

• the consequence – what will happen, the extent of harm, etc; and
• the likelihood – chances or possibility of it occurring.

1.4.3 The Risk Assessment matrix should be used to determine the level of risk for each hazard.

1.4.4 The people who actually undertake the task(s) should be involved in the risk assessment process as well as those who are involved in organising the event. Where possible the area health and safety representative should also be included in that process with appropriate persons who have technical knowledge of the activity or equipment. The hirers risk assessment must be provided to PRACC no later than two weeks prior to bumping in the event. This is a contractual requirement. A staff member at PRACC will review the risk assessment and ensure that other PRACC staff are familiar with its contents. The information contained in this document should be detailed during the pre-show bump in toolbox meeting.

1.4.5 To assist our hirers a risk assessment proforma is available from PRACC upon request and we are more than happy to provide some training and assistance in event risk management.

1.5 Risk Control

1.5.1 The event planning group needs to eliminate or reduce the risks identified using the following hierarchy of controls:

• Elimination – by removing the hazard entirely through new design or set up, or a new process
• Substitution – by replacing hazardous materials, processes, set ups or methods with less hazardous alternatives
• Engineering – by isolating, enclosing or containing the hazard or through design improvements
• Administrative – by ensuring safe operating procedures are in place, and that effective training, induction and monitoring is available to all in the workplace
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) – by making sure that appropriate safety equipment such as gloves, hats, sunscreen etc is available.

1.5.2 Often people pick the ‘easier’ option by going straight to administrative controls or PPE but there are often more effective ways to control the hazard. The event planning group should focus on what is realistic and practical so that risks are minimised. The OHS legislation requires all hazards to be controlled. The event planning group must ensure that risk assessment covers the entire event – from set up (bump in) to dismantling (bump out), not just the event itself.

1.6 Venues other than PRACC premises

1.6.1 Events that are held in venues other than at PRACC premises involving PRACC staff require a risk assessment to be carried out. This should cover the usual risks as mentioned in this document including information on emergency procedures and evacuation routes from staff normally responsible for the venue.

 

2 Record keeping and documentation

2.1 Event organisers must keep appropriate records and documentation including:

• Event planning documents (including an event safety checklist)
• Event risk control plan (including risk assessment)
• Event site and utility maps (where appropriate)
• Emergency procedures (e.g. phone numbers for Ambulance, Security etc.)
• Staff training records
• Copies of permits, licenses and certificates as necessary
• Contractor safe work procedures
• Maintenance or repair records where necessary (e.g. maintenance records of hired equipment, electrical testing records)
• Documentation relating to OH&S must be kept under the legislation for a period of thirty (30) years

 

3 Emergency Response Plan

3.1 PRACC maintains compliance to the Australian Standard 3745 Planning for Emergencies in Facilities. PRACC’s emergency management systems are documented in the Emergency Management Plan which is available here; Emergency Response Plan
All hirers should be conversant with this documentation.

 

4 First Aid Officers

4.1 Hirers and Event Organiser provide nomination of their own first aid provision for events or that of an external specialist provider. Various specialist first aid providers (e.g. St John) may be brought in from time to time where deemed appropriate for specific events. PRACC also engages staff who are the nominated first aiders for our venues. These staff are trained to a certificate two first aid level with the addition of Semi-Automatic Defibrillation Administration. 

 

5 Inductions

5.1 Hirers, their staff, volunteers and contractors must be inducted into PRACC’s Safety culture through prior to commencing work. PRACC can induct a nominated individual whom may act as and take responsibility as instructor for all other stakeholders. If preferred for PRACC staff to induct on-site, an appropriate induction time should be made with PRACC.

 

6 Toolbox Meetings

6.1 A toolbox meeting is an effective method of communicating the activities planned, event schedule, risk assessment considerations and controls, expectations and an opportunity for two way communications with the crew. PRACC recommend toolbox meetings be held at the beginning of the bump in, bump out, work changes and shift changes. All event staff should be familiar with the risk assessment.

 

7 Incident, Hazard, Near Miss and Damage Reporting

7.1 There are various legislative requirements and site specific requirements that require the reporting of near misses, incidents, damages and hazards. All of the above must be reported immediately to PRACC staff.

 

8 Storage and Handling of Dangerous Goods

8.1 Dangerous Good and Hazardous Substances have the potential to harm a person’s health through exposure; or to cause damage to the environment. Dangerous goods and Hazardous Substances are to be managed in accordance the relevant Acts, Regulations, Compliance Codes and Australian/New Zealand Standards.

10.2 Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Substances planned to be brought onto the premises must be identified in the risk assessment. Information relating to the Product Name, UN Number, DG class, DG sub-class where applicable, Packing Group, Quantity, storage location, contact person and Material Safety Data Sheet must be supplied in order for the venue manifest to be updated, in case of emergency.

10.3 The suitability of  storage will need to be assessed based on quantity and compatibility with other materials so that non-compatible materials are segregated. The quantities brought on site should be kept to a minimum and no more than the requirements for each performance. The legislation sets out maximum quantities to be stored outdoors and indoors; these requirements will apply.

 

11 Material Safety Data Sheets

11.1 Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are required for all materials and substances being brought into the venue. These should be supplied with the risk assessment and any other safety documentation two weeks prior to the commencement of the bump in period.

 

12 Safe Work Method Statement

12.1 In addition to the risk assessment there may be legislative requirements to complete safe work method statements (SWMS). These are typically required when there is construction work involving the erection or decommissioning of sets or specific high risk tasks as listed in the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (Vic) 2007.

12.2 Further information is available from the WorkSafe Victoria Website.

 

13 Temporary Structures

13.1 Where any temporary structures are planned to be used consideration must be made as to the suitability of the structures for the environment in which they are planned to be used. Please note that in most circumstances, structural certificates, engineering certificates and build certificates are required by the local council even for small pop up shade tents. Please speak to PRACC as soon as possible should you intend to use any temporary structure.

13.2 Wind ratings need to be specified on the engineering certification. It is common for wind speeds to reach between 60km/h to 100km/h. To limit disruption to the installation, it is recommended that wind ratings withstand expected wind speeds, particularly when it will be in place for an extended period and the weather forecast is not known. A response plan should be available in the event that wind speeds are forecast above the wind rating.

 

14 Load Bearing Structures, Flown Elements and Load-Moving

14.1 Load bearing structures, including static, rolling and suspended event equipment and scenery, which support substantial loads and/or present significant risks need to be manufactured to appropriate standards and certified suitable for the specified use.

14.2 In line with certain regulatory requirements certification by a suitably qualified set constructor, engineer, licensed scaffolder or rigger will be required for all static, rolling or suspended event equipment and scenery that are load bearing with significant risks to work, health and safety.

 

15 Load Limits

15.1 Load limits apply in all areas of PRACC premises which include, stages and grid. For this reason, it is essential that PRACC receive the event requirement form, even in the preliminary planning phase to facilitate an assessment of the event requirements.

 

16 Electrical

16.1 Electricity has the potential to cause significant injury or harm to any person who may come into contact with it.

16.2 The relevant Legislation, Australian Standards and Codes should be followed at all times for any electrical work. Additionally, the Code of Practice for Temporary Electrical Installations on Building and Construction Sites should be followed where such works are relevant.

16.3 Australian Standard/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 3760 details the testing frequency regime and standards; this must be applied to at all times. All portable leads and equipment are subject to inspection, testing and tagging procedures. An inspection of electrical leads must be performed prior to each use to verify there are no damaged, frayed or worn leads. Electrical leads identified to be faulty or that do not have a test tag attached or where the test tag date has expired must not be used. Damaged leads are to be labelled with a ‘Danger – Do Not Use’ tag and removed from use until they can be inspected, tested and tagged by a qualified person.

16.4 Testing and tagging must only be performed by a person who is qualified to do so.

16.5 Isolation procedures must be applied for each item of equipment to protect person(s) while working on or near the vicinity of that equipment.

16.6 Electrical leads must be appropriately secured to prevent tripping hazards; with consideration to cable routes, overhead cables, cable trays for instance.

16.7 Electrical installations and connections to power must be supervised by PRACC. All installations should be to PRACC’s specifications and subject to approval of PRACC nominated site electrician.

16.8 All electrical equipment must be fit for purpose, for example, electrical leads being used outdoors must be manufactured for this purpose.

 

17 Lock out Tag out

17.1 Unsafe plant, equipment and tools have the potential to cause injury, or further damage if used. To eliminate or minimise further loss, appropriate measures must be implemented.

17.2 All unsafe plant, equipment and tools should be made inoperable through routine practices such as isolating power or attaching a ‘Danger – Do Not Operate’ tag.

17.3 Unsafe venue plant should be reported to your event supervisor. Facilities Management will then be contacted to arrange for necessary rectification.

 

18 Manual Handling

18.1 All material movements involving manual handling in relation to bump-ins, performances and bump-outs must be risk assessed and have appropriate control measures applied to prevent risks of bodily injury and muscular-skeletal disorders to personnel.

18.2 Manual handling tasks assessed as high risk must not to be tolerated. Where reasonably practicable, in applying the hierarchy of controls to manage risks, the design of event elements should eliminate or reduce the need for any hazardous manual handling.

18.3 Where it is reasonable to do so, PRACC may require additional control measures to be applied to manage the risks of hazardous manual handling.

18.4 As a guide appropriate control measure may include but not be limited to:

• Safe Work Method Statements for specific tasks that instruct personnel;
•  Adequate supervision and numbers of properly trained staff (particularly in relation to team lifting and carrying tasks);
• Trolleys and mechanical lifting aids to be used wherever possible;
• Appropriate PPE to be used (Note: Safety footwear is mandatory at PRACC for manual handling tasks).

 

19 Fatigue and Hours of Work

19.1 Fatigue is defined by WorkSafe Victoria as “an acute and/or ongoing state of tiredness that leads to mental and physical exhaustion and prevents people from functioning within the normal boundaries.

19.2 Fatigue, whether it is short term or long term, has an overwhelming influence on the frequency of incidents and accidents, the persons health and productivity levels. Fatigue may be caused by a number of factors including hours of work, shift rotation, inadequate rest breaks, medical conditions, environmental factors (temperature, noise, repetitive tasks), lifestyle factors (lack of sleep, sleep disturbances, alcohol / drugs, lack of physical exercise), emotional concerns or stress.

19.3 PRACC rosters work hours in accordance with the Whittlesea City Council Enterprise Agreement. Hirers similarly have a ‘duty of care’ to manage any hazards associated with work hour arrangements by planning responsible breaks between shifts and reasonable working hours.

 

20 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

20.1 The provision for use of PPE should be identified as part of the risk management process. The identification of hazards will lead to the recognition for the need of certain types of PPE.

20.2 Where practicable, PRACC has placed workplace signage to indicate the type of PPE to be worn in specific locations.

20.3 The following conditions outline mandatory minimum PPE requirements:

PPE	High Visibility Vests
High Visibility Vests	Loading and unloading vehicles. Areas with vehicle movement or mobile plant. Bump in and bump out of outdoor venues.
Safety Boots	Bump in and out activities on the stage and outdoor venues. Production related manual handling tasks in all areas such as the movement of equipment, scenery builds, lighting installs. Loading and unloading vehicles. Working around vehicle movement or mobile plant.
Hard Hats	Rigging Working at height Bump in and out activities on stage at times as nominated by PRACC
* Always refer to the risk assessment or safe work method statement for a comprehensive list of PPE requirements for the task. PPE may include hearing protection (ear plugs, ear muffs), hand protection (riggers gloves), height safety (harness and lanyard, falls restraint, falls arrest), respiratory protection, eye protection (goggles, face shields), skin protection (sun scream, wide brim hat).

 

21 Occupational Noise

21.1 Sound levels in all venues need to be managed according to the legislative requirements to maintain a safe environment for personnel working at the venue (staff, hirers, contractors etc.) while also meeting the expectations of the audience.

21.2 The National Standard for exposure to noise in an occupational environment is:

• An eight-hour equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level, LAeq,8h, of 85dB(A) or a peak noise of a C-weighted peak sound pressure level, LC,peak, of 140dB(C). The measurement is to be recorded at the ear position without taking into account any personal protection equipment.

21.3 The event risk assessment should identify any noise hazards that exist for the event. This will allow appropriate assessment and consideration of controls measures, applying the hierarchy of controls.

21.4 In some cases, there may be a need for the hirer to monitor noise levels and take appropriate measurements. Similarly, PRACC may choose to perform an independent noise assessment and provide advice or recommendations to the hirer in order to control the exposure of noise.

 

22 Environmental Noise

22.1 All residents that may be affected by musical noise emissions from PRACC have the right to expect that such levels of music do not unduly interfere with normal domestic and recreational activities and in particular, sleep in the night period. At the same time recognising the community demand for a wide range of musical entertainment.

22.2 Similarly, the noise transfer between the Theatres and Functions needs to be considered. For instance, functions in the Red Gum Room, Blue Gum Room, Foyer etc. may interfere with Theatre spaces depending on the nature of the event.

22.3 To manage environmental noise, PRACC are bound by the Environment Protection Act and SEPP State Environmental Protection Policy (Control of Music Noise from Public Premises) N-2.

 

23 Special Performance Conditions

23.1 Where any of the items listed are planned to be part of the event or performance, a notification of Special Performance Conditions must be submitted no later than 2 weeks prior to the bump-in day. This is as part of our Event Wellbeing form.

• firearms (working or replicas) 
• any weapons
• any naked flame
• use of smoke, hazer’s
•  pyrotechnic or aerotechnic effects,
• Lasers
• Explosives
• use of animals
• flying people

23.2 The notice will be considered and either approved or rejected after consideration is taken as to the risks and control measures. We strongly suggest you contact PRACC to discuss any plans you may have to use any of the above as soon as possible.

23.3 In order for PRACC to have a better appreciation of any hazards associated with the Special Performance, briefings and demonstrations (where applicable) should be held with your PRACC as soon as practicable.

23.4 Hirers may need to:

1. Notify PRACC of Special Performance Condition, at least 2 weeks prior to bump in;

2. Provide a risk assessment and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) where necessary to your Event Planner;

3. Notify the relevant regulatory body WorkSafe Victoria, City of Whittlesea and Fire Services Victoria at least 7 days in advance of your intention to discharge pyrotechnics;

4. Notify the Civil Aviation Authority where lasers are being used externally;

5. Use only licenced operators;

6. Plan a briefing and demonstration of the effect, preferably as soon as possible upon residency with PRACC.

 

24 Animals

24.1 The welfare of an animal involved at an event on PRACC premises and the health and safety of persons in the vicinity of the animal is paramount. PRACC has implemented a Policy for Events Utilising Animals detailing the requirement to supply a risk assessment and submit a notification of Special Performance Conditions.

 

25 Employment of Children

25.1 The employment of children is regulated in the Child Employment Act 2003 and Mandatory Code of Practice for the Employment of Children in Entertainment. A child as defined in the Act is a person under 15 years of age. The hirer has a responsibility to obtain all necessary permits prior to the engagement and meet all requirements relating to employment of children.

 

26 City of Whittlesea Street Trading

26.1 Any external food and beverage must be approved by PRACC management.

26.2 Any approved food and beverage stalls that are not managed by PRACC or not run in conjunction with PRACC venues, and consequently are not included in the main certificate of registration of food premises, must be registered and preapproved by Streatrader (streatrader.health.vic.gov.au) with all relevant permits attained in advance, displayed as appropriate and copies of all permits lodged with PRACC.

 

27 Food Safety

27.1 PRACC holds a food premises registration under the Food Act 1984.

27.2 PRACC staff are responsible for ensuring compliance with food safety standards and legislation.

27.3 PRACC maintains a current list of approved catering suppliers who provide a range of services and meet the basic requirements of this policy.

 27.4 Approved Suppliers must meet the following:

• Council’s standard procurement guidelines
• Have a current Food Act Certificate, Business Registration, Food Safety Plan and Public Liability Insurance.

27.5 Approved Suppliers are preferred to meet the following:
• Have an acceptable order and delivery process to fit the event type.
• Competitively priced menu
• Sustainable packaging - re-usable or recycled, compostable, biodegradable, or other sustainable materials
• Offer sustainable products - locally produced, organic, non-genetically modified, seasonal foods and labelled “Product of Australia” wherever possible.
• Can provide consistent, sustainable, cruelty-free, alternative, culturally sensitive, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and healthy food choices.

Where possible, local suppliers and social enterprises should be used in support of council’s social responsibility and local economic development objectives.

27.6 PRACC has a duty of care to ensure a level of protection to all persons who participate in the consumption of food at a PRACC hosted events, this means that home-made items cannot be served, and event catering must be sourced through an approved supplier. Please consult PRACC for further information.