Safety – Visual and Performing Arts

Policy

The purpose of this policy is to ensure teaching environments and equipment are safe for use by employees and students.

Summary

• The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) requires the department to provide and a working environment that, so far as is reasonably practicable, is safe and without risk to health, including in relation to safety and performing arts teaching environments and the equipment used in those environments. This policy applies to environments and equipment associated with the teaching of visual arts (such as ceramics and photography) and performing arts (such as dance, drama and music).
• The principal and/or their delegate must manage occupational health and safety risks associated with visual and performing art teaching environments and associated equipment.
• Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, employees while at work must take reasonable care for their own health and safety and the safety of others who may be affected by their actions or omissions.
• Central and regional offices provide a range of supports and services to assist principals and employees manage occupational health and safety risks, including access to the Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Service and local occupational health and safety regional officers, who can provide free advice about managing the risks associated with visual and performing art environments and the equipment used in those environments.
• The Safety – Visual and Performing Arts Procedure must be followed, and sets out the practical step-by-step instructions for implementing this policy.
• This Policy forms part of the department’s Occupational Health and Safety Management System, refer to the Employee Health, Safety and Wellbeing – OHS Management System (OHSMS) for further information.

Details

The principal and/or their delegate should in consultation with the health and safety representatives (HSR) and employees, ensure that:

• the department’s pre-populated Art room inspection checklist (DOCX) and other relevant workplace inspection checklists are reviewed and amended for relevancy to the area being inspected
• inspections of the area(s) are completed once a term or as required
• hazards identified during the workplace inspection are recorded in the Action Plan within the Inspection Checklist and in the ‘Hazard type’ column of OHS risk register (XLSX)
• the outcomes of the workplace inspections are communicated to all employees (for example, at a staff meeting or at a Health and Safety Committee meeting)
• the risks associated with identified hazards are managed. These include:
  • chemical management
  • plant and equipment management
  • slips, trips and falls.

In defining and keeping the control measures up to date, principals and/or their delegate (in consultation with HSRs and relevant employees), must ensure:

• all 'plant and equipment' are identified and recorded in the Plant and equipment register (XLSX) and managed as per the Plant and Equipment Management policy
• records of inspections and maintenance are maintained for each item of plant and equipment located in visual and performing art teaching environments
• all identified 'dangerous goods' and 'hazardous chemicals' in visual and performing art teaching environments are managed as per the Chemical Management policy
• the OHS risk register is kept up to date
• contractors engaged to undertake maintenance of plant and equipment are managed as per the Contractor OHS Management policy
• prior to the purchase or acquisition of new plant and equipment, the OHS purchasing checklist (DOCX) is completed
• unsafe plant or equipment is isolated and tagged as per the Equipment Isolation and Tag Out policy.

Definitions

Dangerous goods
Dangerous goods are substances that may present an immediate safety hazard through exposure to their:

• explosive
• flammable
• radioactive
• corrosive, or
• toxic properties.

They are easily recognisable by the diamond shaped sign displayed on the substance label. They are designated into nine classes according to their immediate physical or chemical effects.

For further information, please refer to Guidance Sheet 2 — Dangerous Goods Classification System (DOCX).

Hazard
Anything with the potential to cause harm, injury, illness, or loss.

Hazardous chemicals
Hazardous chemicals are classified based on their health effects, both short and long term. They can enter the human body through inhalation, ingestion and contact through the skin and mucous membranes such as the eyes. The level of subsequent risk depends upon both the substance itself and the nature of the work being done with it.

Examples of types of hazardous chemicals (depending on their concentration) include:

• acids
• caustic substances
• disinfectants
• epoxy glues
• solvents and thinners.

Plant
Under the OHS Act 2004, 'plant' includes:

• any machinery equipment, appliance, implement and tool
• any component of any of those things
• anything fitted, connected or related to any of those things.

Related policies

• Chemical Management
• Equipment Isolation and Tag Out
• Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Management in Schools
• OHS Induction and Training
• OHS Purchasing
• OHS Risk Planning and Management
• School Councils and Contractors
• Workplace Safety Inspections

Relevant legislation

• Dangerous Goods Act 1985 (Vic)
• Dangerous Goods (Storage and Handling) Regulations 2022 (Vic)
• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)
• Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic)

Safety — Visual and Performing Arts Procedure

The Safety — Visual and Performing Arts Procedure must be followed, and sets out the practical step-by-step instructions for implementing this policy.

It contains the following chapters:

1. Introduction
2. Identify hazards in art teaching environments
3. Controlling identified hazards
4. Risk management
5. Legislation, codes of practice, standards and guidance

1. Introduction

The visual and performing arts teaching environments pose significant risks to the health and safety of employees and students located in those venues.

1.1 Performing arts

The performing arts activities might occur as part of education programs in schools such as dance, music, or drama.

1.2 Visual arts

The visual arts are art forms that create visual art such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, architecture, printmaking, modern visual arts (photography, video, and filmmaking), design and crafts.

2. Identify hazards in the art teaching environments

There are many potential hazards surrounding the management of visual and performing art teaching environments, including:

• chemical management — some photographic processing chemicals can be identified as dangerous goods and hazardous chemicals and need to be identified as they pose significant health effects (for example, photochemicals, developer solutions or powders)
• plant and equipment — broken or poorly maintained equipment such as kilns or exposed electrical wiring can pose a serious risk to the health and safety of employees
• ladders — ladders must be free from damage, rust or corrosion
• slips, trips and falls — slippery dance room surfaces, spills on the floor, uneven surfaces, equipment on floor, slipping of ladders, getting caught in the ladder are examples where slips, trips and falls can occur.

2.1 Identify visual and performing art teaching areas to be inspected

In order to identify health and safety hazards, the Department requires principals and/or their delegate to conduct periodic inspections of their visual and performing art teaching areas, for example, art rooms, theatres, drama rooms and music rooms.

The department’s pre-populated generic workplace inspection checklists can be reviewed and amended for relevancy to the area being inspected, for example, Art Room Inspection Checklist (DOCX).

Refer to the Workplace Inspections policy for further information.

3. Controlling identified hazards

The principal and/or their delegate must ensure that relevant employees and students are safe when using different venues and materials for visual and/or performing arts education including:

• where relevant, that protective clothing is worn and adequate washing facilities are provided
• art and craft rooms, ovens and kilns are well ventilated and kept clean
• materials which are potentially damaging to health, mainly through inhalation and also through skin absorption are managed accordingly, for example, fluorocarbons, whose use is potentially dangerous, particularly for primary school students who suffer from asthma and/or bronchitis.

Note: Students who are small in stature and body size are more susceptible to hazards and should be supervised accordingly.

3.1 Control measures

The principal and/or their delegate in consultation with the health and safety representative (HSR) and employees are to ensure suitable controls, as outlined in the OHS Risk Management Procedure are selected and implemented where plant and equipment and chemical risks are identified.

The principal and/or their delegate must ensure that safety considerations are taken into account in the following.

3.1.1 Performing art room(s) controls

Dance studio(s):

• are well ventilated
• lighting is maintained
• have sprung wooden floor, where possible
• correct footwear is worn
• Ausdance Victoria advice is taken into consideration for informal kit of safe practice.

Drama room(s):

• area is well ventilated
• lighting is maintained
• use of safety chains on hung lamps
• possible allergies students might experience using theatre make-up.

Music room(s):

• area is well ventilated
• lighting is maintained
• storage areas do not pose a manual handling or trip hazard
• ensure students do not share mouth pieces.

3.1.2 Visual art room(s) controls

Pottery ceramics

• Materials:
  • Glazes, frits and pigments containing lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury and manganese are not to be used in schools.
  • Neither teachers nor students should handle clay in dry form. However, if this is unavoidable, wear dust masks conforming to AS 1716.
• Equipment:
  The kiln and installation should meet statutory requirements for safety. The kiln should be fitted with a maximum temperature control regulator (such as an electronic mini temperature or a kiln setter device).
  Electric kilns should be fitted with:
  • a door-activated microswitch to turn the elements off when the kiln is opened
  • adequate mechanical ventilation to the outside atmosphere
  • certain dangers can exist with the installation and operation of a pottery kiln and whole fuel kilns (gas, oil or wood fired) should only be used by thoroughly trained experts
  • oil-fired kilns, if used, should have a fuel/flame control that stops all fuel flow if the burner is extinguished
  • solid-fuel kilns should not be installed inside a building.

Pencils and paints — lead content

• Pencils, toys, finger colours, show card colours, pastels, crayons, poster paints and coloured chalk used in schools should have a minimum total lead content of 0.01% or less.
• Any coating material(s) should contain a minimum of 0.25% or less of lead or compounds of lead.

Organic solvents

Organic solvents are often components of inks, glues and paints and should be used with care ensuring that:

• young students use only water-based paints, markers and glues
• older students use organic solvent-based materials only where there is good ventilation.

Glues

Epoxy glues are:

• not permitted for use by primary students
• allowed in secondary colleges if gloves are worn and if used in fume cupboards or suitably ventilated areas.

Care should also be taken when using PVA glue.

Plastics

Plastics are liable to give off hazardous fumes when heated.

• Do not cut foam plastic with a hot wire.
• Students should only use polyurethane under close supervision.

Scrap materials

Some scrap materials used in art/craft work may present health hazards. Ensure that:

• all materials are clean
• fabric brought by students is laundered before use
• materials exposed to infection or contamination (including toilet roll tubes) are not used.

Lead lighting

• Lead came is a soft metal used to join stained glass and in solder and is made predominantly from lead.
• During the soldering process lead fumes and dust are produced. While air sampling has shown that lead concentrations in air from the soldering process are below occupational exposure standards, there may be high lead concentrations in work area dusts and the ingestion of lead could occur as a result of poor hygiene such as not washing hands before eating.

Photography

• A wide variety of chemicals are used in black and white photographic processing.
• Photographic darkrooms must be adequately ventilated, and chemicals stored and labelled correctly.

4. Risk management

4.1 Risk assessment

The principal and/or their delegate in consultation with the health and safety representative (HSR) and employees must ensure that:

• all identified hazards are recorded in the ‘Hazard Description’ column of the OHS risk register (XLSX)
• identified hazards are risk-assessed using the Risk assessment template (DOCX) or equivalent template, for example, Set-up and use of theatre lights sample risk assessment (DOCX)
• the risk management methodology as outlined in the OHS Risk Management Procedure is followed to assess the level of risk of the identified hazard.

4.2 Implement controls

The principal and/or their delegate in consultation with the HSR and employees must ensure that controls to manage visual and performing art teaching environments and the equipment used in those environments are identified and implemented using the order of the hierarchy of controls.

4.3 Record risk controls

The principal and/or their delegate in consultation with the HSR and employees must ensure that controls to manage visual and performing art teaching environments and the equipment used in those environments risks are recorded on the OHS risk register.

4.4 Monitor and review risk controls

The principal and/or their delegate in consultation with the HSR and employees must review the controls implemented to ensure their effectiveness in managing the risk(s), and incorporate any changes to controls on the OHS risk register.

5. Legislation, codes of practice, standards and guidance

• Dangerous Goods Act 1985 (Vic)
• Dangerous Goods (Storage and Handling) Regulations 2022 (Vic)
• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)
• Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic)

Resources

Templates, checklists and registers relevant to this policy and procedure

• Art Room Inspection Checklist (DOCX)
• Guidance Sheet 2: Dangerous Goods Classification System (DOCX)
• OHS risk register (XLSX)
• OHS Purchasing Checklist (DOCX)
• Plant and Equipment Register (XLSX)
• Risk Assessment Template (DOCX)
• Set-up and use of theatre lights sample risk assessment (DOCX)

Useful websites

Ausdance Vic – the peak body and service organisation for dance in Victoria. Their advice is taken into consideration for informal kit of safe practice.