Visual and Performing Arts – Safety

1. Identifying hazards in visual and performing arts teaching

There are a range of potential hazards relating to teaching visual and performing arts. Principals or their delegates must ensure that arrangements are in place for consultation with HSRs, where elected, and collaboration with school staff who teach visual and performing arts. For further information regarding establishing and engaging with staff on health and safety matters refer to OHS Consultation and Communication.

A range of potential hazards specific to visual and performing arts have been outlined below.

Manual handling and body strain hazards

One of the leading causes of injury in schools is manual handling. Manual handling tasks are undertaken as part of daily work and occur when teaching visual and performing arts. Manual handling and body strain specific to visual and performing arts activities could include:

• moving or transporting of stage or music equipment such as props, risers, amps, drum kits and pianos
• stacking and storing items such as bags of clay or other media
• vocal fatigue or strain from poor voice conditioning or overuse in theatre productions
• exposure to music at a level which could damage hearing.

Further information on managing these hazards can be found in the Manual Handling, Noise Management and Voice Care for Teachers policies.

Plant and equipment hazards

The use of plant and equipment is essential for visual and performing arts programs. The principal or their delegate must be aware of the types of plant and equipment that are used when teaching visual and performing arts subjects. Common examples are:

• ladders, cranes, hoists, elevated work platforms and other equipment used to access heights or move material
• kilns, soldering or welding equipment that can cause burns or expose a person to fumes
• lights, sound systems and electrical equipment that can cause electrocution
• pully systems and rigging which move props and backdrops
• equipment that moves and can cause entanglement such as pottery wheels.

Further information on managing these hazards can be found in the Plant and Equipment Management, Prevention of Falls When Working at Heights, Testing and Tagging of Electrical Equipment and Equipment Isolation and Tag Out policies.

Slip, trip and fall hazards (including falls from heights)

Slips, trips and falls can place school staff at risk of injury including sprains, strains, fractures and soft-tissue injuries. Working at heights means working in any place where there is a risk of falling more than 2 metres which is common in school theatres. The risk of serious injury from this height is much greater than falls from less than 2 metres. This means work carried out above 2 meters can only be performed by someone who is qualified.

Common examples of slip, trip and fall hazards could include:

• untidy electrical cables leading to a person to tripping or falling over
• uneven or slippery surfaces that increase the likelihood of slipping or tripping
• stage equipment is stored or left in high traffic areas
• ladders are being used on uneven surfaces or where work is carried out 2 meters above the ground
• gantries and stairs with inadequate balustrading or edge protection
• stage trap doors are not managed when in use so they may be left open or not properly secured
• inadequate lighting for tasks being undertaken so people may slip, trip or fall over objects.

Further information can be found in the Slips, Trips and Falls prevention and Prevention of Falls When Working at Heights policies.

Chemical hazards

Chemicals and hazardous substances that can be a skin irritant, and produce harmful fumes or dust including:

• storage, mixing and cleaning of clays and glazes that contain crystalline silica dust or other hazardous substances
• spray adhesives, waxes, solders, fluxes and acids
• paints, solvents and photographic chemicals.

Information about hazards for specific products can be found in the items Safety Data Sheet (SDS). To understand SDSs and manage risks associated with chemicals and hazardous substances used in visual arts, refer to Chemical Management.

General hazards

Schools use quarterly workplace safety inspections to help identify and record hazards. The Workplace Safety Inspections policy includes prepopulated checklists, available on the Resources tab, for art rooms (DOCX) and design and technology rooms (DOCX). Schools can tailor these templates to be specific for their theatres, drama rooms and music rooms. The Statewide OHS Services Team and OHS Advisory Service are available to assist schools in customising workplace inspection templates.