Visual and Performing Arts – Safety

2. Assessing risks

Once school staff, the principal or their delegate identify hazards they must assess the level of risk. This is best done in consultation with knowledgeable staff and must include HSRs (where elected). A collaborative approach ensures a thorough assessment by using a diverse range of skills and expertise and helps to identify risks that might be overlooked by one person.

School staff can initially use the risk matrix as a quick guide to assess risks posed by visual and performing arts activities. The risk matrix is available in the OHS risk register (XLSX) or in the risk assessment template (DOCX). This may be all that is required for simple tasks that are low risk.

For tasks or activities that are determined to have a high or extreme risk of incident, injury or ongoing health effects, undertaking a documented risk assessment must be considered. Identifying potential hazards and assessing the risks at each stage is crucial to ensure suitable and effective controls can be put in place. There are some examples provided in the Resources tab.

The OHS Risk Planning and Management procedure also contains for further guidance on assessing risks.