Do a Risk Assessment

What is a risk assessment?

A risk assessment allows people involved in a production to identify hazards and the associated risks and implement control measures to reduce the risks. It also allows us to identify situations or behaviour that is too risky and change or avoid that hazard.

What is a risk, and what is a hazard?

A hazard is a source of potential harm. This could include things, like chemicals or tools, or an activityLike working at heights or manual handling.

A risk is the harm that might occur when someone is exposed to the hazard. For example, working with lights (hazard) has the risk of electric shock.

What activities require a risk assessment?

All productions that are part of the Hayman Theatre require a risk assessment to be completed and approved before beginning any part of the production. This includes all lunchtime shows and major shows and the technical or production work that goes on around them. Risk assessments are especially important for any activity that involves working off-campus or using unusual equipment, such as location photography or filming.

Activities directly related to classwork, such as scene work and supervised performances during class time, do not require a risk assessment.

Who needs to do a risk assessment?

For lunchtime productions, the director must complete an initial risk assessment and be included in the submission.  Once the Production has been approved and has a stage manager, the risk assessment document and process should be handed over to them.

For major productions, the stage manager is responsible for creating and updating the risk assessment in collaboration with the director, crew and performers.

All Cast and Crew will need to provide evidence of completing White Card and Online Manual Handling as a control measure for General Health and Safety Provisions for all shows. Stage Manager to keep a record of all such evidence in the Prompt Script/Stage Management File. No one to commence work on a show until this has been submitted. This to be a non-negotiable Risk included in all our Risk assessments.

The risk assessment is one of the documents required to be submitted by the stage manager for assessment in Technical Theatre Fundamentals.

Although the director/stage manager is responsible for initially creating the risk assessment, everyone’s responsibility is to understand, update and follow the risk assessment and the control measures identified within it.

How do I do a risk assessment?

• Log on to SiSo using your student number and Oasis password. 
• Click on the green “Risk Assessment” icon.
• For a new risk assessment, complete sections 1 to 8 from the menu on the left-hand side (detailed below). Alternatively, click “Open Risk Assessment” from the menu on the left-hand side to open an existing risk assessment or create a new one from one of your previous risk assessments.

1. Describe the Activity

Risk assessment title: Show name

If you are doing multiple risk assessments for the same show, such as for rehearsal, production, and performance, or for a particular activity, include this in the title.

Date of equipment collection

This section is more appropriate for Screen Arts and may be left blank.

Add a detailed description of your activity.

Describe the activity you are assessing. Pay particular attention to any “unusual” activity, such as anything that takes place off-campus or in a public place, use tools or potentially hazardous substances, or use any non-standard equipment.

2. People at Risk

Primary Risk Assessment Holder

As the creator of the risk assessment, this is you. This does not mean you have any special culpability.

Additional Person(s)

Click “Add Person” to add each person or group of people. Think of everyone who will be involved in your show – performers, crew, staff, other students, and the audience if you don’t yet know the names of your show personnel (for example, you haven’t had auditions yet or crew hasn’t been assigned) put in all the roles and add the name later. Put the name as “TBA” (to be announced). You can add or remove people as the show develops.

3. Equipment being used

This section is more appropriate for Screen Arts. Click “Add Equipment” to add equipment. If you are only using the Hayman’s items, type in “Standard lighting, sound and staging equipment.” If you are planning on using anything unusual, such as a smoke machine or effect lighting, or bringing equipment from home, you must add these. There is a procedure for allowing the use of electrical equipment not owned by Curtin.

4. Location(s)

Click “Add Location” to add locations. Think about all the locations involved in rehearsing and building your show. This might include the Theatre Arts workshop, the Dance Studio, or off-campus locations, as well as the Hayman Theatre.

5. Emergency Procedures

You will need to fill out each section with the appropriate contact information. Leigh and Karen are both First Aid trained, as are Curtin Security Officers, who are the best port of call for assistance on campus after hours. You can use Google Maps to find the closest police station and hospital to your location. This is especially important information if you are working off-campus, and this extra information can be added in the text box at the bottom.

You should also include: “In the event of an emergency, dial 000 (0000 from internal phones) and ask emergency services to contact Curtin Security.”  This allows Curtin Security to meet and escort emergency services to your location. This applies to on-campus activities only.

6. List potential risks/activities

Enter your list of hazards, either adding them from the pre-written examples by clicking on “Choose from List” and selecting the appropriate hazards or clicking on “Add Activity” and writing them yourself. In both instances, fully complete each box and, where possible, write your own control measures.

In the list of pre-written hazard examples, you can click the triangle icon to get more information or the plus button to add the hazard to your risk assessment. Try to think laterally about all the potential hazards involved in all parts of your production. Click “finish” when you are done adding hazards.

To complete the table, you need to include the following information:

• • • • Description of Hazard – what is the thing or activity that could cause harm?
      • Risks – what could happen when a person is exposed to the hazard? Try to think about all aspects of the hazard. For example, spilling water or liquids could result in people slipping on the wet patch or danger of electric shock if spilt on an electrical item.
      • Groups at risk – who is at risk from this hazard?
      • Prevention – primary or secondary? Primary means it is something that you or others in the group need to do. The secondary is if Curtin, or another organisation, needs to institute a policy or another action. In almost all cases, the method is primary, as it is behavioural.
      • Control measures – what needs to be done to remove or reduce the risk? This could include eliminating or reducing the use of the hazardous item or activity, substituting a less hazardous item, or following appropriate safety procedures. Use the “hierarchy of control” to determine the best control measures.
      • Residual risk – when the control measures are applied to the risk, what is the remaining risk? You should aim to achieve mostly tolerable (green) risks but may have some moderate (yellow) risks. Anything higher will not get approval until the risk has been reduced. Use the risk analysis matrix as your guide. 

7. Upload documents

Upload any relevant documents. For example, you may have included as a control measure for the use of a power tool, “always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.” In this case, you may upload the manufacturer’s instructions here.

8. Approval & Save

Click “Approval Lecturer” and select the appropriate academic staff member. For most productions, this is Stephen Carr, as Production Coordinator

Click “Save.” Your risk assessment will be sent to Stephen, or the selected academic staff member, for review.

What next?

Your risk assessment will either be approved or not approved. If it is not approved, you will receive feedback letting you know why it was not approved and what would need to be done to gain approval. Often this is simply a matter of completing the risk assessment more thoroughly.

And then?

Print out the risk assessment and take it to the first rehearsal, first production session, or as relevant. Go through the risk assessment with the team, and make any changes required. You may add or change control measures or add hazards not previously thought of. Make sure you update the risk assessment document on SiSo, and each update will require re-approval.

When everyone is happy with the risk assessment, all members of the team should physically sign the document to indicate they understand the hazards and controls. 

Help!

If you are having trouble completing any aspect of your risk assessment, or have any other health and safety concerns, contact Karen Cook for assistance.