Work Health and Safety in the Entertainment Industry
The framework you must know
Every live production in Australia sits inside a work health and safety (WHS) framework built on the model WHS Act and Regulations, mirrored in state and territory law. The central idea is the primary duty of care: a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must eliminate or minimise risks so far as is reasonably practicable. Workers also have duties - follow instructions, use PPE, report hazards. Officers (senior managers) must exercise due diligence.
The risk management cycle
Questions almost always reward the same sequence: identify the hazard, assess the risk (likelihood × consequence), control it using the hierarchy of control (eliminate, substitute, isolate, engineering, administrative, then PPE last), record and review. PPE is the weakest control and never the first answer.
Concepts examiners probe
- Consultation: workers must be consulted on matters affecting them; health and safety representatives (HSRs) can issue provisional improvement notices.
- Notifiable incidents: death, serious injury or illness, or a dangerous incident must be reported to the regulator immediately.
- Hazard vs risk: a hazard is the source of harm; risk is the chance of harm occurring.
- SWMS: high-risk construction work, including some rigging tasks, requires a safe work method statement.
Traps
Beware options that sound caring but breach the hierarchy ("issue gloves" as a first control), and options that shift blame to the worker. Also watch for questions about who pays for PPE (the PCBU) and who must keep records.
Rule of thumb
If an option controls the hazard at the source rather than at the person, it is usually correct. Worked example: a loose cable across a walkway - best control is rerouting or covering it (engineering/isolation), not a warning sign alone.