Work Health and Safety in the Music Industry
Why WHS matters on every job
Sound production work exposes you to hazards that are easy to underestimate because they are familiar. Questions in this domain test whether you can identify a hazard, rank the risk, and choose the control that sits highest on the hierarchy of control. Learn the hierarchy in order: eliminate the hazard, substitute a safer option, apply engineering controls, then administrative controls, and finally personal protective equipment. PPE is the last line of defence, not the first.
Core hazards
- Noise: sustained exposure above 85 dB(A) over an eight-hour average is the common action level. Sound engineers are exposed from front-of-house, monitor world and headphones. Controls include rotation, quieter monitoring, and hearing protection.
- Electrical: test and tag, residual current devices, no liquids near racks, and never bypassing earth pins.
- Manual handling: moving subs, amp racks and truss. Use team lifts, trolleys and ramps.
- Working at height: rigging, ladders and truss work require competency, exclusion zones and fall arrest.
- Crowd and stage safety: barrier loading, cable ramps and clear egress.
Traps to watch
Questions often offer a plausible-sounding but low-order control, such as "give the crew earplugs" when the better answer is to reduce stage volume or relocate the operator away from the source. Another trap is confusing a hazard (the thing that can cause harm) with a risk (the likelihood and severity of that harm). Duty of care extends to contractors, performers, audience and volunteers, not just employees. Incident reporting and consultation with workers are legal duties, not optional good practice.
Worked rule of thumb
For any scenario, run the sequence: identify the hazard, assess who is exposed and how severely, apply the highest feasible control, record and review. If two answers are both valid, choose the one that removes or reduces the hazard at its source rather than relying on human behaviour.