In House Production Safety Guide 2025 Edition
Here is a quick basic guide to keeping this system Safe.
Because live entertainment should bring energy to your venue—not chaos, injury, or insurance claims.
Let’s be honest:
You’ve got bands loading in and out every week, rain one minute, heatwaves the next, a full house of punters, staff running plates, wires underfoot, drinks everywhere—and somehow you’re supposed to keep everyone safe?
Yeah. It’s a lot.
But if you want your venue to thrive (not just survive), safety is your silent headliner.
This guide gives you the essentials—no waffle, no legal jargon, just what you need to know to keep your in-house system humming, your crew protected, and your patrons safe.
🔧 MAINTAIN YOUR SYSTEM LIKE YOUR REP DEPENDS ON IT (Because it does)
Venue managers are legally required to take reasonable steps to protect everyone affected by the entertainment happening under your roof. That includes your staff, your customers, and yes—even the lead guitarist balancing a beer on the foldback wedge.
👉 Not sure if you’re covered? Talk to a licenced Workplace Health and Safety Officer. Don't wing it.
⚠️ HAZARDS vs. RISKS — Know the Difference
Hazard = Something that can cause harm
Risk = The chance that harm actually happens
🎯 Your job?
Reduce or eliminate both.
If something can go wrong, make it harder to go wrong.
If someone could get hurt, make it almost impossible.
🦺 REAL-LIFE EXAMPLE:
Lighting crew working above the stage?
Tools falling = hazard
Someone underneath = risk
✅ Make it a hard-hat zone
✅ Clear the stage during overhead work
✅ Put signage in place
Simple, right? But it can save a life.
📝 RISK ASSESSMENT – ONE PER SHOW
Every act. Every week. No exceptions.
Use the Safe Work Australia Risk Assessment tool and document your checks. If it’s not written down, it didn’t happen.
📄 SAFE WORK METHOD STATEMENTS (SWMS)
Every professional act should bring their own SWMS. Ask for it.
Review it.
Make sure their plan doesn’t compromise your system or your people.
It’s not about paperwork. It’s about predictability and responsibility.
💪 MANUAL HANDLING – GIGS BREAK BACKS
Loading in isn’t just heavy—it’s dangerous.
Ask:
Can it be wheeled instead of carried?
Are there gloves, trolleys, ramps available?
Are crew in steel-caps, high-vis, hard hats?
⛔ If the lead singer’s dragging an amp through the bar in thongs, it’s a hard no.
⚡ ELECTRICAL SAFETY – DON'T FRY YOUR FRIDAYS
All power must be earthed, breaker-protected, and RCD-fitted
Use 30mA RCDs at every outlet
All gear must be PAT tested every 6 months—No Tag = No Play
Visually inspect every plug, wire, and case. If it’s dodgy, bin it or get it repaired—no tape, no glue, no “just this once.”
🧾 UNSAFE EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST
✅ No cracked plugs
✅ No exposed wires
✅ No loose screws
✅ No bypassed fuses
✅ Earth wires must NEVER be disconnected
If it looks wrong, it is wrong.
🎚️ EQUIPMENT POSITIONING – TRIP HAZARDS KILL VIBES
NEVER run cables across fire exits
Use mats, covers, hazard tape, and secure all cables
Speaker legs? Tape the floor or put a barrier around them
Trip hazards are preventable. Don’t be lazy.
🔌 STACKED GEAR? STRAPPED GEAR.
Wind, bumps, or dodgy tables can turn a speaker into a weapon
Strap everything. Especially outdoors.
Unstable stacks = lawsuits waiting to happen
🎧 NOISE MANAGEMENT
Soundchecks can be louder than the show.
Protect your tech crew and staff:
Ears away from speakers when unmuting
No one near monitors during line check
Offer hearing protection to all production personnel
That ringing in your ears? Permanent if you’re not careful.
FINAL WORD:
Live entertainment should elevate your venue—not risk it.
The band brings the music.
You bring the safety culture that protects your crowd, your team, your gear—and your licence.
📥 Want this as a printable checklist or laminated sheet for the greenroom?
We’ve got you.
Welcome to safety—The Pushy Way.
Smart. Sharp. And built for the real world of live gigs in 2025.
#Musoverse #PushworthSafety #VenueManagement #LiveMusicRisk #NicholaSaidItFirst #MusicMeansBusiness #BackstageSafety #InHouseProductionStandards
Nichola Burton is the CEO for The Pushworth Group, the Creative Director for A Little Pitchy, Designer UX for PUSHWORTH LIVE™ The Integrated Solution For The Music Industry.
Nichola Burton Copyright 2025