WorkSafe Victoria — one-page referenceEasyStagecraft Suite · Module 1 resource · pin to the inside of the production office door · current as of 2026-05

This card is a quick reference, not legal advice. WorkSafe Victoria publishes the authoritative position at worksafe.vic.gov.au. For NSW use SafeWork NSW (safework.nsw.gov.au); QLD use Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (worksafe.qld.gov.au); WA use WorkSafe WA (commerce.wa.gov.au/worksafe). The thresholds below are Victorian — interstate readers, swap the regulator URL but the categories largely align under the Model WHS framework.

Phone numbers — write these in the production folder

WorkSafe Victoria Advisory Service	1800 136 089 · Mon-Fri 8:30-16:30
WorkSafe Victoria Emergency / notifiable incident hotline	13 23 60 · 24/7
Police / Fire / Ambulance	000 (or 112 mobile)
Poisons Information Centre	13 11 26
Your principal — direct (fill in)	______________________
Your business manager — direct (fill in)	______________________

High-risk plant categories you should know exist

These are categories of plant that trigger heightened controls, licensing, or notification under the Victorian OHS Regulations 2017 + AS/NZS standards. You don't need to operate them — you need to recognise them in a contractor's quote and know what should be in place.

Plant category	What it includes (school theatre)	Mandatory before use
Fly / counterweight systems	Manual hemp lines, counterweight bars, motorised winches, automated chain hoists	Rigging Intermediate or Advanced licence · annual inspection · loading register
Elevating Work Platforms (EWP)	Scissor lift, Genie boom (>11m needs WP licence), cherry picker	EWP Yellow Card if <11m / WP licence if >11m · daily pre-start · ground spotter
Lifting equipment	Chain blocks, slings, shackles, eye-bolts, structural anchors	WLL stamped + visible · annual third-party inspection · register
Pressure equipment / pyro	Pyrotechnic devices, CO2 effects, fog with pressurised cartridges	Licensed pyrotechnician on-site · MFB / FRV notification · venue approval
Dangerous goods	Theatrical aerosols, scenic solvents, propane / LPG flame effects, lithium battery banks	SDS on file · storage cabinet · quantity-of-day limits per WorkSafe DG guide
Electrical (300V+)	3-phase distro, dimmer racks, motorised flying systems, LED video walls	Licensed electrician for installation · A or B-grade workers · AS/NZS 3760 testing in-cycle
Hot work	Welding (set build), grinding (set build), soldering live in-venue, candles + open flame on stage	Hot Work Permit (venue building manager) · extinguisher within 2m · 30-min fire watch after

What is a "notifiable incident"?

Under the Victorian OHS Act 2004 s.38, you (as the person managing the workplace, or the school as PCBU) must immediately notify WorkSafe by phone, and preserve the incident site, for any of:

Death of any person arising from work activity
Serious injury or illness — including: immediate medical treatment as an in-patient in hospital; immediate medical treatment for amputation, serious head injury, serious eye injury, electric shock, spinal injury, loss of bodily function, serious lacerations, or any injury requiring 48h+ hospitalisation
Dangerous incident — including: uncontrolled implosion / explosion / fire; uncontrolled escape of gas / steam / pressurised substance; electric shock; fall or release from height of any plant, equipment or substance; collapse or overturning of a structure; collapse of any plant that requires authorisation under regs

If a notifiable incident happens during your production 1. Stop the work + secure the area (do not move anything except to administer first aid).
2. First aid + 000 if needed.
3. Phone WorkSafe Vic: 13 23 60. They will record the report and confirm the next steps.
4. Phone your principal — they will engage the school's WHS officer + insurer.
5. Preserve the site until WorkSafe inspector arrives or releases it.
6. Write the incident report (resource pack: incident-report-template.html) while everything is fresh — yours is the contemporaneous record.
Do not say "it was just a..." Do not minimise. Do not negotiate with the inspector.

Records you must keep, and for how long

Record	Retain for
SWMS for high-risk construction work	2 years from work end / 2 years from incident if applicable
Incident registers + investigation reports	5 years (longer for child-involved; align with the school's child-records retention)
Plant inspection records (rigging, EWP)	Life of the plant + 5 years
Electrical testing logs (AS/NZS 3760)	Until next test cycle + previous cycle (3 years rolling)
Training records / sign-on registers	5 years
WWCC verification log	Term of engagement + 7 years

If WorkSafe rings you

1. Be polite and brief. 2. Confirm the production / date / your role. 3. Offer to assemble the records they ask for and call back within a window (24h normally fine). 4. Do not speculate on cause. 5. Call your principal immediately after the call ends. 6. Do not destroy or alter any document — even draft notes.

Useful URLs (current 2026-05)

WorkSafe Vic — Performing Arts industry guidance: worksafe.vic.gov.au/performing-arts
Model Code of Practice — Construction work: safeworkaustralia.gov.au/doc/model-code-practice-construction-work
AS/NZS 3760:2022 (in-service safety inspection): purchase via SAI Global / Standards Australia
VIT teacher registration (Vic): vit.vic.edu.au