Briefings and inductions

All workers, volunteers, contractors and performers must be given an appropriate site induction and pre-event briefing.

Why it matters

Inductions and briefings:

• help prevent injuries and incidents
• ensure compliance with workplace health and safety legislation
• means everyone understands the event layout, safety procedures and their individual responsibilities
• reduce confusion and improve coordination
• support emergency preparedness and communication.

Site induction 

Every person working on site (before, during or after the event) must complete a site induction before starting work. This includes event crew and staff, contractors (like staging, AV and infrastructure), stallholders, vendors, performers and volunteers. 

Induction should include:

• site layout, entry/exit points and emergency exits
• vehicle access and exclusion zones
• hazards and risk controls
• emergency contacts and procedures
• personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements
• show stop or emergency codes (if applicable)
• incident reporting
• location of first aid, toilets, water points and bins.

Induction can be delivered face-to-face onsite, or in advance (via email, app or video) with a sign-in on arrival.

You must keep a record of inductions including a sign-in sheet or digital confirmation.

Pre-event briefing 

In addition to inductions, run a short, pre-event briefing before the event starts. This is especially important if people are working for a short time or volunteering.

The pre-event briefing should cover:

• the schedule and key event timings
• roles and responsibilities
• crowd expectations and risk points
• weather or environmental considerations
• communication methods (for example radios, contact numbers)
• Emergency Response Plan, including code words or stop triggers
• lost persons and critical incident processes.

Practical tips

• Use maps or visuals where possible.
• Speak clearly and use plain language.
• Encourage questions.
• Reinforce that if in doubt, stop and ask.