Event Bump-In and Bump-Out SWMS

For event production crews, venues, hire companies and contractors who set up and pack down events, shows and festivals. It follows the work from planning with the organiser and vehicle access through manual handling, forklifts, temporary structures, power and cables, and working alongside other trades, to bump-out and packing. Crowd control, marquee erection and rigging are not covered here and need their own SWMS.

Loading in, handling and packing out event gear is not construction work by itself, but assembling or dismantling staging, risers, towers or truss is (WHS Regulation s 289), and a SWMS is legally required for high risk construction work (s 299). No high risk construction work items are pre-ticked. If your job builds or dismantles such structures, tick the items that apply: a fall of more than 2 metres, movement of powered mobile plant, energised electrical installations or services, or a traffic corridor in use. Otherwise this works as a written safe work procedure and task risk assessment.

Learn More: What Is A Safe Work Method Statement?
Have you ever been asked to provide a SWMS on a project in Queensland? Read our guide to what a Safe Work Method Statement is and when you need one.

What Is Covered In Our Event Bump-In and Bump-Out SWMS?

The job steps run in the order the work is done, from pre-start checks to finishing up. The hazards and controls include:

• Reversing vehicles and forklifts striking people
• Strains from heavy cases, speakers and set pieces
• Collapse of staging, barricades and temporary structures
• Falls from staging, truss, ladders and platforms
• Falling tools and rigging gear
• Electric shock and fire from temporary power
• Tripping on cables and clutter
• Generator fumes and fuel hazards
• Falls from tail lifts and dock edges
• Conflict between trades on shared sites
• People entering the work area
• Fatigue from long bump-in and bump-out shifts

High Risk Construction Work

No high risk construction work items (WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) s 291) are pre-ticked, because this work is not high risk construction work by itself. Tick the items that apply to your job, such as a fall risk of more than 2 metres or work where powered mobile plant is moving.

Licences, Training and Competency

• General construction induction training card (white card) where the bump-in or bump-out is construction work, such as assembling or dismantling staging, rigs or other structures (WHS Regulation s 317)
• High risk work licence for the forklift truck class for anyone operating a forklift (Schedule 3)
• High risk work licence for a boom-type elevating work platform with a boom length of 11 m or more (Schedule 3 item 21); no licence class applies to scissor lifts or to boom-type platforms under 11 m, but operators need training for the model
• Dogging or rigging high risk work licence for anyone slinging loads for a crane or doing rigging work that Schedule 3 covers; use a separate SWMS for rigging
• Electrical work licence for any electrical work, including connecting supply wiring to a venue supply or distribution board (Electrical Safety Act 2002 s 55); connecting equipment to supply by a flexible cord plug and socket outlet is not electrical work (s 18(2)(a))
• Competent person for temporary structures such as staging and barricades, who checks the structure against the supplier’s or engineer’s instructions
• Venue or site induction, and the event organiser’s accreditation if required

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld): ss 16 and 46 (more than one duty holder, consult, cooperate and coordinate)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): ss 214 and 215 (powered mobile plant)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): ss 306C, 306D and 306M (falls and ladders in construction work)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): ss 315B to 315M (falling objects in construction work)
• How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021
• Work Health and Safety Consultation, Co-operation and Co-ordination Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice 2021
• First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Traffic Management for Construction or Maintenance Work Code of Practice 2008
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld): s 55 (electrical work licence)
• Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2021 – Managing electrical risks in the workplace
• Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (Qld): overhead power line exclusion zones in sections 10 to 13 and schedule 2
• Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: Managing the risk of fatigue at work (guidance)

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (13 pages), laid out on A4 landscape pages
• Business, client, job and document details typed once and filled in on every page, plus a space for your logo
• The high risk construction work checklist, worded as WHS Regulation s 291, and the construction project question (s 292)
• A worker and health and safety representative consultation record
• Qualifications, plant, PPE, hazardous chemicals, safety equipment, permits, references and emergency arrangements filled in for this work
• A 5 x 5 risk matrix, and job steps with initial and residual risk scores and the people responsible
• Implementing, monitoring and review requirements, an additional controls log, revision history and a worker sign-on sheet

Review and adjust it for your site, your plant and the way your crew does the job, and talk it through with your workers before work starts. If you have any trouble downloading this SWMS, you can contact us at any time. Please make sure you read our Disclaimer before downloading this SWMS.