Health & Safety

Risk assessment — made simpler.

Every visiting company submits a risk assessment before activity begins. Use our generator tool, work from a template, or read the venue's full risk-assessment suite below.

The risk assessment process
  1. 1

    Build your RA

    Use our RA generator, the Word template (HST-RA-003 includes the visiting-company template at Appendix A), or your own format.

  2. 2

    Submit at least 7 days before your first performance

    Use the Risk assessment tile on the dashboard. The Hire Agreement requires this lead time.

  3. 3

    We review

    The HST Technician reviews production-specific matters; the Theatre Manager reviews venue-level fit. We may come back with questions.

  4. 4

    Approval — then activity can commence

    Bring a printed copy on first call. Activity may not begin until the RA has been approved.

Prohibited — no exceptions
Standing prohibitions. The following are prohibited venue-wide regardless of any production's history elsewhere:
  • Pyrotechnics — none.
  • Naked or open flame — none.
  • Real firearms — none. Theatrical weapons must be blunted and notified to the HST Technician in advance.
  • Smoke effects — not permitted (haze is permitted with prior notification).
Activities requiring advance notification

If your production includes any of the below, notify the HST Technician on first call and address it explicitly in your risk assessment.

  • Theatrical weapons — blunted swords, rubber knives, replica firearms. Storage and on-stage procedures must be agreed.
  • Haze effects — allowed with notification; smoke is not.
  • Strobe or intense lighting — signage required at venue entry.
  • Cooking, hot food or hot liquids on stage.
  • Substances projected at the audience (water, foam, etc.) — signage at entry.
  • Audience participation including stage access.
  • Fights, stunts or held lifts — a fight director (or qualified equivalent) must be engaged and named.
  • Working at height by visiting personnel — generally not permitted; the lighting rig is fixed and operated only by the HST Technician.
  • Child performers — Child Performance Licences and chaperone arrangements must be in place; DBS records held by the visiting company; the DSL must be notified before first rehearsal.
Insurance you'll need

Required of every visiting company per the Hire Agreement (clause 18(b)). Certificates must reach the Theatre Manager at least 7 days before the first performance.

Public Liability

Minimum £5,000,000.

Employers' Liability

Minimum £10,000,000 where applicable (covers freelances, volunteers and unpaid production members under your direction).

For broker recommendations and detail, see the Insurance section in Help & Resources.

Prefer Word? Use the template

If you'd rather build your RA in Word, here's the venue's blank template — the same form the generator produces, ready for you to fill in by hand.

Template · Word

Visiting Company RA template

The blank Visiting Company Risk Assessment Template — production details, standing declarations, insurance, hazards table and sign-off.

Download .DOCX ↓
How risk is scored

The venue uses the standard HSE 5×5 risk matrix. Each hazard is scored before controls (initial risk) and after controls (residual risk).

Likelihood ↓ / Severity → Severity (impact)
1
Insignificant		 2
Minor		 3
Moderate		 4
Major		 5
Catastrophic
1 — Very Unlikely12345
2 — Unlikely246810
3 — Possible3691215
4 — Likely48121620
5 — Very Likely510152025
1–5 Low — acceptable, monitor.
6–15 Medium — tolerable, reduce so far as is reasonably practicable.
16–25 High — unacceptable; activity may not commence (or must cease) until reduced.