Title Page
COVID Safe Event Checklist
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Conducted by
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Event Name
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Contact person name
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Event Location
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Contact phone number/email address
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Checklist completion date
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Event commencement date and time
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Event completion date and time
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Anticipated attendance details: (e.g. anticipated attendance numbers, number of event staff, etc):
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Brief description of the types of activities occurring at the event (e.g. concert, market stalls, food etc):
What you need to do to safely operate your event
1. Governance Arrangements
a. Before the event
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Check the Queensland Government’s COVID-19 website at www.covid19.qld.gov.au to confirm you can operate your event and whether any specific restrictions apply.
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Obtain any necessary approvals to operate your event from appropriate authorities, e.g., venue owner/land holders and/or other approval bodies
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Identify key staff who are responsible for implementing and reviewing the strategies in this COVID Safe Events Checklist.
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Keep up to date with the legislative requirements and find additional guidance by monitoring the Public Health Directions, and visiting www.covid19.qld.gov.au and www.worksafe.qld.gov.au
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Where applicable, ensure that businesses operating at the event comply with their respective COVID Safe industry plans.
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Ensure staff attending the event are adequately trained to manage the COVID-19 requirements. This should include providing education or guidance on good personal hygiene, in accordance with standards set by the Office of Industrial Relations.
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Adopt procedures to manage psychosocial risks (including patron aggression), in accordance with practices recommended by the Office of Industrial Relations (page 10) and Safe Work Australia.
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Areas at the event must have a minimum of 4 square meters of accessible space per person. To determine the capacity of the event site, review section 1.2.1 Calculating Site Capacities in the Industry Framework for COVID Safe Events in Queensland. This may require monitoring to ensure that the maximum number of people in these areas is not exceeded.
b. During the event
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Monitor strategies during the event at regular intervals (e.g., at the beginning of the event, hourly, prior to and at the conclusion of main acts / performances, prior to expected increases in attendee movement)
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Ensure you have a copy of this signed checklist which must be produced if requested by a relevant enforcement officer. This may include providing an electronic copy.
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Provide evidence to the approving authority that staff have undertaken the required COVID-19 online training.
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Employees with a general work-related complaint can call WHS Queensland on 1300 362 128
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Business owners that would like to better understand their WHS duties regarding COVID-19 can call 1300 005 018 or their union or industry association. For questions regarding the Public Health Directions, call 134 COVID.
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Event attendees who have concerns about whether a business is complying with this checklist can call 13QGOV (13 74 68).
2. Communicate Expectations to Event Staff and Attendees
a. Before the event
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For ticketed events, ensure refund policies are well defined in social media and on the event website. Ticket holders should not be penalised for not attending when unwell.
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Include messaging prominently displayed on event website that people must not attend the event if they have COVID-19 symptoms.
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Ensure key health messages are scheduled via social media and are displayed on the event website:<br>• Stay at home if unwell or have a cough, fever, sore throat, fatigue or shortness of breath.<br>• How to seek assistance if becoming unwell during the event (locate security, event officials or first aid)<br>• Maintaining physical distancing requirements is the individuals responsibility
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Communicate security requirements via social media and event website to prevent crowding at entry points
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Place signs at entry points to instruct attendees not to enter the venue if they are unwell, have COVID-19 symptoms, have been overseas in the last 14 days, or have been in close contact with a confirmed case. The sign should state that businesses have the right to refuse service and must insist that anyone with these symptoms leaves the venue.
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Prominently display hygiene placards (e.g. hand washing and sanitising practices). Electronic copies of hygiene placards can be accessed from the Safe Work Australia website
b. During the event
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Use loud speakers and/or a megaphone to disseminate information about the public health measures implemented at the event
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Ensure signs about enhanced public health measures are maintained and visible
3. Maintain Physical Distancing
a. Before the event
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Determine the total number of people allowed on site at any given time, as per the physical distancing requirements of 1 person per 4 metres squared per person
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Establish a system to monitor the numbers of people entering and exiting the event site, to ensure the site capacity or limit of 500 people (whichever is least) is not exceeded.
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Develop and implement practices to manage the number of people inside discrete areas of the event (e.g., toilet facilities, retail spaces, food service areas) at any given time (e.g. using signage).
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Place floor markings, wall markings or signs to identify 1.5 metre distance between persons queuing at all relevant locations (e.g., at all entries, ticket offices, toilets, food areas, etc...)
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Use physical barriers in high foot traffic areas to separate crowds
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Ensure one-way flow of foot traffic is established where practical
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Use separate entries and exits within discrete areas of the event site
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Limit the use of cash transactions by encouraging customers to use tap and go, direct deposit or other contactless payment options.
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Where practical, direct delivery drivers or other contractors visiting the event to do so prior to the event and to minimise physical interaction with others. Use electronic paperwork where possible. If a signature is required, discuss providing a confirmation email instead, or take a photo of the goods onsite as proof of delivery.
b. During the event
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Monitor physical distancing as per government guidelines in each discrete area (metres squared per person; distance between household groups).
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Monitor queuing arrangements to maintain physical distancing
4. Screening
a. Before the event
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Implement symptom screening for staff, contractors and volunteers and will at a minimum, be screened upon shift commencement. This may include verbal/print questionnaire or electronic solutions.
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Establish areas where attendees who become unwell during the event can be isolated from other attendees
b. During the event
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At entry points that have event staff or security personnel, ask screening questions of attendees such as:<br>• In the last 14 days have you travelled from overseas or a COVID-19 hotspot?<br>• Have you been in close contact with a person who is positive for COVID-19?<br>• Are you an active COVID-19 case?<br>• Are you currently, or have you recently experienced cough, fever, sore throat, fatigue or<br>shortness of breath?<br>If yes to any of the above:<br>• Isolate the attendee in the nearest designated isolation space.<br>• Provide the affected person with appropriate personal protective equipment.<br>• Refuse entry to the event and refer the person to first aid, medical or in-event health services if<br>available.
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Screening questions can be undertaken concurrently with other entry activities, e.g., during ticket purchasing or bag checking.
5. Facilitate Contact Tracing
a. Before the event
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A record of all on-site staff including contractors and volunteers must be established to identify the persons: name, phone number, email address, home address, organisation affiliation, discrete areas of work (e.g., security at front gate, cleaner in retail space), time of entry to the event site, time of leaving the event site.
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For ticketed events only, records for at least one person per group must be kept that include: name of attendee, contact phone number, email address, home address (or residential postcode at minimum).
b. During the event
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Records must adhere to standards in the Privacy Act. Records must be securely stored for 56 days after the event for contact tracing purposes.
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Records of contact information for staff and attendees to be provided immediately upon request by public health officials from Queensland Health.
6. Regular and Thorough Cleaning
a. Before the event
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Refer to pages 6-9 of the Work health and safety during COVID-19: Guide to keeping your workplace safe, clean and healthy and ensure appropriate personal protective equipment is available for use by staff
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Establish cleaning protocols for discrete areas of high foot traffic (e.g., bathrooms, catering areas). This should include a frequency of cleaning for the discrete area dependent on usage from attendees.
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Ensure that there are enough supplies of cleaning products (e.g. detergent, sanitiser, bleach, etc) to last the duration of the entire event. Cleaning products, such as sanitiser and detergents must adhere to the standards set out by the Office of Industrial Relations.
b. During the event
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Toilets - adopt and implement practices to ensure that frequently touched areas and surfaces are cleaned regularly with detergent or disinfectant (including shared surfaces such as taps, basins, benches, hand drying equipment/paper towel dispensers, doors/door handles, locks on toilets, cistern buttons, etc.). Cleaning practices to be implemented in accordance with Office of Industrial Relations.
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General cleaning – adopt and implement practices to ensure that the venue is frequently cleaned, with a particular focus on high contact areas, such as eftpos equipment, dining tables, counter tops and sinks are regularly cleaned, in accordance with standards set out by the Office of Industrial Relations.
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Increased frequency will be required during expected high usage times (e.g., at half-time in an event when more people use toilets; at meal times more people will gather in food service areas)
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Gloves should be recommended only for specific indications where the prospect of contact with heavily contaminated items is high, such as cleaning of toilet facilities. If gloves are worn, these should be considered single use and disposed of appropriately.
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Cleaning and disinfection after suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection: Adopt and implement practices to ensure that areas that have been used by a person with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection are cleaned and disinfected and that appropriate personal protective equipment is worn by the cleaner, in accordance with the practices set out by the Office of Industrial Relations.
7. Hand Sanitiser and Hand Washing Facilities
a. Before the event
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Establish hand washing / sanitising stations and practices for staff and attendees as they enter and exit the event site and discrete areas within the site
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Hand washing / sanitising stations must include clean running water, liquid soap and paper towel. If hand washing facilities are not available, an appropriate alcohol-based hand rub should be made available.
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Provide sanitiser stations outside of toilet facilities and throughout the event. Ensure that stations are adequately stocked and cleaned. Alcohol-based hand sanitiser containing at least 60% ethanol, or 70% iso-propanol are recommended.
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Hand washing facilities are required for food businesses.
b. During the event
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Ensure hand sanitiser and hand washing facilities are maintained throughout the event site for staff and attendees.
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Encourage staff to practice good personal and hand hygiene, in accordance with standards set by the Office of Industrial Relations
Sign Off
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Name of person(s) conducting business or undertaking as defined in the Work Health & Safety Act 2011 (Name and Signature)
