Music

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Guideline review date: 24 September 2025

This guideline is provided to support schools in implementing the managing risks in school curriculum activities procedure.

The CARA planner (DOCX, 232KB) must be used for the specific school context in conjunction with this guideline considering additional risks, hazards and controls and including environmental, facility, equipment and student considerations.

For activities beyond the scope of this guideline, complete a CARA record using the CARA generic template (DOCX, 98KB).

Activity scope

This guideline demonstrates the minimum safety standard for student participation in music as an activity to support curriculum delivery, including singing, playing instruments, reading and writing music, listening and moving to music, composing, conducting and performing in ensembles.

The Department of Education is committed to ensuring that curriculum activities are planned for and managed in accordance with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld), to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of students, staff and others.

Depending on the scope of this activity, other risk assessments may be required when planning. Curriculum activities encompassing more than 1 CARA guideline (e.g. dance, drama, media arts) must comply with the requirements of all CARA guidelines appropriate to the activity.

For activities conducted at a non-Department of Education venue, and/or when engaging external expertise, request written risk assessment advice and attach it to this CARA record.

For activities conducted off-site, schools must comply with the school excursions procedure.

Risk level

Low risk
Teaching of music, practice and participation in competitions in classrooms/controlled environments.

Medium risk
Teaching of music, practice and participation in competitions in locations that increase exposure to excessive levels of noise or the level of risk (e.g. performances on a stage, platform, rostrum).

Activity requirements

If any requirement cannot be met, the activity must not occur.

A registered teacher must be appointed to maintain overall responsibility for the activity. For the purpose of instrumental music, it is recognised that the Department of Education employs music instructors who may not be registered as teachers in Queensland. These instructors are, however, deemed to be competent to have overall responsibility for instrumental music activities.

Teachers, in collaboration with other adult supervisors of the planned activity, determine additional risks, hazards and control measures relevant to the activity and the specific school/group circumstances in order to lift the safety standard above the minimum identified in the CARA guideline.

Consult review comments from previous CARA records to improve safety standards based on the advice from the previous supervisors of the activity at the school.

Prior consultation and collaboration with local expertise (e.g. venue manager) is required for local advice, emergency support mechanisms and additional supervision requirements to ensure participant and public safety.

Advice must be provided to parents, participants and students if a fog machine is used for performances. Exposure to these chemicals may have adverse reactions (e.g. asthma sufferers). The supporting students with asthma and/or at risk of anaphylaxis at school procedure must be consulted.

Compliance with the department's guide to managing electrical equipment in departmental schools and workplaces is required when using electrical equipment.

Hearing protection for instrumental music teachers and instructors must be consulted.

The instrumental music program policy must be adhered to.

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Students

Emergency and first-aid

Induction and instruction

Consent

Supervision

Principals, in consultation with the qualified adults, make final supervision decisions for the activity that considers the local context.

Appropriate adult supervision must be provided to manage the activity safely (i.e. prevent an incident from occurring and manage an incident if one were to occur, including managing emergency situations). The principal must give active consideration to the minimum standards set in the CARA guideline for the activity, the CARA planner and the risk assessment when determining the appropriate level of supervision.

See number of adult supervisors below.

Participants must adhere to all rules and advice communicated by the facility operator/owner and any safety signage at the facility/location.

Before the activity, all adult supervisors:

must be familiar with the contents of the CARA record, including the emergency and supervision plans.

During the activity, all adult supervisors:

must provide active and direct supervision—be constantly vigilant, attentive and rescue ready
must comply with control measures from the CARA record and adapt as hazards arise.

The activity must be suspended if the conditions become unfavourable (e.g. uncontrollable hazards arising).

Number of adult supervisors

Principals, in consultation with the qualified adults of the activity, determine the final number of supervisors to fulfil instructional, emergency and supervision roles for the local context that consider the nature of the activity, students' ages, abilities and specialised learning, access and/or health needs. In some instances, the final supervision ratio may be 1:1.

If the minimum safety standard cannot be met, modify the activity (or elements of it) and use the hierarchy of controls to implement alternative control measures to meet or exceed the minimum safety standard (e.g. reduce the number of students participating at any one time).

See frequently asked questions (FAQs) for further support.

Supervisor qualifications

Qualifications support the minimum safety standard for this activity. Principals make final decisions* in determining supervisor capability (competence, relevance and currency) and whether the activity leader meets an appropriate teaching standard.

*See FAQs for further support.

All adult supervisors must comply with the working with children authority—blue cards procedure.

Qualified adults for the activity

Recovery/emergency—CPR, first aid, rescue

An adult with current emergency qualifications is required to be quickly accessible to the activity area.

Supervisors must have CPR and first aid qualifications relevant to the activity. Emergency qualifications may include:

For music classes, at least 1 adult supervisor is either:

a registered teacher with knowledge of teaching music and its potential hazards
an adult supervisor, working under the direct supervision of a registered teacher, with competence (knowledge and skills) in teaching music (or equivalent demonstrated capability).

For instrumental music, at least 1 adult supervisor must meet one of the below criteria:

a registered teacher with knowledge of the current instrumental music curriculum and competence (knowledge and skills) in an instrument or instruments
a music instructor (instrumental) employed by the Department of Education
an adult supervisor, other than a registered teacher, with competence (knowledge and skills) in an instrument or instruments.

Facilities and equipment

The qualified adult supervisor of the activity, in consultation with the principal, determines the requirements for facilities and equipment appropriate to the local context.

Teaching and rehearsal areas must be:

accessible for large instruments and equipment
large enough to comfortably seat students and the instructor, together with their instruments and the required number of music stands
immediately accessible to facilities for washing mouthpieces of instruments
as soundproof as possible
not excessively resonant (e.g. not with concrete floor and walls). Sound-absorbing drapes, carpets and coverings on seating can assist with an excessive reverberation problem.

Chairs must be of suitable design and size for student use (e.g. chairs that have straight seats and backs and allow for students' feet to be flat on the floor).

Stage edges must be clearly visible and delineated, regardless of lighting.

Participants must wear personal protective equipment as relevant (e.g. ear plugs).

Equipment must be sized to match the ability and strength of students.

All equipment must be used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

A maintenance schedule (e.g. checking for damage) must be established and enacted for all equipment used in the workspace, such as staging, trolleys. Consult Equipment Maintenance Records (EMR) template.

A retirement schedule must be developed to replace equipment by manufacturers' nominated expiry date or when significant wear causes a hazard.

Common hazards and controls

Further to those listed, include any additional hazards and control measures considering the local context of the activity.

Environmental hazards	Control measures
Biological materials Body fluids (e.g. saliva)	Instruments with mouthpieces e.g. descant recorders must be sanitised to manufacturer's instructions prior to individual student use. Instrument reeds must not be shared
Environmental conditions Weather, surfaces, surrounds	Performance adjustments (e.g. regarding positioning of students and chairs) to be undertaken to suit the performance locations. Assess weather conditions prior to undertaking the activity outside, inspecting the intended location in order to identify variable risks, hazards and potential dangers. Follow the school's sun safety policy, including appropriate clothing, sun protection (e.g. sunscreen) and shade facilities when outside. Follow the managing excessive heat in schools guidelines when participating in very hot or extreme heat conditions. Outside venues must be free from debris, water, rocks and other hazards
Facilities and equipment hazards	Control measures
Electricity	If power is required, ensure electrical or extension leads do not pose a tripping hazard, are tangle-free and connected correctly
Noise Loud and/or continuous	Implement strategies to minimise voice strain. Ensure the music volume is at a reasonable level for the supervisor's instruction to be heard. Consider the room/area where music activities are to occur and the impact that noise levels will have on the participants and others in the school. For instrumental music instruction, activities should occur in specially designed or designated rooms where exposure to excessive noise has been managed (e.g. acoustically treated rooms). Where such rooms do not exist, the school should make every effort to ensure that suitable rooms or teaching areas are provided. Consider the use of earplugs for students involved in drumming activities
Stage lighting and special effects	Ensure participants are aware of the risk associated with flashing lights (e.g. strobes) especially for people prone to epilepsy
Student considerations	Control measures
Injury	Students aware of the location of emergency and first-aid equipment
Physical exertion	Forward-plan to ensure rehearsal workload is not increased dramatically in preparation for performances to avoid the risk of overuse injury. Conduct warm-up/cool-down activities. Continually monitor participants for signs of fatigue and exhaustion. Ensure drink breaks occur regularly. Make water available for individual participants between drink breaks. Ensure that students do not sing and/or play for extended periods without breaks and are aware of the risks of doing so. Encourage correct posture and technique at all times to minimise or avoid back problems
Manual handling	Use correct manual handling processes when lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling or carrying. Ensure appropriate equipment is used to lift heavy objects or materials (e.g. use of trolleys, ramps). Ensure students are aware of the risks associated with large, heavy instruments (e.g. the potential for upright pianos to topple over when they are moved). Refer to hazardous and manual tasks fact sheet when moving these instruments and ensure students do not operate the specialised equipment required for lifting them. Ensure instruments are harnessed correctly (if appropriate)
Student issues	Record information about any student condition (e.g. physical or medical, such as epilepsy). Monitor shared facilities (e.g. change rooms, public access areas). Reinforce the need for spatial awareness in relation to the stage edge, choir risers, working at heights and near stairs during rehearsals/performances to minimise the risk of trips and falls from heights

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