Last week, on Wednesday 2 July, NSW emergency services were called to Dubbo Regional Theatre to assist an injured worker on-site.
As reported by the Blayney Chronicle, they were called to assist a 61-year-old man – a theatre worker and Dubbo Regional Council employee – who was suffering serious arm and leg injuries.
The man was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics and the Royal Flying Doctor Service before being taken to Dubbo Base Hospital in a critical condition. He later died in hospital from his injuries.
While SafeWork NSW is investigating, details about the accident are still scarce – however, it appears the worker’s injuries resulted from a fall while working at-height in the theatre.
In a public notice issued by Dubbo Regional Theatre, its theatre will remain closed until at least Friday 11 July, with all shows cancelled until further notice.
Confronting reminder of the risks of backstage tech work
The tragic accident has left theatre technicians around the country deeply saddened, and reflecting on the often under-acknowledged dangers inherent in their daily work.
As one highly experienced theatre technician told ArtsHub in the wake of the news, “there is no maybe in safety when it comes to our work”.
They also expressed concern at the chronically low investment in the backstage tech workforce in Australia, which has for years been highly casualised due to the seasonal nature of a lot of the work.
“This [backstage tech crew] area of the arts isn’t necessarily the best resourced,” they said.
“But we absolutely must ensure our strong culture of safety is being upheld.
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“And that means focusing on workplaces where we are sharing information, fostering understanding, encouraging buddy checks, and not rushing our processes.”
They also cautioned against a culture of blaming and shaming when things go wrong.
“Accountability yes, but blaming is not the answer,” they said.
“Understanding is best – and I think if we can learn something from this terrible tragedy it’s that we must really pay attention to supporting each other on the job. Especially if someone is having a bad day.
“Even the most experienced techs have bad days at work,” they continued.
“But in our business, if our minds are distracted and if we don’t have someone doing that second safety check, that’s when mistakes can happen – either through our complacency or human error.”
“So, I think it’s a reminder that we must keep investing in a safety culture where we can always be learning from each other – through training programs and on the job.”
In their view, theatres’ best practice safety scripts should also ensure cultures where workers are pressured into rushing through important processes and where they allowed to work while fatigued are banished.
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“These staff are the foundations of these productions,” they added.
“We are the ones who keep the shows going, and so we should absolutely be fostering supportive workplace cultures where our safety is number one.”
