Safety Norms: Architecture, Game Design and Performing Arts

1Purpose, Scope and Safety Principles

These norms apply to every studio, workshop, digital lab, rehearsal room, theatre, playtesting session and public showing connected with architecture, game design and performing arts courses. They cover students, instructors, guest artists, technicians, volunteers, playtesters, and audience members. Their purpose is to prevent physical injury, protect consent and privacy, keep creative work lawful, and protect the credibility of the program and the people who represent it.

Three principles guide every decision. First, hazards are identified before work begins, not after someone is hurt. Second, the person with the most direct control over a hazard is responsible for it. Third, if a hazard cannot be controlled, the activity stops and is escalated rather than improvised around.

• Mandatory: no one performs a hazardous task without the authorization described in the next section.
• Mandatory: jurisdiction-dependent requirements, including building, electrical, rigging, pyrotechnic, data protection and copyright rules, must be verified with competent authorities or qualified professionals before related work starts.
• Recommendation: review these norms at the start of each term and whenever a new venue, tool, platform or audience type is introduced.

2Roles, Competence and Accountability

The program lead owns this document and approves local procedures. Studio and workshop supervisors authorize tool use and keep access registers. Production or stage managers direct rehearsal, rigging coordination and technical work in theatres. Game design instructors own playtesting protocols, including participant consent, age rules and data handling. Students must follow instructions, complete induction for each space, and report hazards they see.

Competence means documented training, not confidence or past experience elsewhere. A student may use a power tool only after a supervised induction has been recorded. Rigging, flying loads, high-voltage stage power, pyrotechnics and haze effects require qualified persons under local law, and students may observe or assist only as directed. Licensed professionals must review any structural drawing or building design before it is presented as safe to occupy or build.

• Mandatory: every activity has a named supervisor who is present or reachable and has authority to stop work.
• Mandatory: supervisors update the authorization register after every induction, refresher or withdrawal of access.
• Recommendation: pair novice students with an experienced peer for the first several sessions on any machine.

3Course-Specific Hazards and Risk Assessment

Hazards in this subject are varied. Architecture and model work involves cutting tools, laser cutters, 3D printers, hot-wire cutters, solvents, spray adhesives, resins, fine dust from foam and MDF, and falls from scaffolds or site edges during visits. Game design involves prolonged screen use, eye and posture strain, headset use, loud audio, motion discomfort in virtual reality, and harm that content itself may cause to players. Performing arts involve falls on stage, heavy set pieces, rigging, cable trips in low light, high sound levels, strobe or flashing effects, smoke and haze, pyrotechnics, and vocal or physical overuse.

Risk is scored as likelihood multiplied by severity on a three-level scale of low, medium and high. A high risk needs a written control and supervisor approval before the activity starts. Assessments are recorded on a standard form and reviewed whenever the venue, tool, cast, audience, content or platform changes. A risk assessment supports, but does not replace, a professional structural, electrical or engineering assessment where law or the venue requires one.

• Model workshop cutting and laser work: high risk until induction, eye protection and extraction are confirmed.
• Visits to active construction: no entry without written permission from the site operator and compliance with site safety rules.
• Playtesting involving minors: high risk, requiring guardian consent and a safeguarding plan approved by the program lead.
• Flashing or strobe effects in games or performances: high risk for photosensitive viewers. Provide a content warning and a way to reduce or disable the effect.
• Pyrotechnics, flame and haze: prohibited to students unless a licensed operator is engaged and local permits are verified.
• Heavy set pieces and rigging: students do not climb, fly or load-bear structures.

4Preventive Controls and Safe Work Practices

Workshop controls come first. Eye protection is mandatory for cutting, sanding, drilling and resin work. Guards must stay in place, and a machine with a missing or damaged guard is locked out and tagged. Keep floors clear, tie back long hair, and avoid loose sleeves and jewelry near rotating parts. Cut away from the body, unplug equipment before changing blades, and never clear a jam by hand while the machine is running. Store solvents and resins in labeled, closed containers away from heat and ignition sources. Food and drink are not permitted in workshops.

Ventilation controls airborne hazards. Laser cutters, resin printers, spray adhesives and solvent work require local exhaust or extraction confirmed by the supervisor before use. Where extraction is inadequate, work stops rather than relying on a mask alone. Respiratory protection programs, including fit testing, are jurisdiction-dependent, so verify the local requirement with the relevant safety authority. Follow manufacturer instructions for ventilation and disposal, recognizing that these instructions vary by product.

In rehearsal and theatre work, walk the floor before every session to check for cables, debris, uneven surfaces and clear exits. Focus lighting and set adjustments at height are done only by trained staff using an approved access device. Students do not stand on chairs, tables or set pieces. Warm up before physical or vocal work, take scheduled rest breaks, and stop any activity that causes pain or unexpected symptoms, then seek qualified medical advice. Sound levels are monitored with a calibrated meter during technical rehearsal, and hearing protection is provided where local exposure limits require it.

Playtesting follows a written protocol. Participants receive a plain-language description of the game, its content warnings and the data collected before consenting. Participation is voluntary and can be withdrawn at any time without penalty. Sessions include breaks set in the protocol, and virtual reality sessions stop immediately for anyone who reports discomfort. Faces, voices and personal details are not recorded without separate written consent.

• Mandatory: cover all moving parts, lock out machines with faults, and never bypass guards or interlocks.
• Mandatory: no rigging, flying, climbing on sets or work at height without an authorized person.
• Mandatory: each playtest records informed consent, guardian consent where needed, and a named facilitator who can end the session.
• Recommendation: use licensed or original music, fonts, textures and assets, and record license terms before public release.
• Recommendation: disclose generative tool use in credits or project notes when the course, publisher or platform requires it.

5Equipment, Environment, Information and Protective Safeguards

Equipment is inspected before use. Tags or logs record the last inspection, and damaged leads, cracked blades, loose fixings or faulty batteries are removed from service. Personal protective equipment is supplied for each task, including eye protection, hearing protection where needed, gloves matched to the chemical in use, and sturdy closed footwear in workshops and on stage. Workstations should allow neutral posture, adjustable seating, comfortable screen distance, and regular breaks during design and coding work. Studio lighting and temperature should support safe visibility and comfort.

Information safeguards protect people and intellectual property. Student and playtester data should be collected only when needed, stored on approved institutional systems, and anonymized before analysis or publication. Client drawings, site information and unreleased game builds are confidential unless the owner grants permission. Shared passwords, build keys and signing certificates are never stored in public repositories. Respect platform rules on age ratings, community guidelines, store policies and reporting. Verify copyright and performing rights for music, footage, images and scripts before publication, and cite sources accurately.

Reputational risk matters because this work is public. Do not claim that a design is certified, code compliant, structurally sound or accessible unless a qualified person has confirmed it. Portfolio work must reflect the student's actual contribution. Do not post fake reviews, misleading playtest results, or cropped images that misrepresent a venue or event. Content with potential to harm, harass or mislead must be reviewed by the instructor before release.

6Incident Reporting, Emergency Response and Escalation

Any injury, near miss, damaged equipment, exposure concern, safeguarding issue, data loss or harmful content must be reported to the supervisor on the same day. Near misses count. The first responder must stop the activity, make the area safe without placing themselves at risk, and call the designated emergency contact or emergency services for serious injury, fire, electrical danger, or gas or chemical exposure. Only people trained in first aid may give first aid. Do not move an injured person unless they face immediate danger, and do not give medical advice beyond training.

After the immediate response, the supervisor records the incident in the incident log, preserves relevant evidence such as photographs, equipment and game build versions, and notifies the program lead. Serious incidents are escalated to the institution's safety office and, where legally required, to the relevant authority. Written statements should describe facts and avoid guessing about cause or blame. Data breaches are reported to the privacy officer immediately so that legal notification duties can be assessed. Harmful or unlawful content in a game or public performance is withdrawn pending review.

• Post emergency contacts, assembly points and evacuation routes in every workshop, studio, rehearsal room and playtest area.
• Keep an accessible first aid kit and confirm the trained first aider for each session by name.
• Do not restart equipment or resume a performance until the supervisor has confirmed it is safe.
• Report data incidents to the privacy officer as soon as they are identified, even if the scope is unknown.

7Records, Training, Inspection and Review

Records make safety visible and auditable. Keep risk assessments, induction logs, authorization registers, equipment inspection records, consent forms, playtest protocols, incident logs, and license or permission documents in an approved location. Retention periods and access rules are jurisdiction-dependent and must be confirmed with the institution and the applicable data protection authority. Records should be signed by the person who created them and corrected by addition rather than overwriting.

Training is role based. Every student completes induction for each space and tool, instructors complete refresher training on a schedule set by the program lead, and playtest facilitators receive training in consent, accessibility and escalation. Inspections are carried out regularly, and high-risk equipment is checked before each use. Monitoring includes termly reviews of incident trends, near miss reports and student feedback. Each review updates these norms, and every change is communicated to everyone who must follow it.

8Conclusion and Practical Checklist

These norms are a starting point, not a substitute for local procedures, professional advice or formal training. Adapt them to your institution, venue, jurisdiction and platform policies, and have them approved by the responsible authority before use. When in doubt, stop, make safe, and ask the supervisor before continuing.

Implementation checklist

• Confirm your induction and authorization are recorded for every tool or space you use.
• Complete a written risk assessment for any high-risk activity before it starts.
• Check guards, leads, blades and extraction before each session.
• Wear the specified eye, hearing and respiratory protection for the task.
• Obtain written consent before recording participants, playtesters or performers.
• Verify that music, fonts, images, assets and scripts are licensed or original before publishing.
• Add content warnings and effect reduction options for flashing or intense material.
• Avoid unverified claims about safety, compliance, certification or performance.
• Report every injury, near miss, data concern or harmful content on the same day.
• Confirm local laws, building codes, venue rules and platform policies with the proper authority.