Product Overview

Summary: This Public Safety Safe Operating Procedure provides a clear, practical framework for protecting members of the public wherever your organisation interacts with the community. It sets out step-by-step controls for crowd management, public access, incident response and communication, helping Australian businesses and councils meet their WHS obligations and duty of care in public spaces.

Whenever your organisation opens its doors to the public—whether in a shopping centre, council facility, construction interface, event, or shared workplace—you carry a legal and moral responsibility to keep people safe. This Public Safety Safe Operating Procedure provides a structured, repeatable approach to identifying public-facing risks, controlling access, managing crowds, and responding to incidents in and around your premises or worksites. It is written specifically for the Australian WHS environment and is suitable for organisations of all sizes that interact with visitors, customers, contractors, or the broader community.

The procedure guides you through planning public access, setting up safe pedestrian routes, managing vehicle–pedestrian interfaces, controlling hazards during works in public areas, and dealing with emergencies such as medical events, aggression, or environmental incidents. It helps you demonstrate compliance with WHS legislation, public liability expectations and relevant Australian Standards, while giving your teams clear instructions on what to do before, during and after any public-facing activity. By implementing this SOP, you reduce the likelihood of injuries, complaints, reputational damage and regulatory scrutiny, and you create a safer, more controlled experience for everyone who enters your space.

Key Benefits

• Ensure a consistent, defensible approach to managing risks where workers and members of the public interact.
• Reduce the likelihood of public injuries, complaints, insurance claims and reputational damage.
• Standardise planning for events, public access and temporary works, improving coordination between operations, security and WHS teams.
• Strengthen compliance with Australian WHS legislation, local government requirements and public liability expectations.
• Improve incident readiness and response through clear communication, escalation and documentation processes.

Who is this for?

• WHS Managers
• Health and Safety Advisors
• Event Managers
• Facility Managers
• Operations Managers
• Local Government Officers
• Security Managers
• Site Supervisors
• Risk and Compliance Managers
• Emergency Management Coordinators

Hazards Addressed

• Slips, trips and falls in public access areas
• Vehicle–pedestrian collisions in car parks, loading zones and shared spaces
• Uncontrolled access to construction or maintenance work zones
• Crowd congestion, crushing and poor crowd flow at events or peak times
• Aggressive, violent or antisocial behaviour affecting staff and the public
• Exposure of the public to hazardous substances, noise or airborne contaminants from work activities
• Inadequate emergency egress, wayfinding and evacuation for visitors
• Injuries arising from temporary structures, signage, barriers and queuing systems

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Key Terms
• 3.0 Roles, Responsibilities and Consultation
• 4.0 Legal and Other Requirements (WHS and Local Government)
• 5.0 Public Risk Assessment and Planning Process
• 6.0 Public Access Design, Signage and Wayfinding
• 7.0 Vehicle–Pedestrian Interface and Traffic Management
• 8.0 Crowd Management and Queuing Controls
• 9.0 Control of Public Access to Work Areas and Restricted Zones
• 10.0 Management of Aggressive or Violent Behaviour
• 11.0 Incident, Injury and Near-Miss Response for Members of the Public
• 12.0 Emergency Preparedness, Evacuation and Communication
• 13.0 Monitoring, Inspections and Housekeeping in Public Areas
• 14.0 Training, Induction and Information for Workers and Contractors
• 15.0 Recordkeeping, Reporting and Continuous Improvement
• 16.0 Appendices – Checklists, Risk Assessment Templates and Sample Signage

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and model WHS Regulations, as implemented in relevant Australian jurisdictions
• Safe Work Australia – How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks: Code of Practice
• Safe Work Australia – Managing the Work Environment and Facilities: Code of Practice
• AS 3745: Planning for emergencies in facilities
• AS/NZS ISO 31000: Risk management – Guidelines
• AS 1428.1: Design for access and mobility – General requirements for access – New building work
• Local government event management and public place regulations (jurisdiction-specific)