Skip to main content

                    Gender safety audit checklist for licensed venues

                    People in a a dimly lit bar
                    This gender and safety audit checklist proposes to identify and address venue design issues and management practices which may be facilitating sexual harassment and assaults within and around licensed venues.

                    The checklist is to be used by licensed venue owners or operators, council and police to identify and assess the safety and security risks within and around a licensed venue. It pays particular attention to the safety needs of women.

                    The checklist is to be used as a guide and is recommended to be completed in consultation with the licensed venue owner or operator, bar staff, security, police and female patrons including people of diverse sexualities, women of colour, and women living with a disability.

                    Download the full checklist

                    Gender safety audit checklist for licensed venues

                    Checklist

                    For each numbered question in the checklist, answer yes or no and provide recommendations for improvement.

                    Venue and audit details

                    • ​Name of venue
                    • Venue address
                    • Venue capacity
                    • Date of audit
                    • Time of audit
                    • Name/s of audit participants

                    Information provided by venue owner or operator

                    ​Record information of type of venue, venue capacity, any existing policies and procedures for dealing with sexual harassment and assault related complaints, patron profile, patron demographic of most concern, high risk times, most common type of complaint or incident etc.

                    Nearby footpaths, laneways, car parks and public space

                    1. Is access to private laneways and external storage restricted with a secure gate?
                    2. Are surveillance cameras installed to monitor nearby footpaths, laneways, car parks, businesses and public spaces? Are these cameras proactively monitored during venue business hours?
                    3. Are nearby footpaths, laneways, car parks and public spaces sufficiently lit to allow patrons to safely enter and exit the venue?
                    4. Are there any entrapment points or hiding places along the edge of the building? Are there any mechanisms for monitoring or managing these areas?
                    5. Are there any nearby loitering facilitators such as public seating, phone booths, which can be used to observe vulnerable patrons leaving venue. 

                    Entries, exits and queueing

                    1. Are the entrance and exit points located on the main thoroughfare?
                    2. Are surveillance cameras installed at all entrance, exit and queuing points? Are these cameras proactively monitored during venue business hours?
                    3. Is the queuing area well-lit and supervised?
                    4. Is there one main controlled entrance and one main controlled exit?
                    5. Does the venue promote behaviour standards expected of patrons? Are these standards being actively promoted for example through signage, conditions of entry, patron code of conduct, venue website or venue advertising?
                    6. Is a staff member or crowd controller at points of exit to monitor patron behaviour as people leave?
                    7. Are internal and external queues orderly?
                    8. Are patrons in queues kept informed of waiting times and requirements of entry?
                    9. Are all emergency lights, emergency door alarms and exit signs in good working order, and do they meet Australian Safety Standards?
                    10. Do entrance and exist points have sufficient space for high volumes of people to pass through at one time? 
                    11. Are all exits and exit paths kept clear of obstructions in compliance with Australian Safety Standards?

                    Patron activity area

                    This includes dance floors, bar areas, lounge areas, seating areas, cash points and other internal spaces.

                    1. Do doorways, stairways, ramps and other access points have sufficient space for high volumes of people to pass through at one time? 
                    2. Are clear pathways and lines of sight maintained throughout the venue? 
                    3. Are there seating areas with tables and or chill out spaces available for patrons to relax? 
                    4. Does the venue have appropriate (for example night vision) and high quality surveillance cameras in the patron activity area? Are these cameras proactively monitored during venue business hours? 
                    5. Are patrons able to move freely between key spaces such as the dance floor, toilets and bar areas? Are the internal pathways leading to these spaces illuminated with floor level lighting? 
                    6. How quickly are customers being served and is the bar adequately staffed? 
                    7. Can bar staff easily observe and assess the crowd for inappropriate behaviour and contact, drunkenness, congestion, etc 
                    8. Where booths and private rooms are present, do venue staff have visual (natural or electronic surveillance) access to them? 
                    9. Are there sexist or objectifying art work, posters, advertising materials on display in the venue? 
                    10. Are there signs or other advertising materials, DJ announcements, in the patron activity area reminding patrons about the patron code of conduct and zero tolerance of sexual harassment and violence? 
                    11. Does the venue have staff communication equipment, intercoms and panic or emergency duress buttons?

                    Toilets

                    1. Are toilets located away from main circulation spaces? 
                    2. Are there sufficient toilets for females to minimise waiting times? 
                    3. Are there upper and lower clearance spaces on toilet doors? 
                    4. Are toilets in good working order? Do doors lock? 
                    5. Are toilets regularly monitored for possible illegal or undesirable behaviour? 
                    6. Are there gender-neutral toilets, or appropriate toilets for gender-diverse people to use? 
                    7. Is a toilet attendant present? 
                    8. Are toilets kept clean and tidy especially during trading hours? 
                    9. Are there accessible toilets for people with a disability? 
                    10. Is information prominently available in toilets on support services available to assist people who have experienced sexual harassment, sexual assault and or family violence (for example Sexual Assault Crisis Line, 1800RESPECT, Safe Steps help cards, etc.)? 
                    11. Is information prominently available in toilets reinforcing what is not tolerated in the venue (for example groping, sexual harassment, violence, drug use, drink spiking) and the penalties that apply if they are observed or reported (for example Respect Is The Rule Campaign)? 
                    12. Are there any sexual, degrading, sexist or gratuitously offensive images or messages affixed to the urinals in the male toilets? Does the venue have a policy or practice to ensure these are removed promptly? 
                    13. Is music playing in the toilets excessively loud?

                    Outdoor drinking, dining and smoking

                    1. Is there a private outdoor space in the venue which is mixed use – drinking and dining area?
                    2. Is the private outdoor space supervised?
                    3. Are there any dark or entrapment spots in the private outdoor space?
                    4. Is the private outdoor space overcrowded?

                    Common areas

                    This includes spaces used by different venues such as shared lifts, shared stairwells, storage areas, fire escapes and public laneways.

                    1. Are there high quality surveillance cameras in the common area of the venue? Are these cameras proactively monitored during business hours?
                    2. Is the common area clearly defined from other patron areas inside the venue?
                    3. Do patrons spill out onto the common area?
                    4. Are there any entrapment points or hiding places in the common areas?
                    5. If the venue is one of many in a single building, are patrons encouraged to use stairs rather than lifts (which are confined spaces)?
                    6. If there is only a lift available, how is lift use managed? Is there a lift attendant?

                    Lighting

                    1. Is all venue lighting (both internal and external) currently working and in good order?
                    2. Is the lighting level in the venue limiting the ability of security and other staff to observe patron movement, activity and behaviour?
                    3. Is there sufficient lighting in and around toilets to discourage poor behaviour?

                    Complaints management

                    1. Does the venue have a process for handling sexual harassment and assault complaints promptly?
                    2. Are all staff trained in the basics of receiving a sexual harassment complaint and who they are to escalate complaints to?
                    3. Is the process for handling complaints communicated to patrons, and if so how? For example, are there signs around the venue?
                    4. Is a complaints register kept to record details of complaints made including perpetrator details and action taken?
                    5. In the case where the victim is willing , are serious complaints referred to police in a timely manner?
                    6. In the likelihood of an incident occurring, are perpetrators (and if necessary, their friends) ejected from the venue? How is their identity noted or recorded for reporting to the police?
                    7. How does the venue operator ensure staff compliance with procedures, practices and standards?

                    Crowd controllers

                    1. Are crowd controllers briefed on venue procedures, practices and standards?
                    2. Have the number of crowd controllers employed proven to be sufficient at all times?
                    3. Are the crowd controllers skilled and trained in how to identify and respond appropriately to incidents of sexual harassment or assault?
                    4. Does the venue hire culturally, ethnically and gender-diverse crowd controllers or security guards as per patronage at the venue?

                    Harm minimisation and crime prevention

                    1. Does the venue proactively liaise with nearby licensees and businesses to improve safety in the area around the venue and resolve neighbourhood issues?
                    2. Is the venue a member of a Licensees Forum to ensure they are kept up to date with the latest crime and safety issues?
                    3. Does the venue have staff qualified and experienced in basic first aid to assist a person injured, assaulted or affected by drugs or alcohol until medical or emergency services arrive?
                    4. Does the venue have a zero tolerance policy for all forms of sexual harassment and assault between patrons, staff, performing artists and security?
                    5. Does the venue indicate that it is a ‘safe space’ for LGBTQI communities? Does the venue have a zero-tolerance policy regarding homophobia or transphobia?
                    6. Does the venue ensure its advertising does not include sexual, degrading, sexist or gratuitously offensive images, symbols, figures and innuendo?
                    7. Does the venue ensure the advertising or promotion of liquor is not linked to sexual imagery or imply sexual success?
                    8. Is someone responsible for checking advertising and promotion via the press, internet and social media to ensure it complies with harm minimisation principles?
                    9. Is there a gender balance of staff and crowd controllers within the venue at all times?
                    10. Are counting devices used to measure number of patrons entering the premises?
                    11. Are staff trained in how to proactively identify and respond appropriately to incidents of sexual harassment or assault?
                    12. Do staff monitor patrons they believe may be the target of, or vulnerable to an instance of sexual harassment or assault, and actively monitor or check their wellbeing?
                    13. Are patrons actively encouraged or supported to approach staff if they are being harassed or if they observe someone else being harassed?
                    14. Do staff respond immediately to patrons who are intoxicated or disorientated, are under the influence of drugs or other substances or appear to be being targeted?
                    15. How do staff respond to these incidents? For example, is an ambulance called, if necessary? Is there a quiet space to take these patrons so they can recover, or to wait safely until a taxi or friend comes to take them home?
                    16. Is there a phone available for patrons to use (free of charge) to call a taxi, friend or relative to collect them from the venue?
                    17. Does the venue have a policy or door practice on gender ratio?
                    18. What procedures are in place to deal with patrons who are refused entry?
                    19. What procedures are in place to deal with patrons who have been evicted from the venue and may be a victim of crime or at risk of harm to themselves or others?
                    20. Do staff assist patrons leaving the venue with the location, availability and timetable of public transport and taxis and assist with access?
                    21. Are venue staff and security easy to identify?

                    General impression

                    1. What is your overall impression of the venue? Does it feel safe, clean and provide a welcoming atmosphere for women?

                    Consulting with staff and patrons

                    To better understand the safety issues and needs of female patrons, you may wish to carry out your own research with staff, security and patrons. Here are some questions you may want to ask them.

                    Script to use when approaching patrons and staff

                    ‘Hello, my name is (first name only) and I am part of the venue management. We are interested in hearing from staff, security and patrons about how we can improve safety in and around the venue. Would you be interested in answering a few questions?’

                    Questions to ask female patrons

                    • How often do you visit this venue?
                      • Pretty regularly
                      • Whenever you can
                      • This is your first time here?
                    • What do you like about the physical layout of this venue?
                    • What don’t you like about the physical layout of this venue?
                    • How safe do you feel while you are in the venue and in the immediate surrounds?
                    • Have you ever felt threatened or been harassed in this venue? If so, did you report it and to whom?

                    Questions to ask staff or security

                    • Have you recently observed women being harassed in this venue? If so, what did you do?
                    • What do you believe are the high risk times and hot spots in this venue in regards to female patrons’ safety? And why?
                    • Have you received any training in identifying and dealing with sexual harassment and assaults? If yes, please provide details of training?
                    • How confident are you in identifying sexual harassment and assaults in this venue?
                    • How confident are you in responding to sexual harassment and assaults in this venue?
                    • Is there anything you would change to improve the safety of women in this venue? In regards to the layout of the venue, management of the venue, and any other element?
                    Was this page helpful?

                    If you'd like to give more feedback or ask a question, please contact us.