Health and safety in the classical music industry in the UK and Germany

Abstract

While European health and safety legislation has improved the lot of many employees ‐ much national change in the area of occupational health and safety and improvements to the working environment originate in the European Union ‐ the performing arts sector has not reacted as quickly or as comprehensively to this regulation as other sectors. For instance, working conditions in many Victorian theatres have scarcely changed since the theatres were built. This chapter presents the results of a large‐scale survey carried out among UK and German musicians between November 2000 and April 2001. A comprehensive questionnaire covered many aspects of professional classical musicians’ perceptions of occupational health and safety, the provision of appropriate information, their general working conditions, and their health. The contrasting structures of the profession informed the choice of the UK and Germany for this study. The UK classical music workforce is predominantly freelance, whereas in Germany there are relatively few freelance musicians, and most orchestral musicians have the status of local government employees. This study investigates how such different employment conditions affect musicians’ working lives. One of the main aims of this survey, however, is to bring to the forefront a long overdue discussion of working conditions and to raise awareness of the range of problems that exist. The results of the survey allow the identification of areas that need improvement, in particular regarding environmental conditions. Previous research carried out in other fields has shown how crucial good and informed communication at the workplace is to create a safe and healthy working environment. The present study evaluates the level of communication that exists in the classical musical workplace about health and safety issues, and the flow of information about occupational hazards. A range of alleviating measures exist to ameliorate some of the worst effects of working as a professional orchestral musician; the results of the survey show which measures are the most widely used, and how effective they are. Responses about the incidence and severity of accidents at work and on the way to and from work supplement information on the medical and alternative practitioners consulted for a range of work‐related illnesses. Where appropriate and relevant, comparisons are drawn between the findings in the UK and Germany.