Outdoor stages are some of the most complex and risky structures used in live events—and also some of the least understood.
The Outdoor Stage Safety Compliance Handbook is a practical, code-aware guide designed to help:
…understand how to keep temporary and permanent outdoor stages compliant, stable, and safe.
The content is built around real-world failures, modern codes, and current industry standards. Inside, you’ll find:
You’re welcome to link directly to this page as:
Municipal outdoor events often bring a hidden risk: the city is both producing the event and regulating the structure.
The handbook addresses:
If you’re writing or updating:
…this handbook gives you a technical foundation you can reference and link to.
You can use this handbook to:
When referencing or linking to this page, you might use phrases like:
Yes. It’s intended to be shared as a technical reference for cities, AHJs, event organizers, and industry stakeholders.
Yes. You’re encouraged to reference, adapt, and cite it in your internal standards, training materials, and public-facing guidelines (with attribution and a link back to this page).
No. It’s a supporting resource that complements adopted building and fire codes, not a replacement. Final authority always rests with your AHJ and your jurisdiction’s adopted codes and standards.
No. The principles apply to any outdoor stage, temporary or permanent, whether you’re hosting a small community concert or a major touring show.
For Municipalities & Parks Departments
Use this handbook as the backbone of your outdoor event safety policy. Link to it from your event permit page, internal training docs, or Parks & Recreation resources.
For AHJs & Safety Professionals
Reference this handbook in your guidance to event organizers, staging vendors, and peer agencies. It’s designed to be a neutral, technical document you can point people to.
For Event Producers & Vendors
Share this page with your clients, cities, and partners so everyone is working from the same safety baseline.
Robert M. Brecht, Ph.D., is Managing Partner of TSE Entertainment, where he oversees marketing, operations, and event-production services. With a diverse background in live-event production, strategic marketing, and municipal event operations, Dr. Brecht brings industry-leading insight into the safety, compliance, and operational frameworks of outdoor stages. His work focuses on bridging engineering requirements with real-world production and permitting workflows for cities, parks departments, staging vendors, and event professionals. The Outdoor Stage Safety Compliance Handbook provides a practical, code-aware reference that helps municipalities, Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs), and production teams reduce risk and enhance public‐safety outcomes.