A Spotlight on Safety in the Entertainment Industry
The local entertainment industry
Affectionately known as “Hollywood North,” Vancouver is North America’s third largest film-production center, generating close to $3.4 billion for the local economy in 2018. After coming to a screeching halt in March, the industry is starting to fire up again with more than 60 projects shooting in October. Not only does this mean more television and movie entertainment for social distancing people like myself, but it also means that thousands of industry workers will finally be going back to work - almost 61,000 direct and indirect jobs are generated by film and TV production in BC.
It is clear that the entertainment industry is a major pillar of BC’s economy as well as a source of income for tens of thousands of workers and their families. This is why we need to make entertainment industry safety a major topic of discussion.
Safety in entertainment
Safety in the entertainment industry is a topic that is not addressed frequently. Even discussed less often, is lone worker safety in this sector. When we think of industries who employ lone workers, electrical, water, mining, forestry, or construction companies may come to mind. In addition to invoking several unique safety hazards, the film and entertainment industry also requires many workers to either work alone or in a remote location.
Jobs in film that require employees to work alone more frequently include production assistants, security guards, drivers, and flaggers. Working in isolation can have potentially life-threatening consequences if a worker experiences a threat or emergency, and no one is around to help. We must consider the safety hazards that those workers face, as well as methods to mitigate their risks.
Remote or isolated locations magnify the risk for lone workers because they may be inaccessible or located far away from the closest available help. This is a particularly high concern for location Scouters and greensperson. These employees are often required to travel to far-away locations that only have one road in and out. Employing lone workers who work remotely is a considerable risk for film companies because if something goes wrong, not only is the employee alone, but they are also far away from anyone who could help in an emergency. British Columbia’s Occupational Health and Safety Regulations notes that it is an employer’s responsibility for developing and setting motion procedures and protocols that serve to protect their lone workers.
Managerial requirements for entertainment companies require that specific steps be taken before a worker is deployed to a remote location or to fulfill a lone worker role. First, hazards and risks must be identified and assessed. You can learn more about common workplace hazards here. Next, any hazards that have been identified must be either eliminated or minimized. Workers must be educated on any dangers that prevail. Training employees on how to control and mitigate their own individual risk and exposure is essential. Next, entertainment companies are required to implement procedures to monitor and check-on lone workers. Lastly, all procedures and protocols must be regularly reviewed and improved upon where deemed necessary.
"[Accidents and falls] are things that could happen, and how do we deal with that when they do?” asked Matt Lees, Human Resources Director at Riggit Services, which designs and installs rigging services for the film and television industry. “Cell phones make answering the question so much easier. If you have a cell phone, you phone whoever is the designate - or you have a check-in system.”
Whose responsibility is safety?
Responsibilities vary among employers, supervisors, and employees within the entertainment industry. First and foremost, an employer must identify possible dangers and implement methods to mitigate or eliminate them. In the film industry, employers may be producers, production companies, or subcontractors. Employers must ensure that both supervisors and employees are aware and up to date on all safety procedures and risks in their respective workplaces. Employers should also be readily available to respond if a hazard arises or if an accident occurs. If there is an incident, it's essential that the incident is investigated to prevent a similar incident in the future.
Supervisors could be directors, assistant directors, managers, crew chiefs, stunt coordinators, department heads, or anyone else who is in a position to direct employees. These staff members are required to complete training when necessary, as well as monitor and control hazards in the workplace. Supervisors should also make sure that employees are aware, trained, and prepared.
Lastly, safety in the workplace is also an employee's duty. Crew, performers, technicians, stunt actors, and all other production support roles will be classified as workers in the entertainment industry. In addition to participating in training programs, workers should always keep their eyes open for potential hazards that could compromise their safety or the safety of their co-workers. If an employee does not know how to perform a task safely, they should consult a supervisor. Employees should also communicate to supervisors whenever they will be required to work alone or remotely.
Entertainment worker safety by Canadian Provinces
Movies and television shows are shot across this massive, diverse country of ours, but there are a few provinces taking legislative steps to protect the workers in the industry.
British Columbia
Employers and performers defined as workers can be covered under the OHS act and regulations. Owners can also purchase optional protection insurance from WorkSafeBC.
Guideline 11.2-6 Fall Protection During Stunt Work, looks at acceptable controls to be used when the regulated fall protection procedures are not practicable during a planned fall. It outlines personal fall protection equipment that can be employed when regulated equipment, such as a safety harness meeting CSA or ANSI standards, cannot be used.
Guideline G21.83 Special Effects Blasting, says that any pyrotechnic blasting done in the film or performing arts industry must be carried out under the direction of a qualified person.
Guideline G24.13 Principal Performers Using Underwater Diving Equipment, enumerates the conditions that must be met when a performer, whose diving competency is unlikely to meet the standards required for diving operations, is required to perform underwater shots.
Alberta
The prairie province created Safe Stages which is a joint initiative of Theatre Alberta and Alberta Employment, Immigration and Industry (Workplace Innovation and Continuous Improvement Branch) and consists of an occupational health and safety resource for the Alberta theatre community with best practices, forms and additional resources.
Ontario
Inspectors from the Ontario Ministry of Labour look to the sections of the OHS act that are relevant to the performance industry. These include the Regulation for Industrial Establishments and the Regulation for Construction Projects.
The Safety Guidelines for Live Performance Industry include information on scenery, performer flying and aerial stunts, stage combat and stunts and weaponry. The guidelines for the film and television industries include topics such as stunt planning, water hazards, explosives and pyrotechnics, hair and make-up and firearms.
Quebec
Under CNESST, Quebec’s workers’ compensation board, arts producers usually have the status of employers for the duration of the production, and the performers they hire are considered workers - but producers must declare their performers to the CNESST. This holds true for any performer who is represented by one of a number of professional associations, including the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television, and Radio Artists (ACTRA) and Actors’ Equity, and covers musicians, artists, stage and film actors and directors, along with a range of production and technical workers.
The Safety Rules for the Quebec Film and Video Industry is an excellent resource for all things safety and film-related in the province.
Actsafe and SafetyLine Lone Worker
Actsafe Safety Association is the health and safety organization that supports Canada’s arts and entertainment industry by providing training, resources, and advisory services. They define working alone as any instance where an employee is “working in circumstances where assistance would not be readily available to the worker in case of an emergency, or in case the worker is injured or in ill health.” Actsafe provides many useful resources for entertainment companies that employ lone workers, including SafetyLine’s lone worker safety app and check-in system, which is being offered to Actsafe’s members at a discount for select services.
“In a normal environment, there’s someone to see how you’re doing, right?” says Lorrie Ward, Business Agent for Teamsters Local 155, which provides workers for the industry. “But if you haven’t checked in and said where you’re going and what you’re doing, again, you could be laying there forever.”
“Ultimately, it’s the employer’s responsibility for a safe work environment,” he adds later.
We would now like to further discuss the steps that a company should take to cultivate a positive safety culture for their lone workers.
Actsafe: Working Alone Video
Identify the risks and assess their impact
A lone worker’s hazard may be magnified if they are required to work in extremely cold or hot conditions with electricity, with machinery, in a high-crime area, work very far away from other employees or medical attention, or work at heights. It’s important that not only location but the type of task is considered when identifying hazards. Any pertinent findings should be recorded and communicated to employees.
Mitigating hazards in the entertainment industry
If PP&E would help protect workers, then it should always be worn. Other ways to control your company and people’s risk is to make positive changes to the workplace environment. This may include installing warning signs, handrails, or improved ventilation. Furthermore, minimizing the amount of time that an employee is required to spend alone is an effective way of controlling their individual risk. An even more comprehensive solution is the implementation of a lone worker safety app. A lone worker monitoring solution like SafetyLine is the best way to protect your lone workers. You can learn about how a lone worker solution will benefit your organization here.
Educate workers
Your company may have the best safety procedures in the business, but if workers are not educated on how to abide by them then they are useless. Health and safety information should be communicated to workers regularly. This can be done via orientation and training, meetings, safety talks, or in newsletters and memos.
Implement a safety check-in program for lone workers
Companies should not rely on an employee’s ability to call for help, to call for help. With SafetyLine’s mobile app, regular check-in timers allow employers to confirm their safety throughout their shift. If a worker misses a check-in, your company will immediately know that something is wrong and be able to respond quickly. Check-in intervals are easily changeable and can be adjusted according to the danger level. For instance, if a lone worker is working in a high-crime area, they can shorten their check-in intervals which will require them to confirm their safety more frequently. Some organizations may rely on a call-center to manually check-in with lone employees. Although this is better than nothing, it is not fail-proof. Having an automated check-in procedure will ensure the safety of your people on the job. You can learn more about the benefits of a check-in procedure here.
Assess and adjust
Safety procedures should be constantly adjusted and improved to suit the needs of an organization. Companies must regularly assess their hazards and evaluate the effectiveness of their protocols making improvements where necessary to protect their people.
Just like every other industry that employs lone workers, the entertainment industry must take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of its workforce. Conducting regular hazards assessments, educating workers of the dangers, and implementing a lone worker monitoring solution will allow companies to ensure the safety of their people.
“You have to supply [the employees] with a healthy and safe work environment and having a work alone plan is part of that responsibility,” Ward says according to the video above.