Making Safety an Everyday Issue

In 2011 the Techos’ Guild is embarking on its most significant single project yet: the development of an entirely new Health, Safety & Environment Code of Practice for the screen production industry. David Madigan, immediate Past President and safety sub-committee member, talks us through the project.

In either documenting the world as it exists or creating the most outrageous fantasy, we in the screen production industry find ourselves in constantly changing situations and realizing great creative endeavors. The aim of good safety practices in screen production is not to restrict what we are trying to achieve, but rather to engage continually in safety risks analysis from script to screen.

A safety code of practice is a cornerstone working reference document that covers safety precautions and recommendations for the better prevention of accidents, incidents, and serious harm in a given industry, and should be read and understood by every contractor, employee and business owner. It is not compulsory to follow the code but at the same time, if an incident occurs, it is not reasonable to have used a lesser standard. The screen industry safety code has a legal status in that adherence is used by inspectors and the courts when reviewing an accident to measure and assess both the producer’s and the individual’s safety preparedness and actions.

The existing Safety Code of Practice was last reviewed and published in 1995. Among the additional features of the new Code, is a commitment to make it more accessible, i.e. easier to read. Safety documents can be a bit dry and may seem to lack relevance. Our challenge is to provide the industry with a document that is widely read and understood.

The new Code will feature complementary environmental considerations and guidance content. Many of our activities, from location management to materials handling and disposal require common health safety and environment consideration. This in turn complements the environmental sustainability of our industry.

The environmental content for the Code is an initiative of Film New Zealand, our national marketing and locations office, and will reflect the requirements of relevant environmental legislation and industry best practice. The provision of the environmental content is being funded by Film New Zealand and provided by Emma McConachy from Green Fox.

By integrating environmental requirements into the health and safety code the screen industry can ensure that environmental standards and performance are readily measured against health and safety standards. The risk management of environmental issues is integral with the risk management of health and safety.

There are over 30 occupational craft groups in the screen production industry and most of these are either not clearly identified, or not represented at all in the 1995 Safety Code of Practice. The new Code will have the flexibility to include off-set, production office, post-production and vfx activities as well as industry service and equipment suppliers.

Ideally, safety codes should be reviewed every three years. However, the process of working with each craft group to create content would realistically take several years, meaning by the time content was complete, it would be time to start over again! The solution is for the Code to be published as a living electronic document that can be continually updated.

The Code will only be available as either a complete PDF document or as individual PDF craft and activity chapters. The Guild will be developing a web site for the industry to access the Code. The intention is to make the Code available for personal use, without cost, to members of The Techos’ Guild, SPADA, Actors’ Equity & the Screen Directors’ Guild. Individuals who are not paid-up members of these organizations will have to pay an annual subscription to personally use the code.

Next steps

The Techos’ Guild National Executive established a sub-committee in mid 2010 with a mandate and finance to create a completely new safety code of practice. The sub-committee members are Alun Bollinger, Willy Heatley, Brendon Durey and David Madigan. The sub-committee has appointed Susan Ord, past Project Manager at Film New Zealand, to develop the Code through its first stages (October 2010 to April 2011).

The first stage of the project involves creating the framework for the Code and an overall guide to risk management, risk assessment and hazard identification, alongside a review of current relevant legislation and legal requirements. In addition, the document design will clearly signal health, safety or environmental content.

The actual content of the first stage should be available for industry review in January 2011 and be publication-ready by April 2011.

The second stage of the Code is the development of the activity and craft-related technical sections. We aim to have five of these sections completed to complement the first section by April 2011, with the remainder developed over the next two to three years.

Contributing to the code

The content of any code requires significant contribution from industry practitioners. The most significant challenge with this Code is to encourage individuals in each craft group to contribute their knowledge and experience. The Guild will facilitate participation by craft groups (either by meeting, e-mail or wiki style contributions) to provide technical content for their chapters.

In addition, the Guild will provide supporting information for these groups such as relevant legislation and extracts from safety codes in other countries, along with the content of the previous New Zealand code.

The wide range of activities that occur on a daily basis in the screen production industry are unique and not repetitive. While there is opportunity for each craft group to detail safety requirements in a thorough manner, the Code will not set out to describe these activities in a prescriptive manner unless required by legislation.

The final drafts for each section will be available for review by the industry before publication.

If you would like to particpate in creating or reviewing the technical content of the Code relevant to your craft or activity, please contact the Guild office by e-mail (subj: Safety Code) or phone.

The Health, Safety & Environment code is important to all crew. It’s your reference guide to common sense practices that ensure everyone goes home safely at the end of the day.

The Guild would like to acknowledge the generosity of Rob Tappert and Chloe Smith at Pacific Renaissance Spartacus for donations of $10,000 in 2009 and $2,500 in 2010. These funds have been committed to the Health, Safety and Environment Code project.