INDUSTRY SAFETY ON SET
A recent survey by The Mark Milsome Foundation and Bectu revealed that over 75% of UK film and TV crew feel their safety or that of a colleague has been compromised at work. Phil Rhodes looks at where problems arise – and what can be done to solve them I n the tragic aftermath of Rust , the film industry has often concerned itself with risks associated with the most spectacular things it does. While most productions don’t involve guns, bombs and explosive physical effects, they do involve other risks which are less obvious but may prove equally deadly. Samantha Wainstein is chair at the Mark Milsome Foundation. Milsome, a camera operator, was killed during a botched stunt while working on Black Earth Rising in 2017. Wainstein distinguishes that situation carefully from more common – but just as lethal – concerns: “It’s the tragic deaths that make the headlines, and they are tragic, and must not be ignored – but the everyday grind of health and safety is the issue we need to solve,” she begins. “Driving while tired is one of the biggest concerns. We have a largely freelance workforce in a sector which is very much feast or famine – and recently, it has been famine more than feast. People are very concerned about their jobs, and that leads to concern about discussing health and safety and working hours.”
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