Occupational Health and Safety Tutorial

Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S)
(Tutorial on 02.10.12)

Health and safety regulations are something that crop up in any industry, strict guidelines are put in place to ensure the safety of employers/employees that are working for a business. Each business will have its own set of guidelines depending upon the kinds of hazards that may be in and around their work environment.

Film sets often have a very complicated set of guidelines due to the variety of locations that filming may take place, each location will have a different equipment list and different potential hazards, meaning that each location needs a new OH&S check. For example, should shooting move from a set to an on location shoot outdoors, we immediately run into problems such as weather and the general public, these are less problematic points when shooting in a studio.

Guidelines are put in place, and then hazard perception and risk assessments must be carried out to ensure any risks are managed and controlled correctly. The guidelines are designed to be a preventative, putting a stop to any problems occurring in the first place and not just tidying the mess after.

Just a handful of examples may be:

• When in a studio set environment:
• Cables and wires being incorrectly secured down to avoid tripping - causing damage to equipment and potential harm to crew member
• Liquids around the set (i.e. drinks) - damage to equipment if spilt, also risk of slipping if spilt on floor
• Equipment not being set up properly - again, causing damage to equipment and risk of harm crew member
• Heat from studio lights - burning crew members if not handled correctly and also if in a small studio set risk of fire may be increased
• On Location sets:
• Harmful/unsanitary objects (i.e. broken glass/needles etc) 
• Violence/gangs/criminals in area may pose a threat
• Theft/damage to equipement
• Uneven ground

All of these must be considered and assessed before any shooting begins. Visiting the location before the day of the shoot is always beneficial, it allows you to assess the risks and come up with any necessary procedures that will prevent problems being caused by the risks. Each shoot must have its own risk assessment, as not all procedures will be effective every time.