Additional Safety Information Resources

This material augments the discussion on safety in Chapter

Web Links

Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics 6ed discusses many of the basic safety issues in a general way, but there is much more to learn about safety and there will obviously be may areas of specific concern for your particular project which are not covered.

To find more information, the best place to start is with the CSATF (Contract Services Administration Trust Fund). Within the CSATF is an Industry Safety Committee which is composed of guild, union, and management representatives active in industry safety and health programs. This committee researches and publishes, bulletins and guidelines that provide detailed guidance for film and television industry safe practices.

The CSATF publication General Code of Safe Practice for Film Production is a basic summary of safety standards and is a must read for everyone involved in film production. You can download this document from the CSATF website: www.csatf.org/pdf/GenCodeoSafePractices.pdf

The General Code of Safe Practice for Film Production is also downloadable as a .pdf on this website (filename: GenCodeoSafePractices.pdf).

Beyond the general Code for Safe Practices document, the CSATF publishes Safety Bulletins that are much more detailed recommendations for safety standards as they pertain to specific issues and circumstances, like the use of prop weapons, stunts, animals, cold weather, etc. You can find the bulletins at this link: http://www.csatf.org/bulletintro.shtml

Another highly educational publication is the Safety Guidelines for the Film and Television Industry in Ontario which is published by the Ontario Ministry of Labour. Whether you are shooting in Canada or not, this is a well researched, cogently organized, and highly informative publication concerning film production safety. You can search or download this publication from the Canada Ministry of Labour website: www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/pubs/filmguide/

The Safety Guidelines for the Film and Television Industry in Ontario is also downloadable as a .pdf on this website (filename: Safety Guidelines Ontario).

Finally, a comprehensive guide to safety on a film set can be found on the Warner Bros. website Safety on The Set: https://www.safetyontheset.com Here you will find comprehensive safety manuals for downloading as well as even more detailed information dedicated to specific training topics, such as “Firearms,” “Minors on the set,” “Bicycles,” “Fire Safety,” “Set Walls,” and so on. Once on the site, navigate to “Training Topics” and then to “Safe Practices This site also links to CSATF.

The Levels Of Safe Conduct Accountability

Always remember, there are many levels of accountability for any filmmaker when addressing the safety implications of their film project. Filmmakers must thoroughly research and abide by the safety rules, requirements and guidelines of the following entities to which they are answerable. These might include:

1. Course requirements: Guidelines and limitations for class assignments as spelled out in a course syllabus and by the instructor (student filmmakers).
2. School, department or program production regulations and guidelines: Most film programs will make their safety guidelines available to students and will enforce these rules (student filmmakers).
3. College or University safety regulations and requirement:, especially when shooting on campus (student filmmakers).
4. Any funding or grant agency involved in the project: Many grant agencies require extensive reporting on ethics and safety especially for projects where animals or humans are involved.
5. All trade unions involved in the film project will impose safety regulations and guidelines to protect their members.
6. Rental houses supplying equipment or materials to the film project may also require that you abide by certain safety regulations and guidelines depending on what they have supplied.
7. Insurance companies providing insurance for any part of the film project will always have many safety regulations and guidelines for the project to follow or else risk losing coverage. This includes insurance provided through an educational institution.
8. The state or city office for Film, and Television production can provide you with the production regulations and guidelines in effect for your specific location. Sometimes these will be explicit on the agency’s website, other times you will need to contact the film and television production safety officer for your state or city.
9. Any government agency involved in the film project (the local transportation authority or fire department) will have specific regulations and guidelines.
10. ALL local, city, county, parks, state and federal laws whether they pertain specifically to film production or not. For example, you cannot enter onto restricted property to shoot a “quick scene”, or drive a car beyond the speed limit because it looks cool, or chop down a tree because it’s getting in the way of your shot.
11. YOU and your team! Ultimately you are accountable to yourself and the team that is helping you produce your film. Even when you follow all applicable regulations and laws, a lack of simple common sense can create an unsafe situations for you, your cast and your crew. All of the regulations above (1 –
    10) represent baseline procedures for safety, not the highest standard to which you should hold yourself. Use your head.
    Stay smart. Remember that safety always comes first.

Sometimes these regulations or guidelines will be given to you or easily accessible. For example, a school will usually (should) hand out its safety guidelines to every student, or a union will certainly provide a packet on (or write directly into a contract) the safe practices and insurance requirements concerning their member. However, often it requires a bit of research to find what you’re looking for. Remember, it is essential that a filmmaker actively seek out all safety information that is applicable to their project.