LIGHTS! CAMERA! SAFETY! A Health and Safety Manual for Motion Picture and Television Production By Michael McCann, Ph.D., C.I.H. -------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright c 1991 by Center for Safety in the Arts Copyright c 1998 Michael McCann ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and articles. All inquiries should be addressed to: michael.mccann@worldnet.att.net. This book was written with the help of public funds from the New York State Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Training and Education Program. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- PREFACE Lights! Camera! Safety! is a natural outgrowth of the work the Center for Safety in the Arts has been doing on hazards in the arts for the last 14 years. Starting in 1986, CSA began to intensively research, and provide training and technical assistance to unions, employees and employers on hazards in the entertainment industry. This was accomplished with grants from the New York State Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Training and Education Program. Our interest in hazards in the motion picture and television industries was stimulated by the pioneering activities of Sandy Richman, then Co-chair of the Stunt and Safety Committee of SAG (Screen Actors Guild) and AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), and President of the Professional Stuntman's Federation. Sandy alerted us to the many problems involved with safety on the set. As I began to research this area, I assumed with many others that the outcry over the deaths of Vic Morrow and two Vietnamese children during the filming of a helicopter and explosions scene for "The Twilight Zone: A Movie" had led to a great increase in safety in motion picture production. However, the statistics I gathered indicated the opposite - accidents and deaths were still increasing (see discussion in Chapter 1). In addition, the trial of John Landis, the Director of "The Twilight Zone", and four others for manslaughter was taking place at that time. When they were acquitted, many people in the industry expressed the feeling that this acquittal meant business would go on as usual. This is not to say that nothing was being done about this safety problem. A coalition of entertainment unions, including the Screen Actors Guild (through their Stunt and Safety Committee), Directors Guild, and IATSE, worked with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to form the Labor/Management Safety Committee for the Motion Picture and Television Industry. This committee developed a series of Safety Bulletins listing guidelines for a variety of hazardous situations. Similar work has been going on in Ontario, Canada through the Ontario Film and Television Indus- try Section 11 Advisory Committee, a tripartite of labor, management and government, and in Australia. However, what was missing was an overall approach to the problem of health and safety in motion picture and television production. There did not appear to be any organized attempt to address the entire problem. That is, there were few formalized health and safety programs on sets. In addition, we found many different sources for information on hazards and suitable safety precautions, many of which were generally unknown to the entertainment industry. As a result, we decided to write a health and safety manual for motion picture and television production. And that is how Lights! Camera! Safety! came into existence, with the help of funding from the NYS Department of Labor. Chapters 1 and 2 of the book discuss the types of hazards in motion picture production, and a general approach to health and safety planning. Chapters 3-5 discuss selecting a location, preproduction hazards, and general health and safety on location. High risk situations, including special effects and stunts, are the topics of Chapters 6-8. Finally, Chapters 9 and 10 discuss medical services on location and applicable laws and regulations affecting film production. We tried to compile into one book information from a wide variety of sources: from our own research into areas like fogs and smoke, makeup, etc; from government regulations; and from recommendations of the Industry Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee and the Ontario Film and Television Industry Section 11 Advisory Committee. I hope that readers will find this a useful approach. Credits Finally I want to thank people who helped with this book. Major editing and advice came from Angela Babin and Karen Giacalone, both CSA staff members. In addition, a wide variety of people in and out of the industry provided information on particular sections, and reviewed the manuscript. These include: Stephen Arnold, M.D., Entertainment Medical Specialists Lloyd Caldwell, fight director Richard Cohn, Local 52, International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees John G. Degenkolb, fire protection engineer Lt. James DiGiovanna, Aerobureau, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Craig Feied, M.D., Lifestar International Celia Hamilton, Alliance of Canadian Television and Radio Artists Michael Kinter, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Robert Marcus, Esq. Ingrid E. Newkirk, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals James D'Orta, M.D, International Medical Consulting Lee Proimos, Fireman's Fund Sandy Richman Eugene Shapiro, Local 771, International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees Dale Smith, Office of Compliance and Surveillance, Center for Devices and Radiological Health Dick Smith, make-up artist John Sucke, NY Executive Director, Screen Actors Guild Bryan Unger, National Representative, International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees Barron Winchester, Dasic/Winchester Group Stephen A. Wolf, Wolf Stuntworks Gary Zeller, Zeller International I would like to give special credit to Angela Babin for the cover design, and to David Lindner for the cover photography. Naturally, all errors in the book are my responsibility. However, I hope there are few. Michael McCann, Ph.D., C.I.H. November, 1991