{"id":8823,"date":"2019-06-18T09:44:07","date_gmt":"2019-06-18T16:44:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.icgmagazine.com\/web\/?p=8823"},"modified":"2021-05-30T18:12:50","modified_gmt":"2021-05-31T01:12:50","slug":"safety-heroes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.icgmagazine.com\/web\/safety-heroes\/","title":{"rendered":"Safety Heroes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meet the Union Workers Who Are Creating a Culture of Safer Sets Every Single Day.<\/span><\/p>\n

by Pauline Rogers<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Experts agree on this point: when it comes to safety, the film and TV<\/strong> industry has been complacent for too long. In the 1980s, if filmmakers needed to capture the majesty of the Cabrillo Highway in California\u2019s stunning Big Sur region, they would find camera operators willing to hang out of an open helicopter, one arm through a strut, the other holding a camera on their shoulders. The same went for visualizing the real power of a horse stampede. Producers could easily hire an operator to ride backward in the saddle, in the middle of the pack, with a camera on their shoulder.<\/p>\n

And there are many more such stories. One is a sequence in the 1992 Orion Pictures feature\u00a0Love Field<\/em>, where the crew was doing a tractor-trailer jackknife accident stunt that was so dangerous there was a good possibility the stunt actor would be fatally injured! Everyone on his team came up and hugged him before the stunt, in case he didn\u2019t survive. (No lie.)<\/p>\n

Unbelievable? Outrageous? Unthinkable?<\/p>\n

Yes to all of the above, but back in the (not so long ago) day, accidents were considered a part of the job. Some are still referenced, while others have receded from the industry\u2019s collective memory.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Local
Local 600 AC Chris Silano says “there is no more effective way to viscerally express the damage a camera propelled by an airbag can do to occupants inside a car” then with the ICG Free-Driving Crash Test Video (vimeo.com\/241251141) \/ Photo courtesy of IATSE Local 52 Sound-Mixer Danny Michael<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Take, for instance, the grip who fell to his death from the perms<\/strong> at Sony Studios on\u00a0The Indian in the Cupboard\u00a0<\/em>(1995); or the fatal electrical injury to a grip on the plate unit for\u00a0Dinosaurs\u00a0<\/em>(2000)\u00a0<\/em>caused by a too-close crane. Twenty-six years ago, Brandon Lee (the son of martial artist legend Bruce Lee) died from injuries sustained from a homemade dummy round unknowingly jammed in a prop gun. The Miramax feature,\u00a0The Crow<\/em>, was days away from completion when Lee, who was not yet 30, was\u00a0fatally wounded.<\/p>\n

The most prominent accident in modern movie history was the crash of a stunt helicopter (due to nearby pyrotechnics) during the John Landis-directed Twilight Zone: The Movie,\u00a0<\/em>in 1982. The lead actor in the sequence, Vic Morrow, lost his life, along with two child actors (the sequence was shot in Santa Clarita, CA but set in Vietnam) who had been hired illegally to circumvent California\u2019s child labor laws. The deaths led to a high-profile case, where no one individual was found criminally culpable.<\/p>\n

While some of these incidents have faded from view, allowing for a culture of safety complacency, others brought about lasting changes. (The Indian in the Cupboard\u00a0<\/em>accident led to the creation of Local 80\u2019s Safety Committee and\u00a0the development of high-fall protections, harnesses, lifelines and fixed systems at all the studios.) Without question, the 2014 death of Local 600 camera assistant Sarah Jones, on the Georgia set of the indie feature\u00a0Midnight\u00a0<\/em>Rider<\/em>, inspired the present-day rallying cry for safer industry sets. IATSE Local 798 hair stylist Joyce Gilliard, who was struck by the same train that killed Jones, says her first lesson from that horrible day was to \u201cnever assume everyone did their job. I thought we were safe and safety precautions were met prior to arriving onto the set,\u201d Gilliard reflects. \u201cAnd, as we all know, that wasn\u2019t the case. I\u2019ve also learned to speak out if I feel unsafe and not be afraid to question anything when it comes to my safety, even if it means losing my job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gilliard, who travels the country to provide safety panel discussions with filmmakers and crews, has established a nonprofit organization, iSAFE! TV & FILM<\/a>, to help ensure a tragedy like Midnight Rider<\/em>\u00a0never happens again. Gillard’s a union\u00a0safety hero, and she\u2019s not the only one.\u00a0The checklist her organization provides is echoed by initiatives throughout the industry and this Guild. They include visiting Local 600\u2019s online Safety Awareness Center<\/a>, downloading the Local 600 Safety App<\/a> (developed after the Sarah Jones accident as an industry-standard source for safety information, hazard reporting and long-hours reporting via the Local 600 Safety App<\/a>, and the IATSE Safety App (available on Android and Apple platforms). (Recently, at the request of the international film community, Local 600 made the code for the Safety App freely available and customizable to local requirements; New Zealand is currently working on a test deployment) and online guides to Daily Safety Questions<\/a> every crew member should ask before shooting as well as using the Environmental Safety Checklist<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Local
After IATSE Local 798 Hair Stylist Joyce Gillard was struck by the train that killed Local 600 AC Sarah Jones, she established a non-profit (www.isafetvandfilm.com) to promote safer sets \/ Photo courtesy of Joyce Gillard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Some IATSE safety heroes have created accessible ways<\/strong> to get the message across. Take the crew of the former Showtime series\u00a0Happyish<\/em>, which was fully stage-bound, where safety should (in theory) be a no-brainer. But even sustaining simple fire lines and knowledge of all fire exits was a problem, as was convincing Production to hold safety meetings \u2013 or even look at the safety card. The solution for the AD department was a unique one.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just encouraged a different crew member to run the meetings every day,\u201d recounts\u00a0Happyish\u00a0<\/em>2nd<\/sup>\u00a0AD Abi O\u2019Reilly. \u201cThey could do anything they chose. Rap. Poem. Speech. Anything that held the crew\u2019s attention!\u201d In fact, what happened was everyone began relating his or her own safety story, and it changed the culture on set.<\/p>\n

Local 600 Safety Committee Co-chair Chris Taylor, SOC, has also tried the light-hearted approach, going back two decades. \u201cI would joke about all the precautions we demanded for situations that weren\u2019t very dangerous but warranted a safety meeting,\u201d Taylor remembers. \u201cWe might be doing a quarter-load gunshot or a single blood squib, after being asked if we wanted any eye or ear protection, and we would list things like Lexan shield, fire extinguisher, helicopters, and so on. Looking back, I\u2019d like to think that we weren\u2019t making fun of safety \u2013 because quarter-loads and squibs can be dangerous \u2013 but having fun with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flash forward to Taylor\u2019s appointment to the ICG Safety Committee, where he then had the chance to put his comedy\/educational skills to the test. With no budget and a Panaflex borrowed from the SOC, he made the short video Fire in the Hole<\/a><\/em>\u00a0based on his past efforts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI sprung it on everyone as a secret project,\u201d Taylor recalls, \u201cbecause I wanted to present it in its purest form and get their honest opinions. It works because this very old inside joke finally had a grounded objective besides humorously making fun of ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

IATSE Local 80 Key Grips have always been on the frontline of safety, and there may be no better union safety heroes than J. Patrick Daily, who founded Local 80\u2019s Safety Committee (after\u00a0The Indian and the Cupboard\u00a0<\/em>accident), and IATSE Safety Chair Kent Jorgensen, who has been Local 80\u2019s Safety and Training Representative since the committee was formed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo much of what we do is dangerous, but we don\u2019t often realize it,\u201d Daily shares. \u201cI remember a show that was built on a stage to resemble shops at a Glendale Galleria-type mall. We had grills that rode up and down, and a character was supposed to be locked on the other side. But there was no exit for that actor or the crew. What if the power went out and there was a fire? No one could get in or out. We went to the Safety Coordinator, and then the Art Department. Redesign didn\u2019t sit well with them \u2013 until the producers got into it and things changed.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Local
IATSE Local 80 Key Grips Safety Committee Founder Pat Daily \/ Photo courtesy of Pat Daily<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

For union camera departments the issue of <\/strong>\u201cfree driving\u201d <\/strong>\u2013 essentially the practice of a camera operator handholding a camera in a moving vehicle \u2013 has become a major concern. Local 600 safety heroes leading change on this issue are Operator Dave Chameides and ICG 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0National Vice President John Lindley, ASC, who, after two Guild members raised concerns, contacted Dr. Cynthia Bir, a Professor at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California and the Director of USC\u2019s Center for Trauma, Violence, and Injury Prevention. Chameides asked Bir about \u201cblowing airbags with dummies in cars that were holding cameras,\u201d and he, Lindley and Bir went to a company that was able to set up that very test. Lindley and Chameides witnessed six airbags blown into dummies with cameras on their shoulders and were \u2013 horrified. From this, the ICG free-driving crash test video<\/a>, featuring Dr. Bir, was born.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no more effective way to viscerally express the damage a camera propelled by an airbag can do to occupants inside a car than with this video,\u201d relates 1st<\/sup>\u00a0AC Chris Silano. \u201cWhen the producers on Netflix\u2019s\u00a0Maniac<\/em>\u00a0saw the Local 600 video, they made sure resources were provided for proper insert car\/tow rig and blue screen, instead of free driving.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year, while working on Fox\u2019s\u00a0The Resident<\/em>,\u201d adds A-camera\/Steadicam Operator Mark Karavite, SOC, \u201cI received the Local 600 email showing test results for free driving and shooting handheld. By chance, I saw on the advance schedule that we had a free-driving shot scheduled the next day. I forwarded the video to our UPM and raised the question. Within an hour, he contacted me, letting me know he\u2019d hired a technician to disable the airbags.<\/p>\n

\u201cLater that day, they said they had canceled the free driving,\u201d Karavite adds, \u201cand came up with a safer plan via insert car. Production has instituted a regular protocol such that, in the case of possible free driving, they will deactivate the airbags or create a safer plan. The video did this.\u201d [Editor’s Note: The Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee issued a safety bulletin on the issue in record time. Click here<\/a> to read the safety bulletin].<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Local
While working on FOX’s The Resident,\u00a0<\/em>Local 600 Operator Mark Karavite, SOC, alerted the UPM about the dangers of a free-driving shot; it was rescheduled using an insert car. \/ Photo courtesy of Mark Karavite<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chris Taylor is quick to note that the free-driving video should<\/strong> not leave viewers with the impression that disabling the airbags of a picture vehicle is an acceptable safety solution to free driving. “Operating a camera in a moving \u2018free driving\u2019 vehicle in any position other than that of a normal forward-facing passenger with a seat belt is unsafe in an accident, with or without an airbag,\u201d he insists. \u201cIn this situation, one only needs to imagine the airbag be substituted with the dash and windshield of the vehicle. I\u2019ve also heard from grips and Transportation that disabling an airbag may carry with it legal liabilities, as it is considered ‘tampering’ with a safety device.\u201d<\/p>\n

Either way, the problem persists, particularly in the Unscripted genre, where one-on-one handheld with subjects out in the real world dominates. As Guild DP\/Operator Brennan Maxwell, SOC, shares:\u00a0\u201cShooting the show\u00a0Restored<\/em>\u00a0for DIY, we were doing our wraps with the host, who was self-driving. I was filming from the passenger\u2019s side backward with no seatbelt. We\u2019d done this a couple of times a week, for the entire season. About two-thirds of the way through the season, the ICG safety email about free driving came out, and I told the producer how unsafe these shots were, and we shouldn\u2019t do them. The answer he gave me was that \u2018it\u2019s a good thing this isn\u2019t a union show,\u2019\u201d Maxwell says incredulously. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t just about me but\u00a0building a culture of safer sets. I went to another producer, and this time they asked me for other options on how to accomplish the same task and said we didn\u2019t have to do it unsafely anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Extended takes with heavy equipment is another safety issue being addressed with great success. Local 600 Business Representative and Technology Expert Michael Chambliss says that after \u201caddressing extended takes was negotiated into the new Video Tape Agreement, the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee hired an ergonomics expert to tour sets with business reps of multiple IATSE locals, and producers\u2019 representatives, to help develop guidance for proper practices.\u201d [Another industry-wide safety bulletin is being developed that incorporates the ergonomics data.]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Selene
Selene Richholt, SOC, convinced producers on America’s Next Top Model <\/em>to replace large, heavy cameras with smaller footprint units to alleviate added stress and danger for\u00a0the show’s operators \/ Photo by Sarah Shatz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Such efforts can\u2019t come soon enough for operator<\/strong> Selene Richholt, SOC (ICG Magazine, December 2018,\u00a0Generation\u00a0<\/em>NEXT), who, after taking over as DP on the non-union unscripted BET show Hustle in Brooklyn<\/em>, attempted to switch out the Panasonic Varicam 35 (which is not designed for handheld) to the Varicam LT, which is half the weight. And producers wouldn\u2019t do it.<\/p>\n

For another reality series,\u00a0America\u2019s Next Top Model,\u00a0<\/em>Richholt stood her ground. \u201cWe were shooting with Sony F55s and Canon 17-120 zooms,\u201d she recalls. \u201cBuilt out, the cameras were almost three feet long and weighed 35 pounds, and it was a pre-production\/rental house\/budget decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

Richholt says the rig as built resulted in the show\u2019s operators being under cameras that were heavier or more cumbersome than they needed to be. She references one day, outside of the studio, where operators were asked to jump into a Mercedes Sprinter van with the cast and shoot in the car on the way to locations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cameras weren\u2019t secured,\u201d Richholt explains. \u201cThey\u2019d been hand-holding or more accurately, lap-holding, these giant cameras, and I resisted. At the end of the day, I went to the First AD and the director and explained the situation. Our operators had side-barred and discussed what an alternative could be, and we decided that we would be okay filming with a smaller camera.\u201d<\/p>\n

The team was able to switch to smaller-footprint units, like Canon 5Ds and GoPros. \u201cI was shocked by how quickly they agreed to it,\u201d Richholt smiles. \u201cIt was barely even a discussion. They both said, \u2018Of course, we will do that from now on. The safety of our cast and crew is paramount.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Dave
Dave Chameides at December 2018 Operator Workshop \/ Photo by Bonnie Osborne<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dave Chameides (who was part of the\u00a0Happyish<\/em>\u00a0crew)\u00a0<\/strong>recalls an un-named pilot for the SyFy Channel, where in the 14th<\/sup>\u00a0hour of a long day, at 3 a.m., \u201cwe were doing a scene indoors \u2013 a pawn shop cut in half with glass,\u201d he explains. \u201cRobbers are supposed to come in and set off flares, and we did it twice. We were resting between takes, and the dolly grip suddenly held up his phone. He had pulled up the SDS (Safety Data Sheet) for flares, which showed them to be \u2018toxic\u2019 and \u2018unsafe\u2019 indoors. We went to the AD, and then Special Effects, and were told, \u2018Oh, we do this all the time.\u2019 When the producers were brought in, we all expected a big fight.\u201d But the producers\u2019 first question was: \u201cDo you feel this is unsafe?\u201d When he received a unanimous \u201chell yeah!\u201d his answer was: \u201cWe don\u2019t do things that are unsafe because we didn\u2019t plan well. Let\u2019s come up with another way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chameides says he learned a valuable lesson that day, something every union film worker should remember: Carefully considered language will protect those afraid to speak up: \u201cI feel this is unsafe for the entire crew \u2013 you have a legal situation\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cI believe it\u2019s a liability.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>\u201cThat second one really opens the door when a crew is in a situation, because it creates a legal framework that can no longer be denied,\u201d Chameides explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way this industry is set up now, safety is a constant concern,\u201d adds 1st<\/sup>\u00a0AD Robert Albertell, a DGA member working on the long-running CBS hit,\u00a0Madam Secretary.<\/em>\u00a0For Albertell, getting the production what it wants, safely, is all about experience. Even the DGA\u2019s own Safety Course isn\u2019t enough. \u201cWhile\u00a0Madam Secretary<\/em>\u00a0isn\u2019t a stunt- or effects-driven series,\u201d he offers, \u201cthere are elements that must be addressed correctly. We recently had an episode where a car is blown up, and I worked closely with the show\u2019s producers to ensure the stunt was completely safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those efforts began with scheduling, \u201cto make sure we had time to test, and for layers of prep meetings,\u201d Albertell recounts. \u201cWe allowed time for special effects and the stunt team to set up and rehearse \u2013 15 times before I was satisfied\u00a0that everyone had their cues and knew when SFX would blow the car. We also had enough stunt people \u2013 who knew what they were doing \u2013 to drive in the traffic around the blowup.\u201d<\/p>\n

Albertell insists proper on-set safety takes time, money and, most importantly, “an educated voice willing to stand firm if things appear unsafe,” he adds.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Producer
Producer Thomai Hatsios \u00a0(seen here on location for Season 2 of Discovery ID’s\u00a0Tabloid<\/em>)\u00a0says she tries to think like a 1st AD, “which means identifying issues in prep and urging all departments to work together to prevent unsafe situations.” \/ Photo courtesy of Thomai Hatsios<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Producers must stand firm for safer sets as well.<\/strong> Or as Producer Thomai Hatsios, an outspoken participant in the\u00a0Safety For Sarah<\/em>\u00a0and David Allen Grove\u2019s\u00a0Facebook Safety<\/em>\u00a0pages, relates: \u201cProducing can be like parenting a teenager, which can be fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

True crime, a genre that Hatsios says can be \u201cdangerous and messy,\u201d is of prime concern. \u201cWhat works for me when safety protocol resistance comes up,\u201d she explains, \u201cis to inform the production company that I\u2019m protecting them from being charged with criminally negligent homicide if someone is killed, or child endangerment charges when labor laws are being challenged on set.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hatsios says a competent producer will think along the same lines as a safety-minded 1st<\/sup>\u00a0AD, which means identifying issues in prep and urging all departments to work together to prevent unsafe situations. It\u2019s not one unsafe decision that creates a hazardous workplace; it\u2019s the accumulation of last-minute bad decisions that leads to tragedy.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot too long ago I was producing a series, and the director and showrunner wanted to change the first scene of the day to an exterior,\u201d Hatsios remember. \u201cIt included two actors playing cops, in picture vehicle cop cars, pursuing actors who are playing criminals, who would be hanging out of a car, and then running with realistic looking Glocks [handguns] through the streets of Pasadena. The change request came to us at 5:30 p.m., the night before the morning scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe AD and I said we either needed to push the scene to another day \u2013 to get the proper permits, hire stunts, hire police officers, put up a barricade \u2013 which would take us over budget and off schedule, or remain interior,\u201d she adds. \u201cThe change was dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, Hatsios says the showrunner\u2019s response was to \u201ctake the day off\u201d so the scene could be shot guerrilla style. \u201cEven if we were to \u2018take the day off,\u2019\u201d Hatsios bristles, \u201cthe actors would still be in danger. When the showrunner said, \u2018We\u2019ve never had this problem on other shows,\u2019 I patiently explained how following safety protocols would protect the company. It all ended with the EP approving the additional costs to shoot the scene as an exterior another day. Had the EP not approved the budget, and the director and showrunner insisted on shooting in a way that endangered the actors, we would have had to call the Sheriff\u2019s Department to shut it down. The message producers must share is, \u2018If you see something, say something.\u2019 It\u2019s important we empower our cast and crew to speak up by creating a \u2018safe space\u2019 environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"John
John Lindley, ASC, worked with Guild operator Dave Chameides and USC’s Center for Violence, Trauma, and Injury Prevention to investigate the impact of air bags blown into dummies holding cameras, giving rise to the ICG free-driving video \/ Photo by Bonnie Osborne<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Social media has been game-changer for those hesitant to speak out.\u00a0<\/strong>Links like Safety Pages on Facebook<\/em>, which David Allen Grove, a Local 600 operator, created and co-administers with Dan Kneece, SOC, and others. The sites, \u201cI Refuse To Work on Midnight Rider! For Sarah!<\/a>\u201d\u2013 7,000 members strong and counting \u2013 \u201cSarah Jones Safety Verification System<\/a>\u201d and the long hours “I Refuse To Work Abusive Hours<\/a>” link have all become online hubs for safety education, reporting and key advice. Grove says one camera assistant posted \u201cthat he was concerned about filming in the street when they didn\u2019t have a police presence to control traffic. He brought up his concerns to the AD and the AD said, \u2018You worry about your job,\u2019 and that was it. After posting on our Facebook page and getting advice from several members, he left the show the next day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another person working on a film on a remote Hawaiian location contacted Grove through a private message about unsafe hours, and crew members driving two hours each way to get to work and back. \u201cSome were so tired they decided to sleep in their cars in the parking lot,\u201d Grove relays. \u201cThe person reported that four people had fallen asleep at the wheel in just one week and crashed their cars.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grove says he reported the complaints to a rep at the Guild, and that person immediately contacted a rep in Hawaii. \u201cFortunately, the reps in Hawaii were on top of things,\u201d Grove adds, \u201cand within three weeks of reporting, I heard back from this crewmember that the hours had improved, and they were getting hotels for those in need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking up, posting articles about on-set accidents, calling the union, and creating a Safe Buddy System \u2013 through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or word of mouth \u2013 are strategies all of these safety heroes have put into practice.<\/p>\n

So is education.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Local
Local 600 DP Ted Wachs teaches a mandatory safety class to film students at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts \/ Photo Courtesy of Sonya Sio Arts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Local 600 member Ted Wachs has been grooming film students<\/strong> in his mandatory safety classes at New York University\u2019s Tisch School of the Arts (See\u00a0Camera Angles,<\/em>\u00a0Spring 2019). Wachs\u2019 efforts began after an NYU electrician on a student film suffered fatal injuries. He was standing in the mud without the proper shoes on a shoot where it had rained for a week.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe NYU office of insurance and list management told the school they wouldn\u2019t be insured, and that NYU wouldn\u2019t be a production school, without proper supervision,\u201d Wachs recalls of the tragic incident. \u201cLocal 600 Cinematographer Geoffrey Erb helped the school establish a Safety program. And, since I came on, first as a consultant in 2010, and now full time \u2013 every student must take an intensive safety class.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are other safety concerns percolating \u2013 the danger of radio frequency waves, blue light from LEDs, strength training, and more. That\u2019s why Local 600\u2019s Safety Committee is such an essential part of making this industry a safe place to be employed. \u201cTackling safety issues head-on requires member involvement,\u201d describes Committee Co-chair Heather Norton. \u201cAnything that helps two-way communication open and document both safe and unsafe practices gives us the tools to win safer and saner working conditions. By dealing directly with productions that have become known for safe or unsafe practices, we can make a real change, immediately, by acknowledging liability and working together to come up with solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Union safety heroes also advocate for a closer partnership with industry vendors. Case in point: when drone manufacturer DJI revealed an advertising campaign that promoted unsafe practices, they were contacted and immediately removed the ads.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
ICG Safety Committee Co-chair Heather Norton says that “tackling safety issues head-on requires member involvement. Anything that helps two-way communication open and document both safe and unsafe practices gives us the tools to win safer and saner working conditions.” Photo by Dale Robinette<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThere are so many safety issues to address,\u201d Norton adds, \u201cand it comes down to members of all IA Locals and Guilds getting the right information and reporting wrongdoings. Our campaign to fight unsafe hours is a great example. It communicates the severity of that issue and gives union members the information \u2013 and the ability to report \u2013 at their fingertips. Solidarity will force productions to change current practices.\u201d [See Local 600\u2019s Unsafe Hours<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>video.]<\/p>\n

Norton says new and ongoing campaigns \u2013 like the Local 600 Shop Stewards Program and Mandatory Safety Training for certain crafts \u2013 need to be ramped up. \u201cThere\u2019s an initiative to educate members about gun safety on our sets,\u201d she adds. \u201cAnd we\u2019re in the educational stages of dealing with the increasing information about blue light exposure\/retinal damage and sleep disruption hazards to any crew member on sets. The list changes as the technology changes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The longtime New York City-based AC, who began her career in the early 1990s, when safety was often an afterthought, concludes that, \u201ceven when we find solutions, it\u2019s only a solution if it is adhered to. Do you know what toxins are on your camera truck, or on your set? Do you have a list of those toxins posted at the door? Do you know why this paperwork is required on every truck and in every stage? If you are on the roster you do, but that education is only mandatory for our Western Region members.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why Norton, Daily, Chameides, Taylor, Gilliard, Hatsios, Grove and so many other safety heroes across all industry unions and guilds are standing up, speaking out, and advocating for best practices in every industry genre and format. After all, clich\u00e9s like the often-heard \u201cSafety is no accident\u201dcome about because they\u2019re true!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Meet the Union Workers Who Are Creating a Culture of Safer Sets Every Single Day. by Pauline Rogers   Experts agree on this point: when it comes to safety, the film and TV industry has been complacent for too long. In the 1980s, if filmmakers needed to capture the majesty of the Cabrillo Highway in California\u2019s stunning Big Sur region, they would find camera operators willing to hang out of an open helicopter, one arm through a strut, the other […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8858,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSafety Heroes - ICG Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.icgmagazine.com\/web\/safety-heroes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Safety Heroes - ICG Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Meet the Union Workers Who Are Creating a Culture of Safer Sets Every Single Day. by Pauline Rogers   Experts agree on this point: when it comes to safety, the film and TV industry has been complacent for too long. 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