Image from ACTSafe: Working Alone

Just about everyone who works in film or performing arts will likely, at some point, end up working alone.

That’s why ACTSafe created a new video that reminds us about the importance of check-in procedures and the potential dangers facing those who may be working alone.

ACTSafe is BC’s industry-led association that provides health and safety training and resources, and I talked with their creative coordinator Ed Brisson to find out more about how often people work alone in his industry. He listed production assistants, flaggers, security guards, drivers, greens workers, and set decorators as affected workers.

“We could be here all day naming positions in both industries where workers are often working off in isolation or with no other workers nearby. We need to make sure that there is a plan in place to protect them from any type of accident,” Ed said.

“Say, for example, a worker falls from a ladder – as you see in the video – and they injure themselves. If it happens near the beginning of their shift and no one checks in on them, then that worker could conceivably be laying there, injured and in need of medical attention, for upwards of eight hours or longer! Imagine it happens on a Friday and no one is scheduled to come in until the following Monday – that person could be there for days. That is something that we want to prevent. We want to minimize the time between and injury occurring (of course, hoping none do) and help arriving.”

The ACTSafe team found three interview subjects to share their perspectives.

“When it came time to film the video, we just let them go. All three are extremely knowledgeable on the topic, so we just gave them the floor and let them talk about working alone and the dangers associated. The anecdotes provided by the interviewees are all things that industry workers will know well and be able to relate to,” he said. “All three had plenty of personal experiences to draw on, so we were certainly not wanting for information. If anything, it was tough to cut all that info down into a five minute video.”

So easy to make a plan

Ed says the video will get members within the industry talking about working alone.

“It will help them identify that yes, this really is a concern that does apply to them. Also, seeing just how EASY it is to put a plan into place should hopefully remove any reservations that workers, supervisors or employers may have about the process. It really is such a simple thing that take minutes and a little bit of communication. Not much when you consider that it could save a life,” he says.

Thanks to ACTSafe for making the video available – and feel free to contact them by emailing info@actsafe.ca or calling 604.733.4682.