Safety

manual
For the students of
the school of film and television
at
Loyola Marymount University

Introduction
Learning how to safely manage a film set is part of your education at LMU SFTV. The
safety skills you practice during your student film shoots will be carried forward into

Guidelines to safety
As set forth by
Risk management

© Loyola Marymount University-Risk Management Dept.

your career. This manual will provide you with some guidelines to follow regarding film
safety.

Safety on set
The equipment used in production can be particularly dangerous and haste and
improvisation can put individuals at even greater risk unless they are conscientious of
safety at every moment. Failure to observe safety policies may result in the shut down of
your production, or worse, serious injury.

Preparation

Safety begins long before the shooting day. It is the responsibility of each crew member
to educate themselves about safety and to arrive on set on time, well rested and healthy.

The assistant director (A.D.)

The AD, or Assistant Director, is the primary safety officer on the set, and this
responsibility takes precedence above all the other things that the 1st Assistant Director
does. The AD is responsible for the safe conduct of everyone involved in the production
and will inform the crew about and enforce appropriate safety precautions. Any safety
concerns should immediately be brought to the attention of the 1st AD.

The 1st AD has the sole authority to shut the production down if there is ever any
indication, large or small, that the safety of anyone on the crew for any reason appears to
be in jeopardy.

No one else on the crew, not the Director, and not the Producer, has the authority to make
the decision of whether or not a situation is safe enough to shoot. The 1st AD is solely
responsible for making that determination and must always err on the side of caution.

safety meeting
The AD’s first duty at the beginning of every shooting day is to conduct a safety meeting
with the entire crew present. New and returning crew members must be informed on a
daily basis of the safety precautions for that day’s shoot; including the locations of fire
extinguishers, emergency exits, and the first aid kit. As well as, any special issues

Guidelines to safety
As set forth by
Risk management

© Loyola Marymount University-Risk Management Dept.

pertaining to that day’s shooting such as stunts to be performed or particularly hazardous
rigging.

Injuries/accidents are to be reported

immediately to veronica Hansen in
risk mgmt. at 310.261.9181 and john
Syrjamaki (HOPA) at 82973

Proper attire
The AD also checks all crew members to ensure that they are wearing the appropriate
attire. It is particularly important that footwear be sturdy sneakers or boots. Sandals or
high-healed shoes of any kind are not permissible.

The AD also checks that all crew members wear well-fitting clothing that is appropriate
to the weather. In hot weather, you will want to wear thin clothing and if it is cold you
will want to layer your clothing. Loose clothing will be caught in equipment and the 1st
AD is responsible for having a conversation with the crew member.

Heat and Sun

When shooting outdoors while it is sunny, shade must be provided if it is not readily
available; usually in the form of an Easy-Up shade canopy. Light breathable attire and
sunscreen should be worn. Proper hydration is even more critical on warm days. Always
have plenty of bottled water on hand.

Rain and wind

Proper shelter must be provided if there is rain or the possibility of rain in the forecast.
Again, this can be easily remedied in the form of an Easy-Up canopy. Raingear should
be worn by all crew.

Lights must be covered by securely placing a large flag above the light and all electrical
connections should be wrapped in plastic and kept off the ground so as to avoid it lying in
a puddle.

Should it be windy, lights and stands should receive additional sandbagging. Rope can
be used to stabilize tall stands. Never set up equipment near power lines.

Working with an equipment truck

Guidelines to safety
As set forth by
Risk management

© Loyola Marymount University-Risk Management Dept.

Never let an inexperienced driver behind the wheel of an equipment truck. Only skilled
crew members should be working around equipment trucks. Use at least one “spotter”
when maneuvering a truck in close quarters. NEVER LOAD AND LEAVE
EQUIPMENT IN AN UNATTENDED VEHICLE OVERNIGHT.

The contents of your equipment truck can shift during transport so take care in opening
doors so that no injuries occur.

The gate lift on an equipment truck is powerful and can cause serious injury. Operation
of the lift should be performed by one crew member at a time. The crew member should
be experienced in the operation and should always alert those nearby before operating the
equipment. Those not operating the lift should remain at least five feet away.

Moving equipment
Equipment should be moved only by experienced crew members. If an object is heavy
and unwieldy then appropriate measures should be taken to relocate the equipment with
the necessary crew to safely move it.

Power distribution

The Gaffer is responsible for all power distribution from on-set lighting to extension
cords for craft services. Cables should be run together out of foot traffic areas as much as
possible. When cables must be run across any area where they could present a tripping
hazard they must be secured with tape or rubber matting. It's a good idea never to use
duct tape for anything associated with a location shoot. It leaves a sticky residue on
anything it touches and can take the finish off floors, pull pile off carpets and the paint off
walls.

Electrical and audio cables at outdoor shoots are especially dangerous since there's no
way to tape them down. One solution is to tape them into a bundle with gaffer's tape, and
tag the bundle liberally with yellow "Danger" tape. Keep the bundle out of paths, walks
and stairways as much as possible. To make bundles doubly secure, make narrow
"croquet wickets" (wire staples) out of heavy gage iron wire - coat hanger wire or
heavier, for example - by bending the wire into a narrow "U." Make the wickets about
nine to twelve inches long and use them to pin cable bundles to the ground.

When using power on location, particular care must be taken not to overload circuits.
Only the Gaffer should be plugging in a cable or light.

Stands and Rigging

Guidelines to safety
As set forth by
Risk management

© Loyola Marymount University-Risk Management Dept.

The Grip is responsible for all rigging. Which means anything that needs to be hung or
put on a stand; this includes the setting of light stands. When carrying a stand, the
warning “points coming through” should be stated clearly and loudly so that crew
members have time to move if necessary. All stands in use on set must be sandbagged
according to their load or precarious position.

C-Stands must be set correctly. A C-Stand’s arm is designed to extend over the knuckle
with the load on the side toward which the knuckle tightens. Therefore, if the load forces
the arm to slip, it will actually tighten and stop. If the rear of the C-Stand arm extends
out beyond the base, a marker should be attached to it so that it can clearly be seen.

Tripods are especially dangerous because their bulk - the camera and monitor - is near
eye level. People see the camera but often fail to register the tripod legs sticking out
below. Placing camera cases, bags and packs under tripods creates bulk around the legs
and reduces the danger of tripping.

Dollies
Grips are also responsible for the dolly. Once dolly tracks have been set, the crew must
be careful not to trip on the tracks. Heavy dollies should not be lifted but ramped onto
their tracks with wedges. Once on the track, the dolly should be prevented from rolling
off the track with clamps. On set, the Dolly Grip is the only person permitted to mount a
dolly.

walls
Ask before you hang anything from the walls, even if you plan to use gaffer's tape. And
while on that subject, if you should happen to do damage to a surface, since even gaffer's
tape can stick too well on occasion, own up to the damage and offer to pay to have it
repaired.

MINORS
Minors on set must be accompanied by a parent and a certified Studio Teacher.

ANIMALS
Animals on set must be accompanied by an Animal Wrangler.

Guidelines to safety
As set forth by
Risk management

© Loyola Marymount University-Risk Management Dept.

Actors should not be expected to be as aware of hazards on set as a crew member would.
It is the responsibility of the crew to make them aware of potential hazards.

Meals
If meals are served on set, make sure there’s enough for all. The first meal should be
available within six hours of crew call and a minimum of a half hour should be allotted
for the meal.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages should be available to the cast and crew throughout
the day. Cast and crew who lack energy and focus are a hazard on set. Healthy snacks
help keep your crew alert and active.

Driving shots
Any shot sequences that require a camera to be in a moving vehicle must be approved by
the HOPA. The use of camera mounts must also be approved in advance by HOPA and
Risk Management.

Company moves
Should it be necessary to change locations in the middle of a shooting day, the company
move must be handled carefully in spite of the temptation to rush to the next location. A
safety meeting must be held at the new location before filming resumes.

Fire, stunts and firearms

Candles and cigarettes should be handled with great care on set. Any larger fire used on
set, even a large group of candles must be approved by Risk Management and must be
supervised by a paid Fire Marshall.

All stunts must be planned by a professional and approved by HOPA and reviewed by
our insurance carrier for potential hazards. Crew members need to be made aware of all
aspects of any stunt before it is executed.

Only non-firing, replica guns or rubber guns are permitted on set. Blanks, squibs or real
guns are never permitted on set. The prop weapon must be rented from an approved
rental house. Plastic or “fake” guns are never permitted on set. HOPA must approve
using a prop weapon on set. Prop knives also are to be rented from an approved rental
house and real knives are to never be brought on set. A FIREARMS POLICY

Guidelines to safety
As set forth by
Risk management

© Loyola Marymount University-Risk Management Dept.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT MUST BE SIGNED AND SUBMITTED TO HOPA AND
RISK MANAGEMENT BY THE DIRECTOR.

Working at night

Work lights should be set up for night sets and extra precautions taken. Trip hazards
need even more attention and all crew members should use flashlights in poorly lit areas.

Length of shoot and turnaround

No shooting day should exceed twelve hours and the AD must make sure that there is at
least twelve hours of turnaround, meaning the amount of time between one day’s wrap
and the next day’s call time. After a fifteen or seventeen hour shoot it is not safe to wrap
up and drive home.

wrap

Enough time must be allowed within the twelve-hour workday to have an orderly wrap.
Extra care must be taken because the crew is tired and may be working in darkness. At
night, the work light should be the last piece of equipment loaded.

Report unsafe conduct to risk

management or HOPA! Reports of
unsafe conduct will be kept
anonymous and confidential

Guidelines to safety
As set forth by
Risk management

© Loyola Marymount University-Risk Management Dept.