Selecting Contractors and Crew - Competence
The need for competent crew and contractors is one of the key steps to ensuring a safe production - and also an efficient production.
The nature of TV and film making is our reliance on experts in their field to make sure the production works both in terms of on screen production and also in ensuring the behind the scenes issues are fully and properly managed.
No Production Manager, Line Producer or Producer can be expected to fully understand the safety and technical issues behind their shows - and TV/Film Production has a wider range of such issues than most industry.
To ensure their health and safety responsibilities are fulfilled it is essential they take the time and effort to make sure that contractors and crew are competent and expert in their field.
Taking time to select contractors allows you to trust in their skills once Production begins and allows you to show legally you took reasonable steps to ensure the safety of the Production and its crew.
It is obviously impossible to list in one article every possible work area and the skill base/competence required - we can however identify certain common key points and point out where to check for some specialised activities limited to film and TV.
Informal Checks: Your past history with a contractor or individual should always be considered, equally recommendations from colleagues and peers is a good starting point for selecting a safe and competent supplier/person.
These alone are not adequate proof in modern law - but they provide a good starting point and can save you a lot of time in terms of the checks and the number of people or companies you vet for competence.
Insurance: Obviously make sure they have the required Insurance in place.
This would typically include cover for their own Employees, cover for other people working alongside them and the general safety of their work including risks to the public.
Equipment: Good companies will be able to prove their equipment is safe and legal; there is variance between countries as to what formal legal proof of equipment safety is required and what is simply best practice.
Some equipment - typically cranes, lifting equipment, boats, planes, rigging equipment, pressure vessels (VFX equipment) - is subject to formal recorded checks of different forms in most developed countries.
It may need to be registered as Plant in some countries.
All equipment should however be subject to regular maintenance and checks whatever the formal legal requirements.
Thus when selecting contractors ask how they can show their equipment is safe and suitable - most can show you a risk assessment/safe work statement, operating manuals, certification from experts and in house maintenance logs/procedures.
It can obviously be hard to know what exact checks you should make; in most cases when checking with several suppliers the better ones will agree and tell you what should be in place.
When two contractors send you formal proof and one insists it's not required - you know where you should be hiring.
In other cases a safety expert, safety consultant or safety advisor will be able to assist - either in giving you indicators of what to expect or helping through the process.
People: What training is formally required by law? Many high risk activities have legal or semi legal (i.
e.
: through a specialist body) formal training and competence requirements.
You wouldn't get on a plane with an untrained pilot so you should consider the same factors for all your crew and contractors.
This may be a simple safety induction for low risk jobs, it may be the result of broad training as well as safety specific knowledge (electrical, lighting, sound etc.
) - an untrained inexperienced Gaffer will make for an interesting Production it's safe to say.
In some cases there is specific training and competence required - Stunts, Pilots, Boats, Rigging (not all countries), fork lift trucks, cranes, cherry pickers, EWP etc.
Again a good safety expert may be able to help - whether helping on one project or helping you draw up criteria to be used on all work going forward they can assist in filling your knowledge gaps and saving you time in the long run.
The Work: Certainly for higher potential risk work the individual and contractor should be able to provide proof they have safe work methods.
Now whilst the names and formal requirements change by country the simple universal truth of good written procedures in some form will always apply.
Typical examples may include; safety policy, risk assessments, hazard analysis, work method statements, safety rules, working procedures, rules etc.
These written properly show how all factors - the equipment, the people, the working environment, the work itself are managed to reduce risk and prevent accidents.
Accident Record: Good contractors will be able to demonstrate they have a good safety record - but be aware the better ones will admit to some accidents - we've never had an accident responses should be taken with a pinch of salt - especially for larger suppliers.
Other Factors: These can be helpful - although you need to be careful; slightly misleading claims can sometimes be made.
· ISO18001 - is an international standard for safety management - accredited to 18001 means they have proof of validation by the awarding body - working to 18001 means very little.
We can all claim to be working to 18001 but without accreditation it's a worthless promise.
· Prize and Awards: It's not to say there isn't any value in them but be wary of exhibition "prizes" they are often linked to sponsorship and similar.
Responses: You can tell a lot by how people answer questions.
If the answers avoid the question or give you responses that are clever in their wording then be aware.
Specialist Contractors: Aircraft: So what should we expect - it hits the criteria we named above: Competent Person - a Commercial Pilot is required Safe Equipment: All planes should have a Certificate of Airworthiness The key item however is an Air Operators Certificate, issued by the governing body this will tell you they have safe rules, they have been vetted as safe and employ competent people.
It will tell you what they are competent at - passenger flights, aerial filming, carrying loads etc.
Boats: A competent skipper rated for the waters being worked in and a boat with a safety survey - check for where the boat and skipper can work, are they night rated etc.
Stunts: Stunt performers are a highly skilled bunch - they have their own skill set and generally have a "governing body" that oversees the industry and accredits performers.
Whether through Equity or other bodies you should find Stunt performers grouped roughly as below depending on the country: Probationers: Learning to be stunt performers.
They must never be hired to work alone; they must be supervised by a Stunt Coordinator Performer: A competent and experienced performer.
Can do simple stunts on their own or form part of a stunt team under a Stunt Co-ordinator Co-ordinator: In most cases this is the key decision.
Hire a good stunt coordinator and they will assemble a stunt tea for you.
A stunt coordinator is an expert and can perform stunts or oversee complex stunts.
The full range of skills and expertise encountered within film and TV can never be simply captured; however hopefully the above gives you a starting point of the right questions to ask.
The nature of TV and film making is our reliance on experts in their field to make sure the production works both in terms of on screen production and also in ensuring the behind the scenes issues are fully and properly managed.
No Production Manager, Line Producer or Producer can be expected to fully understand the safety and technical issues behind their shows - and TV/Film Production has a wider range of such issues than most industry.
To ensure their health and safety responsibilities are fulfilled it is essential they take the time and effort to make sure that contractors and crew are competent and expert in their field.
Taking time to select contractors allows you to trust in their skills once Production begins and allows you to show legally you took reasonable steps to ensure the safety of the Production and its crew.
It is obviously impossible to list in one article every possible work area and the skill base/competence required - we can however identify certain common key points and point out where to check for some specialised activities limited to film and TV.
Informal Checks: Your past history with a contractor or individual should always be considered, equally recommendations from colleagues and peers is a good starting point for selecting a safe and competent supplier/person.
These alone are not adequate proof in modern law - but they provide a good starting point and can save you a lot of time in terms of the checks and the number of people or companies you vet for competence.
Insurance: Obviously make sure they have the required Insurance in place.
This would typically include cover for their own Employees, cover for other people working alongside them and the general safety of their work including risks to the public.
Equipment: Good companies will be able to prove their equipment is safe and legal; there is variance between countries as to what formal legal proof of equipment safety is required and what is simply best practice.
Some equipment - typically cranes, lifting equipment, boats, planes, rigging equipment, pressure vessels (VFX equipment) - is subject to formal recorded checks of different forms in most developed countries.
It may need to be registered as Plant in some countries.
All equipment should however be subject to regular maintenance and checks whatever the formal legal requirements.
Thus when selecting contractors ask how they can show their equipment is safe and suitable - most can show you a risk assessment/safe work statement, operating manuals, certification from experts and in house maintenance logs/procedures.
It can obviously be hard to know what exact checks you should make; in most cases when checking with several suppliers the better ones will agree and tell you what should be in place.
When two contractors send you formal proof and one insists it's not required - you know where you should be hiring.
In other cases a safety expert, safety consultant or safety advisor will be able to assist - either in giving you indicators of what to expect or helping through the process.
People: What training is formally required by law? Many high risk activities have legal or semi legal (i.
e.
: through a specialist body) formal training and competence requirements.
You wouldn't get on a plane with an untrained pilot so you should consider the same factors for all your crew and contractors.
This may be a simple safety induction for low risk jobs, it may be the result of broad training as well as safety specific knowledge (electrical, lighting, sound etc.
) - an untrained inexperienced Gaffer will make for an interesting Production it's safe to say.
In some cases there is specific training and competence required - Stunts, Pilots, Boats, Rigging (not all countries), fork lift trucks, cranes, cherry pickers, EWP etc.
Again a good safety expert may be able to help - whether helping on one project or helping you draw up criteria to be used on all work going forward they can assist in filling your knowledge gaps and saving you time in the long run.
The Work: Certainly for higher potential risk work the individual and contractor should be able to provide proof they have safe work methods.
Now whilst the names and formal requirements change by country the simple universal truth of good written procedures in some form will always apply.
Typical examples may include; safety policy, risk assessments, hazard analysis, work method statements, safety rules, working procedures, rules etc.
These written properly show how all factors - the equipment, the people, the working environment, the work itself are managed to reduce risk and prevent accidents.
Accident Record: Good contractors will be able to demonstrate they have a good safety record - but be aware the better ones will admit to some accidents - we've never had an accident responses should be taken with a pinch of salt - especially for larger suppliers.
Other Factors: These can be helpful - although you need to be careful; slightly misleading claims can sometimes be made.
· ISO18001 - is an international standard for safety management - accredited to 18001 means they have proof of validation by the awarding body - working to 18001 means very little.
We can all claim to be working to 18001 but without accreditation it's a worthless promise.
· Prize and Awards: It's not to say there isn't any value in them but be wary of exhibition "prizes" they are often linked to sponsorship and similar.
Responses: You can tell a lot by how people answer questions.
If the answers avoid the question or give you responses that are clever in their wording then be aware.
Specialist Contractors: Aircraft: So what should we expect - it hits the criteria we named above: Competent Person - a Commercial Pilot is required Safe Equipment: All planes should have a Certificate of Airworthiness The key item however is an Air Operators Certificate, issued by the governing body this will tell you they have safe rules, they have been vetted as safe and employ competent people.
It will tell you what they are competent at - passenger flights, aerial filming, carrying loads etc.
Boats: A competent skipper rated for the waters being worked in and a boat with a safety survey - check for where the boat and skipper can work, are they night rated etc.
Stunts: Stunt performers are a highly skilled bunch - they have their own skill set and generally have a "governing body" that oversees the industry and accredits performers.
Whether through Equity or other bodies you should find Stunt performers grouped roughly as below depending on the country: Probationers: Learning to be stunt performers.
They must never be hired to work alone; they must be supervised by a Stunt Coordinator Performer: A competent and experienced performer.
Can do simple stunts on their own or form part of a stunt team under a Stunt Co-ordinator Co-ordinator: In most cases this is the key decision.
Hire a good stunt coordinator and they will assemble a stunt tea for you.
A stunt coordinator is an expert and can perform stunts or oversee complex stunts.
The full range of skills and expertise encountered within film and TV can never be simply captured; however hopefully the above gives you a starting point of the right questions to ask.