My Media Portfolio

The Health and Safety Executive

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When designing and building a set, it is extremely important that all aspects of the set abide by the law. Health and safety is a particularly important sector that is legally required to be monitored in the design and production of your set, as cast and crew need to be safe at all times. Any large materials used could become a potential hazard to cast and crew and therefore risk assessments need to be in place to ensure that safe working practices are used.

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The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) over time has helped to prevent injuries in the work place and reduce health risks, therefore making Britain one of the safest places to work. For my set design, Shadows, I will need to complete appropriate health and safety policy paperwork with details of who is responsible for which sectors of the set and suitable risk assessments. As the production company, I would need to ensure that I identified who has control over the premises etc and only hire competent staff, freelances and contractors. This will help to minimise the risk of accident; if in production I hire a trainee, they should not be alone as they are still learning and are not as competent as someone more qualified and experienced. This will also mean that work may be to a higher quality if someone with more experience is hired. It is also my responsibility to ensure that anyone we hire has relevant qualifications and paperwork for themselves including their own risk assessments. Contractors should be provided with adequate information with regards to planned production activity and advice given should be followed. Communication is key between the production company and contractors and ensure work doesn’t start before all adequate paperwork and information has been completed. Staff and crew should be supervised at all times during production to ensure their safety and if any accidents were to occur, ensure that they’re recorded appropriately with all relevant details. If there are any changes with regards to health and safety, all cast and crew should be informed as soon as possible, and the set should be monitored to ensure no change with regards to safety of cast and crew. I need to consider that some people may have queries or questions with regards to some aspects of health and safety; therefore they need to be addressed. Finally, I need to ensure that working hours are managed effectively throughout all production activities to again ensure the health of cast and crew.

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Contractors are jointly responsible for the health and safety of cast and crew, including themselves, and should work in a safe manner in accordance with relevant legal requirements.  Contractors should only agree to work and activities that they are competent to carry out and monitor the performance of any of their employees or subcontractors.  Safety processes and site rules should be adhered to and communication should be of a high standard with all cast and crew including the production company. Risk assessments should be completed with regards to the specific activities they will be completing and should be easily accessible in case of inspection or if needed by any cast or crew. Any health and safety concerns spotted by contractors must be raised as soon as possible and any equipment that they use must be safe and properly maintained. Any accidents or incidents must be reporter to the production company.

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In every set- whether it be designing or producing the set- there is a chain of responsibility. The production company are always legally responsible for anything with regards to health and safty during production. A health and safety policy must be in place, and accessible to all cast and crew at any point. Communication is key, between all cast, crew, contractors and the production company to limit the risk of accident. Resources and responsibilities must be allocated appropriately, to ensure each cast and crew member know what duties and equipment they are responsible for. This includes which stages of the production they are particularly responsible for health and safety matters.  The production company should oversee each stage or production with regards to health and safety and should ensure that risk assessments and plans are followed. The selection of contractors should be made appropriately to reduce accident and injury and stages right from the set design through to the build should be monitored by the production company. Insurances should be firmly in place and documentation should be accessible at any time. Emergency arrangements should be firmly in place and clear to all cast and crew before design and production begins, and fire marshals should be allocated appropriately. Accident reports should be completed fully and paperwork should be accessible at any time to the relevant crew. The production company is also responsible for any training that needs to be provided to cast and crew and any arrangements with local authorities should be completed and detailed in advance by the production company. Working hours are also designated by the production company and should be monitored throughout production.

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Below the production company in the chain of responsibilities, comes producers, managers, supervisors, heads of departments and senior crew members. These crew members should appropriately delegate activities to other staff and provide support to them. They should also demonstrate the correct health and safety procedures throughout and be able to clearly communicate with other individuals.  They should ensure that activities are completed to a high standard, but with the right policies and procedures in place.

Below crew of a higher position come the responsibilities of experienced crew. They should use safety equipment and follow all safety procedures- if any accidents occur this should be reported immediately. Self-employed individuals that are working on set should be organised and manage their own work, as well as carrying out their own risk assessments of their activity. They are responsible for communicating with other crew, especially those who may be affected by their activity. Contractors are not only responsible for providing a good service; they should demonstrate safe working practices and use equipment safely and correctly. Risk assessments should be completed and only competent staff should complete the work.  Any inexperienced workers or trainees must take responsible care of themselves and anyone that may be affected by their activity. They should co-operate with their employer and not complete activity that they are not confident in doing. They are also responsible for ensuring that they are under supervision at all times. Finally, the studio location owners are responsible for ensuring the safety of the set, before and during production. Any issues with the basic studio must be resolved as soon as possible to maintain a safe, high quality studio, and access to the building must be safe and clear to all cast and crew.

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Control of Substances Hazardous to Health

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The COSHH regulation law provides safe levels of exposure and working practices to ensure no harm to health occurs. When building a set from various materials, this may include materials being cut, sawn, welded etc. For my set design, Shadows, I will need to follow the COSHH guidelines to ensure the health of anyone working on my set. Every year, thousands of workers are made ill by hazardous substances, contracting lung disease such as asthma, cancer and skin disease such as dermatitis. This is not only bad for the worker (if they lose their job), but also for the industry, as the trained worker has to be replaced. It also affects society, as disability allowances and medicines then have to be provided to that member of staff.

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There are several common harmful substances used in workplaces today. Welders, quarry workers and woodworkers, for example, are exposed to dusty or fume-laden air which can causes lung diseases. Metalworking fluids can grow bacteria and fungi which can cause asthma and dermatitis, as workers are exposed to it both physically and through the air. Wet working, such as catering staff or cleaners exposed to liquids and harmful substances are also prone to dermatitis. Similarly, prolonged contact with wet cement in construction can lead to dermatitis, and possibly chemical burns. Benzene in crude oil can cause leukaemia and flowers, bulbs, fruit and vegetables can cause dermatitis. Other harmful substances used in the work place include paint, ink, glue, lubricant, detergent and beauty products.  To avoid exposure to any chemicals in my production, I will ensure that workers are provided with dust masks, and that there is appropriate ventilation for fumes, such as those from the cutting of wood. These substances are also dangerous in other aspects, such as if they’re flammable, however both this and ill health can be avoided. Exposure by breathing the substance in can be easily avoided by wearing a mask and exposure via skin contact can be avoided by wearing gloves or protective equipment. This will prevent contamination from direct contact as a result of splashing, substances landing on the skin (eg. Airbourne dust) and contact with contaminated surfaces. To avoid swallowing the substance, people should ensure they’ve washed their hands before eating or smoking as this is how the chemicals are transferred to their mouth. Some vapours, gases and dusts are irritating to eyes, therefore can be avoided by wearing protective glasses. Workers can be exposed to chemicals by skin puncture- even though needlestick injuries are rare, they can cause infections. Safety data sheets are used in the workplace to inform workers of any products that include harmful substances and therefore imply how to avoid them. International symbols are used to imply the hazard, rather than using single words to describe the hazard. In my set design, I will ensure that symbols are clearly shown to all staff to make them aware of potential hazards.

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As the employer, it is important that there are control measures in place to protect staff. Employers must check and maintain the safe working practices- employers should check that the process isn’t emitting uncontrolled contaminants, check that the control equipment continues to work as it was designed, and check that workers follow the right way of working. Two of the most common control measures that require critical maintenance are local exhaust ventilation and personal protective equipment. Competence is hugely important for anyone that designs, installs, maintains and tests control measures. I will ensure that whoever is responsible has the necessary skills, knowledge and experience by asking thorough questions and asking for previous work/job evidence. Involving workers is also important, as they may have questions or improvement suggestions, which is something that should be encouraged.  Training, instruction and information are compulsory within the workplace. Especially in the building of a set, I will ensure that workers know how to use control measures and how to check if they are working. I will also ensure that practice drills for cleaning up spills safely are used in case of a spillage. Protective gloves will be provided and information/demonstration of how to put them on and take them off without contaminating their skin will be clearly given.

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Monitoring exposure to harmful substances is crucial, as there are certain limits set by COSHH. Monitoring normally means air sampling; however it may also involve taking biological samples, eg. breath or urine. This makes reference to Workplace Exposure Limits published by HSE. These limits should not be exceeded. Health checks may be carried out on staff members if any information or the HSE/company feel that there is a problem with health in your trade.

Pass - Produce a competent and function 3D scale model Set Design