Safety on set: a joint statement from Pact & Bectu
Pact and Bectu have been working constructively together, and with industry stakeholders to ensure that there is stringent guidance for TV and film productions on Covid-19 safe working practices.
Our industry has been given permission to keep working during the national lockdown, but this is not something we can take for granted.
It is vital that everyone in production continues to adhere to the industry and Government guidance, particularly given the emergence of the more contagious variant of the virus. For this reason, Pact and Bectu would like to remind all productions in the UK and Northern Ireland about three key issues:
1. Supervision: The COVID supervisor plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of a production and it should be carried out by someone properly trained, and with sufficient authority.
2. Compliance: Management personnel at all levels (including HoDs and senior departmental crew) and all individuals need to take personal responsibility for enforcing compliance with the rules. Individuals should set a personal example and escalate any cases of persistent non-compliance.
3. Testing and response: Everybody involved in the production should have an appropriately stringent level of testing. Productions should respond promptly, safely, and fairly whenever a positive test is reported, or where someone has to self-isolate pending a test. Productions should have stringent procedures covering all eventualities and there should be no uncontractual disincentives to people who report symptoms or have a positive test result.
We would strongly urge all productions to ensure that they are meeting the highest standards in these three key areas. If we receive reports of a particular production falling short in its safety duties, we may be in contact to discuss steps that can be taken to improve standards.