Month: February 2021

COVID-19 SHOOTING GUIDELINES

GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES

Coronavirus (COVID-19): what you need to do

• Stay at home, except for specific purposes. Work from home if possible.
• Avoid meeting people you do not live with, except for specific purposes.
• If you go out, stay two metres (six feet) away from other people, where possible.
• Wash your hands as soon as you get home.

‘The Government has said carry on with business while making clear that social distancing should be followed in the workplace “including, where possible, maintaining a two metre distance from others.”

Source: Social distancing, keeping businesses open and in-work activities during

 the coronavirus outbreak

Latest update for the Film Industry (4th January 2020) https://mailchi.mp/a-p-a.net/tier-5-boris-confirms-production-can-continue-coronavirus-update-80?e=[UNIQID]

MEDICAL INFORMATION

Some medical context on COVID-19 (also read the WHO’s dedicated FAQ):

• The time between exposure to COVID-19 and the moment when symptoms start is commonly around five to six days but can range from one to 14 days.
• COVID-19 is transmitted from infected people’s respiratory secretions (coughs/sneezes) reaching the nose, eyes or mouth.
• The most common symptoms are fever, coughing, sneezing and shortness of breath, less common symptoms are diarrhoea and abdominal pain.
• Some people with COVID-19 suffer or show no apparent symptoms. Asymptomatic sufferers may still be infected and there is strong scientific evidence that they can transmit the virus too.
• COVID-19 can also survive on surfaces and be transmitted from them.

 KEY PRINCIPLES

The purpose of social distancing and PPE is to break transmission of the virus and reduce the risk of infection. We should operate on the basis that we all have the potential to be asymptomatic carriers and must adhere to the safety principles to minimise risk. Therefore the following essential rules are based on current UK Government guidelines, and must be adhered to:

• Maintain social distancing wherever possible – two metres apart.
• Wash your hands or use hand sanitiser for at least 20 seconds as often as possible.
• Cough and sneeze in the crook of the arm or into a tissue and bin immediately.
• Report COVID-19 symptoms to your employer.
• Work from home where possible.

THE SHOOT – GENERAL

• Staggered call times where possible to avoid congestion.
• Keep the production as small as possible and minimise the number of crew/ agency/cast on set at any one time.
• Wash and thoroughly dry hands on arrival and during the day at regular intervals. Alcohol-based sanitisers should be visible throughout location and soap and water provided wherever possible.
• Consider increasing video monitors on set to avoid clusters of people.
• All crew to adhere to any safety guidelines or notices given on the day.
• Consider any space markers where possible.
• Walkies to be correctly sanitised, bagged-up and labelled with crew names before distribution – do not share radios.

TALENT ON SET

Where social distancing of talent might not seem achievable on set due to creative or action required, if possible, adapt the process to achieve within regulations (eg: use members of the same household, shoot individuals as separate plates and composite in post, etc) – if not possible then, if agreed by talent, they may be filmed together for real.

STUDIO SHOOTING

All these guidelines apply to studio productions as well as locations.

However, studios are likely to have their own risk assessment and COVID-19 preparedness plans which you will have to adhere to as well.

CREWING-UP

• A person must be allocated on set to be responsible for monitoring COVID-19 related matters whether that is a health and safety officer hired by production or a nominated crew member.
• Require all crew to notify you in advance if they develop symptoms.
• Do not confirm crew until they have signed the Health Declaration form in Appendix 1.
• Provide crew with an email confirmation of their engagement for them to produce if the police question them on their travel to the location.

NB: a waiver of rights by a crew member in respect of their contracting COVID-19 is of no value – English law does not permit excluding liability for causing injury or death through negligence, so a waiver is not part of this guidance.

TECHNICAL CREW

• Boom sound where possible, or train talent to apply mics themselves if booming not feasible.
• Camera team to wear appropriate PPE if breaking social distancing around camera (see PPE and Sanitisation section below).

HIRED EQUIPMENT – GENERAL

• COVID-19 can survive up to 72 hours on plastic and steel, so try to work out advance collection/delivery/quarantine of kit/materials where possible. If that is not possible, apply a thorough sanitation process.
• All equipment hire facilities should have their own risk assessments and health and safety practices and should provide you with a copy.
• Refer to the technician or company’s cleaning protocols and make sure they work for your production.
• As equipment is usually expensive and specialised, please rely on crew or companies to clean before hire and after with instructions how to wipe down during hire period for sanitation.

TRANSPORT

• Crew to drive themselves to set (one person per car) and be dissuaded from using public transport where possible.
• Where required, production to organise transport using drivers or car service able to demonstrate that they can socially distance passengers.

PPE AND SANITISATION

Production to have supplies of PPE for those needing to wear it:

• Tier 1 – basic PPE: masks and gloves

Note that wearing gloves needs to be managed correctly – wear for single use activities and remove, also in the event that masks become mandatory, the APA will update according to government guidelines.

• Tier 2 – enhanced PPE: including visor and covering suit.

Those who need to break two metre distancing and for a length of time to carry out their duties may need to wear enhanced PPE. Departments likely to be required to wear enhanced PPE depending on circumstances will include (but are not limited to): camera if gathering around camera, wardrobe if needing to tend to talent, HMU if needing to work on talent, medic if needing to assess symptoms.

• Covered bins provided for safe disposal of tissues and PPE.
• Crew can be asked to bring their own PPE but production must have sufficient equipment for all crew.
• Only remove talent’s PPE when essential.
• Clearly visible and spacious hygiene stations for washing, with plentiful supply of hand sanitizers and wipes
• Each department is responsible for keeping their own area and equipment clean.
• Clear health etiquette to be on posters around set (eg: Wear appropriate PPE at all times / When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow / Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth + Put down and pickup items rather than handing / Don’t shake hands, or hug + Maintain social distancing, etc).

Please find declaration form below:

APPENDIX 1

COVID-19 HEALTH DECLARATION FORM FOR CREW / TALENT / AGENCY / CLIENT ATTENDING SHOOT

As part of our commitment to provide a safe working environment for all on set during the unprecedented, fast-changing COVID-19 situation, we need to ask you to confirm in writing by signing below, as part of your agreement with the production company engaging you, that:

• You have no cause to believe that you have COVID-19 (an NHS symptom checker can be found here) or may have been exposed to COVID-19.
• You have been meeting the Government COVID-19 guidelines and social distancing when not at work as defined here.
• As far as you are aware, you have not been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 or anyone who is showing symptoms consistent with COVID-19 within the last 14 days.
• You have not travelled to, nor to your knowledge had any contact with any individual travelling from any high COVID-19 risk countries (as deemed by UK FCO) in the 14 days prior to the shoot.
• You have not had a cough, or a temperature of 38 degrees centigrade or above in the last 14 days.
• If you develop a cough or a temperature of 38 degrees centigrade or above at any point before or during or within 14 days following the shoot you will immediately inform the production company engaging you.
• If you are over 70 years of age or have any preexisting condition which would put yourself at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19, as defined by the Government here, you must inform production.
• You will notify us immediately should anything change as regards to the above confirmations.
• You have read, understood and agree to abide by the Habitual Media COVID-19 Shooting guidelines.

Please fill out details below:

We also need you to provide us with contact details of spouse / partner / home-dweller in the case of emergency on set, please provide those here.

Name of resident emergency contact: ……………………………………………………………………………………

Mobile of resident emergency contact: ……………………………………………………………………………………

Print your name: ……………………………………………………………………………

Signed: ……………………………………………………………………………

Job Title: ……………………………………………………………………………

Date of birth: ……………………………………………………………………………

Date: ……………………………………………………………………………

Your contact details if we need to contact you in event that crew or talent show test positive with COVID-19 within 14 days of our shoot:

……………………….…………………………………………………………………………………….