Newham Film Office

Legislation

The main legal requirements covering locations and temporary studios are the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (the Management Regulations).

Depending on the nature of the building and any work that requires to be carried out in preparation for filming, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 may apply.

Hazards

The use of buildings for location work or studios brings with it a number of potential hazards that may require assessment and control. Typical hazards may include:

1. unsafe structures;
2. inadequate fire precautions or means of escape;
3. unguarded, faulty or derelict machinery;
4. non-availability of services (eg electricity or water);
5. hazardous substances or materials, eg asbestos;
6. debris and litter;
7. pests or vermin.

Building structure

The building should be made safe for its intended use and not be likely to collapse, have loose or unstable flooring, unsafe staircases and unprotected edges. These areas may need to be repaired to ensure a satisfactory standard or to be clearly indicated as being unsafe and have access restricted to prevent injury to any person.

All workplaces need safe means of access and egress. Care should be taken to ensure that all routes for vehicles and those for pedestrians are suitable for the intended traffic and that adequate illumination is provided for the entire crew during the working day.

Newham Film Office is always working to minimise any potential risks or hazards at our locations. We'll advise you on the suitability of any location during the planning stages.

Fire

There are numerous ways a fire could start on location and unless measures are taken to minimise the risk, there could be serious injuries to people or loss of the location.

Whilst all locations managed by Newham Film Office will have adequate protection against fire, it is the responsibility of the production to reduce fire risk posed by its activity whilst on any given site. The production needs to ensure that adequate emergency procedures are in place for the production as a whole and contractors need to ensure that there is adequate control of their activities.

Electricity, gas & water supplies

Steps should be taken to ensure the safety of the utility supplies if they are to be used. There should be an assessment of the electricity, gas and water supply to the building – this will normally be done by a contractor or staff member, and can be contracted via the Film Office.

Hazardous substances & materials

Some locations may contain hazardous materials or substances, for example chemicals, asbestos or micro-organisms that could potentially be a risk to people working on the production.

Steps should be taken to control such risks by ensuring these areas are isolated or by safely removing the material from the location. Many older buildings may have asbestos within their structures or associated services (eg pipe lagging).

Newham Council keeps detailed records regarding its land and buildings which are contaminated and may cause harm, and this is available to any production should it be required.

In a building where asbestos has been encapsulated and declared safe by a suitable expert, care should be taken to ensure that the encapsulation is not compromised by the production's activities through drilling, cabling etc.

Debris

Debris such as broken glass, hypodermic needles, bird droppings and rubbish should be removed by competent contractors before the location is used. Where required, creating the appearance of rubbish, debris etc should be achieved by dressing.

Newham Film Office can provide you with good contacts for cleaning and waste disposal should you need these services.

Pests & vermin

If a building has been infested with pests or vermin (eg pigeons or rats), the risk assessment should consider the possibility of personnel contracting diseases such as psittacosis or Weil's disease (leptospirosis). The building should be thoroughly cleared and cleaned by specialist contractors.

Welfare facilities

Adequate welfare facilities must be provided at all times. The number of people involved and the intended duration of the production will determine the exact nature of these facilities.

These include:

1. toilets;
2. washing facilities;
3. clean drinking water;
4. heating and ventilation;
5. storage for clothing and possibly the means of drying it;
6. catering, dining and rest facilities.

More information on stunts & other potentially hazardous production activities.

More information on safe filming & recording involving vehicles.

More information on the management of firearms & weapons.