Health and Safety
Health and Safety Officer
Louise Spraggon - 0210 276 4724 over the shoot weekend (during daytime hours).
Please check the health and safety information below first.
If you have questions relating to health and safety that is not on our website, please contact our Health and Safety Officer - Louise is available between 7am - 7pm over the shoot weekend. Call Ness for anything outside of these hours - 021 120 8597
Health and Safety
48Hours is committed to running a safe competition.
You are responsible for your own health and safety but we aim to help by providing links to information about your responsibilities and obligations and paperwork to assist with this.
On April 4, 2016, The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 came into effect which changed some of the terms, responsibilities and approaches to health and safety. An organisation called Screensafe, in conjunction with the NZ film industry has set up a series of guidelines for dealing with health and safety in the screen industry which can all be found on their website.
While 48Hours is a competition and team members are not being paid you are all still responsible for making sure that everyone is safe.
Team leaders - you should look over the information on the Screensafe website.
Below are forms you can use to make sure your team has a health and safety policy and hazard risk assessment. There is also a handy checklist and induction form for your team members. You should do a safety briefing with your teams at the start of the production, highlighting any hazards and how to avoid them. Keep a record of your hazard identification and risk assessment.
See below for how to assess your hazards and some things to look out for:
Hazard ID and risk assessment template for 48Hours
Health and Safety Officer
If you have questions relating to health and safety that is not on our website, please contact our Health and Safety Officer - Louise Spraggon. Louise is available between 7am - 7pm over the shoot weekend. Louise is available on + 64 210 276 4724 over the shoot weekend (during daytime hours).
Covid-19
You must comply with all government restrictions and recommendations regarding covid-19. All the relevant information is available on the government's Covid-19 website.
If you do not comply with the restrictions your film will be disqualified. Check out rule number one on the Rules page.
Screensafe’s COVID-19 Health and Safety Standard and Protocol can be found at Screensafe COVID-19.
Assess the Hazards
Once you have a great script, think about the hazards you'll encounter in the shooting environment. Write them down and have a plan on how you will eliminate or minimise the risks of any accidents or incidents. Have a first aid kit with you and someone who knows the basics of first aid. If you think something might be unsafe to shoot without specialist assistance, it probably is. Don't put yourself at risk, think of another way to shoot it.
Stunts and guns
Weapons or guns are props that can get you into trouble, plan ahead so the only place you’re causing a scene is on camera.
- Weapons like swords should only be used if they are blunt and unable to cause harm
- Handle weapons carefully and do not alarm the public
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If participants are going to use any sort of firearms or weapons during filming you must notify Police in advance. This can be done by calling the non-emergency contact centre on 105.
Police will require the following information
- Date
- Time
- Location
- Type of firearm(s) and ammunition types being used. This includes replica firearms and blanks rounds etc.
Filming in Public / Vehicles
When filming out and about, be mindful of pedestrians, vehicles and cyclists.
- If you are filming near a road, the crew should wear fluro vests.
- Do not distract drivers or be the cause for a road accident.
- Do not film on a public road - professional crews have traffic control for this.
- Do not fly a drone over a road or cars as this may be distracting and cause an accident.
Roads
When filming out and about, be mindful of pedestrians, vehicles and cyclists.
- If you are filming near a road, the crew should wear fluro vests.
- Do not distract drivers or be the cause for a road accident.
- Do not film on a public road - professional crews have traffic control for this.
- Do not fly a drone over a road or cars as this may be distracting and cause an accident.
Fires and fireworks
If your film involves pyrotechnics, think ahead and be smart about how you will pull it off safely.
- Let the local fire brigade know about any smoke or fire in advance
- Do not light a fire in a fire ban area
- Have fire extinguishers on hand
Heights
Some films may require heights to achieve the best shot, make sure you give your cast and crew the best shot of avoiding injury on set.
- Check the ladder is appropriate and do not extend it too high
- Have 3 points of contact with a ladder
- Don’t hang out of high windows or get on the roof.
You must comply with NZ safety regulations. See Screensafe guides on working at height.
Water
Water can be a big risk on set, think ahead to keep you cast and crew safe and warm.
- Keep electrical equipment away from water
- Water can create slipping hazards
- Identify people that can swim and have a plan for anyone that needs to go in the water
- Keep actors warm after any water scenes
Screensafe offer a guide on water safety.
Fatigue
Accidents can happen when people are tired, make sure that regulated breaks are part of your filming schedule.
- Take a break
- Keep hydrated
- Provide snacks
- Swap people in and out
- Plan the shoot around the people with the most demanding schedule, especially actors and director/writers
- Make sure anyone driving a vehicle is well rested
Drones
Drone shots can strengthen your film, but also require strengthening your health and safety plan too.
- Log your flights with Airshare
- Keep drones away from the road
- Get permission to fly drones over public property
- No drones near airports or helipads
See here for CAA drone flying regulations.
Alcohol/ Drugs
Keep your wits about you all weekend long, if you want to have a drink save it for the wrap party.
- Stay sober over the shoot weekend
- Don’t use real alcohol or drugs on set
Children and Animals
Please be aware that using children and animals on set is likely to cause additional hazards. You should identify these hazards and take steps to keep the children, animals and your team safe. This may include having a dedicated child chaperone or animal handler. You should also be aware that there are industry guidelines for the length of time children should be on set. These are outlined in The Code of Practice for the Engagement of Cast in the New Zealand Screen Production Industry (Pink Book), which you can read here. Screensafe have also produced some more in-depth information about working with children on a film shoot that you can read here.
Noise
Be mindful of the noise you may create. Your neighbours won't thank you for shooting a screaming zombie scene at 3 in the morning! Think about scheduling your shoot to keep the louder scenes between 7am and 7pm. Check with your local council for their guidelines.