Accident at work news
24/11/2009

Calls for safer location facilities for film artistes  


The Film Artistes Association (FAA), a media and entertainment union, has made calls for improved safety on filming locations in a bid to reduce work accident claims caused by a lack of handrails on facilities vehicles. 

Chair of the FAA, Paul Kirby said, “This has been a problem for many years. On location, facilities such as hair and make-up, costume and wardrobe, and changing and toilet facilities are usually housed in lorries or caravans which have several steps up to the door."   

He added that “while handrails seem an insignificant issue” several personal injury claims had had to be made after employees suffered as a result of rails not being in place. 

He told of a case where a woman had been entering a wardrobe facility and had to go up some wet and muddy steps.  She slipped, reached out for a non-existent handrail and consequently fell.  She broke her hip, her arm and suffered facial injuries. 

She has not been able to return to work since the accident. 

The FAA is encouraging employers to carefully consider handrail provision and has asked industry workers to report production companies who fail to provide adequate handrails which might lead to subsequent work accident claims.

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