Risk assessments for a videographer

So you’ve established yourself as a professional London based videographer but are you carrying out every filming job in a safe way for yourself and your clients?  With that in mind, we’re going to look at risk assessments for a videographer or filmmaker.

Why do you need to carry out a risk assessment?

So is a new risk assessment necessary for every videography job?  When carrying out filming jobs on set we already have a pre-set list of safety measures that we follow.  These include things like ensuring cables aren’t loose and a trip hazard. Also making sure fire exits or corridors are not blocked with kit.  Also making people aware if we have hot lights on set.  This seems to cover us for most jobs such an interview shoots, documentary filming and event videos.  However as a London based videographer, you will naturally find yourself in different locations.  These can carry larger risks than your usual filming locations.  These could be spaces such as laboratories.  With these locations we usually fill out a specific risk assessment to highlight any new risks.

What to include in your risk assessment

Below is a sample of risks and controllable measures that we included in a recent assessment that we used for filming in a lab environment.

Risk: 
New visitor to building

Measure:
Visitors are given a safety induction on arrival and are accompanied at all times .

Risk:
Setting up a tripod, lighting, stands, gimbal and other camera equipment

Measure: 
The film crew will be aware of how to set up and use their equipment safely and how to avoid manual handling injury.

The tripod will be positioned so it is not blocking emergency exits or walk-ways.

Cables are taped down to avoid trip hazards.

Risk:
Using electrical equipment.

Measure:
The electrical equipment is visually inspected by the host prior to use and any items with an obvious defect are not used.

Risk:
Filming in an active research laboratory.

Measurement:
The lab is checked by the host prior to the visit to ensure there are no slip trip or slip hazards such as wet floors, cables boxes etc. present

The lab is checked by the host prior to the visit to ensure no inappropriate storage of hazardous substances or radiation sources.

Laboratory personnel are warned in advance of filming in laboratories or other areas and no hazardous work takes place whilst the visitors are in the laboratory.

Visitors are accompanied at all times by the host and made aware of any specific hazards by the host prior to entering the lab.

Visitors must be provided with the correct PPE and it must be worn at all times.

Let visitors know if they should not place any items on lab benches.

Visitors should not touch any lab items unless authorised to do so.

To reduce the risk of contamination visitors are asked to bring only items required for filming or audio recording into the lab. (case