Friday, November 9, 2018

Health and saftey concerns

Health and safety concerns 

One major health and safety concern of using a camera is water damage especially when using electrical cables that are either attached to a camera or when charging the cameras battery. Water can be a serious hazard for electrical equipment as it can cause an electrical shock if someone comes into contact with the damaged equipment as it will send an electrical current into the persons body and may cause serious harm. A way that this can be avoided when using cameras or lighting equipment is making sure that none of the electrical wires are exposed and are protected by an outer layer of plastic that is undamaged with no cuts or anything that could expose the wires in anyway. Another way that this can be avoided if you are aware of a water spillage is by turning of the power and moving camera and lighting equipment to try and reduce any water damage that may occur.


Another health and safety concern that can occur when using camera to record things such as tracking shots or a moving person is making sure that the floor/path being used is clear of any objects that may cause obstruction that may cause a person to trip. This was one of the concerns when making our own short of 'Behind the door' for both version 1 and 2 as both involve someone walking down a dark corridor. We had to make sure that there was no objects blocking the persons path which meant that we had to remove stray bits of paper on the floor that the person could have slipped on and made sure that they wasn't causing an obstruction.








Lighting equipment may also be a big part of health and safety concerns because the wires may cause a trip hazard or the lights themselves may become too hot and may overheat the subject that is being filmed. When using lighting equipment that needs to be plugged into a power source a wire or multiple wires can be used and if not safely secured can cause a trip hazard therefore securing the wires will reduce the risk of injury to a person and will allow things to operate more effectively.  Also making sure that the lighting doesn't get to hot is a big part in looking after the health of the subject being filmed as they may also become overheated which may cause them to feel discomfort and may even feel dehydrated. In order to avoid this lights must be turned off when not being used and make sure that there are refreshments available to all who may be involved. Lighting equipment can overheat regardless of whether they need a power source or if they are used as portable lighting so it is essential that they are looked after and cared for properly.



Fire hazards are also a major concern when it comes to health and safety as it is a hazard for everywhere not just within media productions, because of this numerous plans must be put in place in case of a fire. One plan that can be put in place in order to protect peoples heath and safety is by having  fire extinguisher near by / within the room so that a fire can easily be put out if needed. Along with this clearly marked fire exists must be put in place for people to easily evacuate the building if needed.

Research
  • Film Sourcing (2018) (online) available from https://www.filmsourcing.com (Accessed 1st November 2018) - https://www.filmsourcing.com/filmmaking-health-safety-keeping-your-cast-and-crew-safe/
  • Open Channel (October 2005) (online) available from http://www.openchannel.org.au/ (accessed 5th November 2018) http://www.openchannel.org.au/safety-checklist-for-film-and-television/
  • The phoblographer (1st April 2018) (online) avaliable from https://www.thephoblographer.com (accessed 5th November 2018) https://www.thephoblographer.com/2011/04/01/the-phoblographers-checklist-on-how-to-not-kill-yourself-in-a-photo-studio/

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