Safety issues are starting to take center stage across the entertainment industry in the wake of Sarah Jones‘ death on the set of Midnight Rider. Tonight in Burbank at a meeting of the Local 399, fliers were handed out for an IATSE-backed May 4 seminar entitled “Safety Rights of Workers & Your Rights Under OSHA Class,” which a description says will educate union attendees on set safety protocol, their rights as workers, and “what to do when you feel you are being placed in a hazardous situation.” The seminar will be open to all members of the entertainment industry, not just IATSE members, and will be jointly hosted by the Local 80, which reps first aid employees, motion picture grips, craft services, warehouse workers, and the Local 728, which represents represents studio electrical lighting technicians.
The estimated 50 attendees at tonight’s Local 399 meeting began the session with a moment of silence for fallen camera assistant Jones, who died in a train collision on February 20 in Georgia, and also for LAPD officer Chris Cortijo, a 26-year veteran of the force well known in the L.A. production community, who was killed by an alleged DUI driver April 5 in Sun Valley.
Handouts for the May 4 safety meeting were made available to attending members of Local 399, which represents camera car drivers, casting directors, crane operators, location managers, coordinators and scouts, production drivers, script coordinators, stunt and/or blind drivers, transportation coordinators, and others. It will be held from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM on Sunday, May 4 at the IATSE Local 80 in Burbank:
Safety Rights of Workers & Your Rights Under OSHA Class
Sunday, May 4th at 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
IATSE Local 80 Bldg.
2520 W. Olive Ave., BurbankOSHA guarantees workers the right to a safe and healthful workplace. However, what you need to know goes deeper than this one line and many people do not understand their rights or the responsibilities of the employer. This seminar will examine Safety in the Workplace and give you a better understanding of your rights and what to do when you feel you are being placed in a hazardous situation. Topics include the employers’ responsibilities, the General Duty Clause, reporting hazards, accidents, and near misses, OSHA investigations, and your rights to: information about injuries and illnesses in your workplace; hazardous chemicals; make complaints or request correction without the fear of retribution; training; file a complain with OSHA; and participate in an OSHA inspection.
This seminar is open to all workers in the entertainment industry, so please spread the word.
Brought to you by IATSE Locals 80 and 728.
As Sarah Jones‘ death continues to ripple throughout the film and TV industry, Local 728 has asked its members to observe a moment of silence in her honor at 1 PM ET/10 AM PT on April 28, the AFL-CIO’s Worker’s Memorial Day of remembrance:
On Workers’ Memorial Day, April 28, 2014, we ask all workers, in all IATSE Local Unions to pause and offer a moment of silence at 1:00pm, EDT/10:00 PDT on behalf of those in the entertainment industry, and all workers who have paid the ultimate price in order to support themselves and their families.
No workplace death is justifiable. No task is worth the risk of injury, no matter how small or how great. Safety is not just a word – it is an action that requires diligence, courage, and a commitment to a culture of safe work practices. Safety should always be primary in our minds.
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