479 NEWS
Vigilance Personal Safety Class a Success
On Sunday, January 27th IATSE Local 479 welcomed our members and their families, as well as our friends from the local film industry to a situational awareness workshop presented by experts from The Vigilance Group.
Retired military experts Moose Moore, Russ Bohlinger, and Patrick Terry worked with participants to outline the precepts of living safely in a dangerous (more…)
The Danger of Mosquitos to Movie Crews
IATSE Local 479 Summer Safety Series: people who work outdoors face a number of additional health safety dangers, from weather extremes to risk of disease. Summer presents an increased risk of encounters with a variety of creatures that can cause injury and/or disease. This article includes information collected from several agencies, including the Contract Services Administration Trust Fund (“CSATF”) Safety Bulletin #31, “Critters”.
An Ancient Pest
“A hundred million years ago, there were mosquitoes just like today.” – Mr. DNA, Jurassic Park
Mr. DNA was partly correct… while the mosquito has indeed been around since the age of the dinosaurs, fossil records indicate that the insect that we recognize as today’s “modern” mosquito has only been around for 79 million years, which is still far longer than most film crews have been around, making our members a recent and delicious addition to the mosquito’s menu. (more…)
Poisonous Plants and Movie Crews
IATSE Local 479 Summer Safety Series: people who work outdoors face a number of additional health safety dangers, from weather extremes to risk of disease. This article includes information collected from several agencies, including the Contract Services Administration Trust Fund (“CSATF”) Safety Bulletin #27, “Poisonous Plants”.
One of the hidden dangers of shooting at exterior locations is the plant life, specifically a genus of plants called Toxicodendrons, known for inducing rashes on exposed skin. In North America the most common of these plants are varieties of poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. In Local 479’s jurisdiction, poison ivy is the most common, Atlantic poison oak is slightly less common, and the least common (but most toxic) is poison sumac.
Count yourself lucky if you have never suffered the ill effects associated with exposure to these plants, as most encounters result in wild bouts of (more…)
Heat & Hydration Safety for Movie Crews
IATSE Local 479 Summer Safety Series: with the arrival of Summer people who work outdoors face a number of additional health safety dangers, from weather extremes to risk of disease. This article includes information collected from several agencies.
June of 2018 ranked the 3rd warmest on record for the U.S. according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and on its Weather.gov website the agency describes North American summers as being generally “hot”.
Last July Atlanta experienced 21 days of temperatures in excess of 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius degrees), and most of the month saw humidity levels in the 90% range. These temperatures are not unusual – the average July temperature for the city is 89ºF.
While film crews are accustomed to working in a wide range of climates and temperatures (and generally consider themselves aware of the dangers of prolonged exposure to high temperatures) film and television production is a fast-paced occupation and the effort to “get the shot” often takes precedence, meaning that crewmembers may (more…)
The Hands-Free Georgia Act
This Sunday, July 1, 2018, will mark the commencement of Georgia’s new hands-free law, designed to address the “epidemic” of distracted drivers on the state’s roadways. If you have not already done so, this weekend is the time to make sure that you have everything you need to be in compliance with this new law or risk fines that could strip you of your license and your ability to earn a living.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or working in the film industry) you have probably already seen some form of the following list of things you can and cannot do with your smartphone (and other digital devices) behind the wheel under the new law.
In case you haven’t read the list, here’s a quick rundown.
The New Rules
You can’t hold a wireless communication device. Whether you are using a cellular phone, a smartphone, a tablet computer, an MP3 player, a dedicated GPS unit, a laptop computer or any other standalone device it is illegal for you to physically hold or support that device with any part of your body. So, that person you always see driving down the road with a phone pinched between their shoulder and ear is finally (more…)
Skin Cancer Prevention for Movie Crews
IATSE Local 479 Summer Safety Series: with the arrival of Summer people who work outdoors face a number of additional health safety dangers, from weather extremes to risk of disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides extensive information on different forms of skin cancer, risk factors, symptoms, and prevention methods.
Film crews spend large portions of their careers working outside in full exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Regardless of the season or amount of cloud cover, you are constantly exposed to UV radiation during daylight hours and it’s all too easy to disregard simple safety measures during the heat of battle.
Skin cancer prevention is an especially important topic to the members of IATSE Local 479, as more than a few members have experienced various forms of skin cancer and in 2017 one of the officers in Local 479’s Young Workers Committee passed from complications due to melanoma. He was only 30 years old.
Don’t let the cost of cumulative sun exposure be your life.
Lightning Safety for Movie Crews
IATSE Local 479 Summer Safety Series: with the arrival of Summer people who work outdoors face a number of additional health safety dangers, from weather extremes to risk of disease. The Contract Services Administration Trust Fund (CSATF) provides an extensive library of safety bulletin on a wide variety of topics, including inclement weather.
One unique aspect of the film industry is the ever-changing nature of the workplace; some days crews may find themselves working on a sound stage under controlled conditions, while other days they’re at an exterior location, completely at the mercy of mother nature. Exterior locations can prove dangerous for any number of reasons, but in the summer (in the south) one very prominent danger comes from the sky: lightning strikes.
Potential hazards associated with lightning include electrocution, burns, falling debris, concussion, and fire. Every year the United States experiences more than 20 million cloud to ground lightning strikes, with more than 300 people falling victim to (more…)
IATSE Local 479 Summer Safety Series: with the arrival of Summer people who work outdoors face a number of additional health safety dangers, from weather extremes to risk of disease. The Contract Services Administration Trust Fund (CSATF) provides an extensive library of safety bulletin on a wide variety of topics, including inclement weather.
One unique aspect of the film industry is the ever-changing nature of the workplace; some days crews may find themselves working on a sound stage under controlled conditions, while other days they’re at an exterior location, completely at the mercy of mother nature. Exterior locations can prove dangerous for any number of reasons, but in the summer (in the south) one very prominent danger comes from the sky: lightning strikes.
Potential hazards associated with lightning include electrocution, burns, falling debris, concussion, and fire. Every year the United States experiences more than 20 million cloud to ground lightning strikes, with more than 300 people falling victim to (more…)
Tick Safety for Movie Crews
IATSE Local 479 Summer Safety Series: with the arrival of Summer people who work outdoors face a number of additional health safety dangers, from weather extremes to risk of disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides extensive information on tick avoidance, removal, disease symptoms and more.
What Is a Tick?
Ticks are small 8-legged arachnids that have been around since the time of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Unlike spiders, ticks feed on the blood of larger creatures like mammals, birds, and movie crews.
Since the southeast is home to the majority of disease-bearing ticks it’s important for movie crews to follow a few basic safety procedures to avoid disease or death from these tiny creatures.
Ticks & The Diseases They Carry
The effects of tick bites can range from chills and fever, to ulcerated skin and swollen glands, to palsy, heart palpitations, even memory issues. A recently discovered allergic reaction to bites from the Lone Star Tick has left many people unable to consume meat. Understanding the threat that ticks present has been shown to increase preventative measures by people at risk, so let’s review the types of ticks you may encounter while working in our jurisdiction.
American Dog Tick
Blacklegged Tick
- Lyme Disease
- anaplasmosis
- ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia muris eauclairensis)
- babesiosis
- Borrelia miyamotoi
- Powassan disease
Brown Dog Tick
Gulf Coast Tick
Lone Star Tick
- ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia muris eauclairensis)
- Heartland Virus
- Tularemia
- Southern Tick–Associated Rash Illness
- alpha-gal sensitivity (meat allergy)
Avoid Ticks
The best way to prevent tick bites is to avoid the places they inhabit, which are typically areas with heavy foliage or high grasses. If you must work in these environments try to stay to the center of trails and away from wooded and brushy areas with high grass and/or leaf litter. Be aware that ticks may also be transmitted to you via gear, other people, and pets that have been exposed to these environments.
Tick Check!
There are some simple techniques you should practice when returning home from exterior sets likely to contain ticks. Young ticks may be small, so be diligent in each of these procedures.
Clothes – look through your clothes for ticks then tumble dry on high heat for at least 10 minutes to kill ticks. Use hot water when washing potentially compromised clothing, as cold or medium heat will not kill ticks.
Shower – taking a shower within 2 hours of returning from outdoors has been shown to reduce the risk of Lyme disease, as unattached ticks may be washed off.
Visual Check – use a hand mirror to inspect your entire body, from head to toe, paying special attention to areas where ticks could hide between folds of skin, such as under your arms, inside your naval, behind your knees, and around your groin.
Tick Repellant
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides a list of repellants useful in protecting people against tick bites. Be sure to consult the cautions and warnings for use of these products on children.
You can purchase a product called Permethrin to treat clothes and shoes to discourage ticks from attaching themselves to you in the first place. Follow the directions for proper application and re-application.
Tick Removal
If you discover a tick attached to your skin don’t panic. Removal is fast and painless. The most important step is to remove the tick as soon as possible. Use a pair of fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick’s body as close to the skin’s surface as possible. Use firm pressure to lift straight up without twisting. If the mouth parts break off below the skin’s surface don’t attempt to remove them. Instead, clean the area and allow the skin to heal.
Home remedies like covering the tick in petroleum jelly or holding a glowing match next to the tick are not recommended, as they have been shown to be ineffective and delay the removal of the tick from your body.
Monitor yourself for the next few weeks to see if you experience any of the symptoms affiliated with tick-bourne illnesses. If you do, contact your doctor and inform them about the date of the tick bite and the symptoms you’re experiencing.
Resources
Tickbourne Diseases of the United States; an online reference for healthcare providers
Provided by: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/index.html
More people developing red meat allergy from tick bites
Provided by: CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/more-people-developing-red-meat-allergy-from-tick-bites/
Tick
Provided by: Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick
IATSE Safety App Now Available
The IATSE Safety Info App is an information reference and hazard reporting tool for IATSE members. The application provides important safety information, such as studio safety hotline telephone numbers, industry-specific safety bulletins and articles, and a form for reporting hazards encountered on the worksite. (Download links are available at the end of this article) (more…)
Local Holds First A & A2 Live Training Trust Event
Time is running out for a special opportunity to take the A and A2 training classes at Local 479 with assistance and direct oversight from the Local 479 Education Team and a representative of the IATSE Training Trust Fund (TTF). This event will allow you to register, enroll & complete your online courses all in one day. Feel free to drop by anytime to register & enroll in the courses. An IATSE TTF representative will have your (more…)