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…)