Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/377629
26 SAG-AFTRA | Summer 2014 | SAGAFTRA.org 26 SAG-AFTRA | Summer 2014 | SAGAFTRA.org "Unfortunately, people tend to not think about safety until something happens," said Terri Becherer, SAG-AFTRA national director, Specialty Performers. "But at SAG-AFTRA, our job is to proactively promote members' safety all the time, both in resolving day-to-day issues and in the contracts negotiated on members' behalf." For stunt performer members, gauging the hazards of each performance is an integral part of what they do every day, but for others on the set, it's not always the first thing on their minds. Performers have to take it upon themselves to make the right decisions and, if something appears dangerous, they have the right to say no. The consent of SAG-AFTRA members is contractually required prior to performing stunts or other hazardous activity, and performers can request a stunt coordinator be present or that they be doubled for the scene. "Stunt professionals train their whole lives to do their work safely. When members are asked to do something that makes them uncomfortable or for which they haven't trained, that's when accidents can happen. If you have doubts, leave it to the members who are trained to do this kind of work and remember that nothing is worth jeopardizing your health," said Jane Austin, National Stunt & Safety Committee Chair. The union is involved in many initiatives to create a safer work environment. One of its contributions is participating in the Industry-Wide Labor Management Safety Committee, which meets on a monthly basis to address all safety concerns that arise in the industry and to create safety bulletins, which are available on set or may be read online. The bulletins cover all manner of potential hazards, from electrical safety to working with open flame or motorcycles. Just a few months before the Georgia tragedy, the committee updated a bulletin on railroad safety. Once again, it's a Broadcasters Safety Campaign Launched S AG-AFTRA's News & Broadcast department has launched a new website and social media campaign focusing on the safety of its broadcast members around the globe. Started in June, Safety4Media (www.safety4media.org) is one part educational campaign and one part take-action campaign, and features important tips, tools and a way for broadcast members to confidentially report safety incidents. The International News Safety Institute reports 61 journalists have been killed in the line of duty between January and July this year, and more than 1,000 have lost their lives in the last decade reporting the news. Threats, intimidation, injuries and even the potential risk of injury are standard operating procedure for many journalists who preserve the public's right to know. While many news agencies go to great lengths to protect their journalists abroad, particularly in war zones, more can and must be done to ensure the safety of U.S.-based journalists. Even in the U.S., news crews face harm covering not just civil unrest but everyday news stories. Crews in Oakland, California, have been attacked and have had equipment stolen on live television, for example. The union has been active in working with station management in the Bay Area to ensure member safety. In Oakland, remote crews are now assigned security staff. To stay vigilant and keep focus on this issue, Safety4Media serves as a clearinghouse of reports of safety and security concerns from U.S.-based journalists in the field. The campaign also collects stories from those on the frontlines — the broadcast members who know of security risks or have been exposed to threats to their safety while reporting. "SAG-AFTRA has always considered journalists' safety — and our members' safety — a critical area of focus," said Chief Broadcast Officer Mary Cavallaro. "By launching Safety4Media, we can get a better idea of how broadcasters are at risk on the job and ensure steps are in place to protect them." Online submissions are confidential. As first-person reports come in, SAG-AFTRA will work to ensure that all news agencies are providing adequate security and training their staff on the most effective safety practices. Broadcasters, visit www.safety4media.org, or email concerns to info@safety4media.org Members of the press, some wearing protective gear, cover civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri in late August. ELI ROSENBERG/KMBC-TV