British broadcasters and producers associations have come together to publish a 15-page set of industry guidelines for TV production to resume the shootings and run safely during the coronavirus pandemic.
ITV, BBC, Sky, Channel 4, Channel 5, STV, ITN, the Association for Commercial Broadcasters and On-Demand Services (COBA) and U.K. producers trade body Pact joined forces to introduce these new industry-wide guidelines, which is titled “TV Production Guidance: Managing the risk of Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Production Making” and covers the broad range and scale of all TV programme making in every genre.
The guidance details six areas that producers, in conjunction with the commissioning broadcaster, must consider when planning to produce during Covid-19. They are: specifically consider people at higher risk of harm; heighten precautions for everyone at work; reduce the number of people involved; consider editorial “on camera” requirements; consider mental health and wellbeing; and institute a feedback loop.
The guidance also lays out the key areas to consider when assessing risk on productions and suggests controls to consider. They are: try to minimise travel; consider the physical capacity of the locations; consider the activities that people are going to need to undertake across roles on production; good hygiene of work equipment; establish work patterns; reconfigure rest areas; have first aid and emergency services, alongside with masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment; and take care of the mental health of workers.
“Great British television is keeping us company throughout the crisis, and I’m keen to get cameras rolling as soon as it is safe. Our creative industries are Britain’s global calling card and this is a significant step forward in getting our favourite shows back into production,” said Oliver Dowden, UK’s Culture Secretary.