Latest / Beyond The Hook / Does Safety Slow Down a Film Set? The Math Says No | Tamara Tulloch, Actsafe

Transcript

Does Safety Slow Down a Film Set? The Math Says No | Tamara Tulloch, Actsafe · Beyond The Hook

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: They were life-altering accidents.
• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: They were career altering, they were isolating, and they were financially devastating.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: It was one of the most frightening periods of my life.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't know whether I could continue working, care for my son, keep the lights on, or put food on the table.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: That's a really precarious position to be put in just for going to work.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_01: Our next guest has spent more than two decades working inside the creative industries.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_01: She understands the pressure of needing to get the shot while never losing sight of we need everyone to make it home tonight.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: Please welcome to Beyond the Hook, Tamara Tullock from the Axafe Safety Association.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome, Tamara.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: That was a great intro.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks, Farrah.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: Appreciate it.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: You're welcome.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for being here.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_01: So after spending so many years working on productions, what inspired you to dedicate your career to keeping people behind the scenes safe?
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so what inspired me to dedicate my career to keeping people behind the scenes safe is based on a true story.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: So in my 16 years working in Motion Picture, I experienced two serious workplace accidents.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: So one on set and another during a midday move.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: And I've told this story, you know, several times to several people because I think it's really relevant.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: They were life-altering accidents.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: So they were career altering, they were isolating, and they were financially devastating.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: It was one of the most frightening periods of my life.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't know whether I could continue working, care for my son, keep the lights on, or put food on the table.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: That's a really precarious position to be put in just for going to work.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: So both incidents resulted from very common industry pressures.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm sure you could guess, but rushing, fatigue, and last minute changes.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: I can't change what happened to me, but I can change how our industry approaches safety and its duty of care to workers.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: So I care deeply, personally and professionally, that every worker goes home safely at the end of every workday.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: And that neither the work nor the workplace culture is ever the reason someone is injured.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: I want people to want to enter this industry, stay in this industry, and when they're ready, retire from this industry healthy, happy, and successfully.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: So ActSafe is personal to me because I know how profoundly a preventable workplace injury can change someone's career, family, and entire vision of their life.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: As sad as those stories are, I'm sure that's very relatable to many people listening to your story.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: And I appreciate you sharing that.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: Although, like you say, you've shared it many times, but it's probably saved many people's lives too and their jobs.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_01: So appreciate everything that you do in your work today.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: Have you run into people on sets who see safety as something that slows down production?
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: So ActSafe is challenging the idea that safety slows production down.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: A preventable incident costs far more time, effort, and money than doing the work safely in the first place.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: WorkSafeBC can stop work when unsafe practices or regulatory violations are identified, and an incident can lead to investigations, delays, staffing challenges, and significant financial costs.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: So think about what that actually means for a production.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: So it means losing a location, losing caste availability, disrupting production, post-production timelines.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: It means extending equipment rentals and holds and delaying promotional material.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: So that's what really slows a production down.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: Productions of any size can use Axafe's consultation services to understand their health and safety responsibilities and to keep their production on track.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: These services are free.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: This is what Axafe is funded to provide.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: So please use us to help us help you.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: Ongoing training and professional development should be encouraged and rewarded.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: An educated supervisor will save a production time and money all day, every day.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: A workplace where people feel supported, informed, and engaged creates a stronger and more efficient team.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: And that is the opposite of slowing things down.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: So I actually have some statistics for you because I think it's really interesting and relevant, especially for employers.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: So Canadian research has found positive returns on occupational health and safety investments, ranging from 24% in manufacturing to 114% in transportation.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, manufacturing, construction, transportation, these are all departments that are very, very common in motion picture.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: So I bet if you were guaranteed those kinds of ROI, you'd be lining up to invest, right?
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: Uh research into Canadian workplace mental health programs also found that mature programs produced a median annual return of$2.18 for every dollar invested.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: So you actually make money when you make your production safer, both physically and psychologically.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: And that's math, and math doesn't lie.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: So the evidence supports what we're seeing in practice.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: A healthy and safe workplace is more efficient, more resilient, and more financially sustainable.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: Act Safe is challenging the idea that safety slows production down.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Because what really slows the production is a preventable incident or having to correct unsafe procedures.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: When work is planned properly and done safely the first time, everyone benefits, including the bottom line.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you're absolutely right.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: You can't beat statistics.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: No, can't beat the math.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: The math doesn't lie.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: And that those statistics have been constant, consistent year over year across Canada.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: And those are industries that, you know, film is really unique in the way that it has different departments and sort of crosses over uh sectionally.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: But each of these industries shows a positive return for occupational health and safety.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: And so we're no exception.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: And like, that's a great return on investment.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sure you'd you'd happily put your money on the line if you knew that it was going to come back in that percentage.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_01: It's such important work that you're doing.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_01: And I think the free resources is especially important as well and easy to access.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_01: But also tell us how Axafe is helping creativity thrive.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so Axafe is helping creativity thrive by giving productions the knowledge, the training, and practical tools to create ambitious work safely.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: So we help crews recognize hazards, plan for changing conditions, and find solutions that protect workers without losing sight of the creative vision, because that's really important.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: Productions can consult with Axafe during pre-production, when circumstances change or whenever they need help finding a practical way forward.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: Again, these consultation services are free.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: That is what Axafe is funded to do.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: So please help us help you create safely.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: Safety plans and policies also need to evolve with production.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: A plan created on day one may need to change when a location, a schedule, a stunt, a piece of equipment, or working condition changes.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: Safety should be part of creative problem solving, not something seen as standing in its way.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: These two things work together.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: So we need to create problem solving ways to move forward, but it needs to work together.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: And it does.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: It's a symbiotic relationship, safety and production.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: So when safety is built into the creative process and supported by training, consultation, and open communication, people feel confident, valued, and free to focus on doing exceptional work.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: And they really do exceptional work.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: Creativity thrives when people know their ideas can be ambitious without their wellness being compromised.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: So Axaf is helping creativity thrive by making safety the foundation of how exceptional work gets made, building a culture that is supported from the top down and embraced from the bottom up.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: Love that answer.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_01: That speaks to so many things.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_01: And also I love the backup to the backup to the backup plan too.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_01: So that's important.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_01: Film sets can be fast-paced in high-pressure environments.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_01: What's one safety habit you wish every production embraced from day one?
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: We get asked all the time, kind of what are the first steps to making things run safely from day one.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: Actsafe is encouraging every production to treat safety as a living, ongoing practice from day one.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: So that begins with everyone completing the appropriate training and every new and young worker actually receiving a meaningful orientation, not simply signing a form.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: So workers need to understand the hazards, know the safety plan, know who to speak to, and feel genuinely supported when they raise a concern.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: That is such an important element to having a safe workplace is people feeling supported to report.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: Productions should consult with Axafe whenever they need guidance and continually review their safety plans, procedures, and policies as locations, schedules, and working conditions evolve.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: So a strong safety plan is never actually finished.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: It changes when the work changes.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: Film sets evolve constantly, so safety cannot be a single meeting, a checklist, or a binder sitting in an office.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: It has to remain part of the conversation throughout the entire production, from the first planning meeting to final wrap.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: So ActSafe is helping productions build a culture where safety evolves with the work and where speaking up is recognized as professional, not problematic.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: I especially love it.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: Safety culture is everything in these industries.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_01: Last but not least.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: This is a finish the sentence question.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_01: So you'll have fun with it.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_01: At the end of the day, success means.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, I think it's everything that I just spoke about.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: Like success to me means loving everything that you do when you go to work and going home safely.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: Like our days can be really, really challenging.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: But if everyone feels supported and engaged and it's a safe culture, I think that's really the bottom line.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: That is what success is.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's really evident that you care a lot about people and you care a lot about this work and safety.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_01: And I appreciate you, appreciate everything that you do and Act Safe does for everybody to keep all of us safe and leading by example.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_01: That's super important.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_01: And by teaching others to lead by example.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_01: There was a lot there.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_01: So hopefully people were able to take something away with them today and appreciate you being here.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much, Tamara.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much, Pharaoh.