Update: Recommended Health and Safety Guidelines

In 2007, the FIA Secretariat published the Recommended Health and Safety Guidelines under the title ‘Act Safe’ in two different versions: one for film and TV production and one for live shows, both in English and in French. The guidelines consist in essential checklists divided into specific sections on, for instance, working with elaborated costumes, animals or pyrotechnical effects. They are meant to be used by performers as basic security tips to guide them, especially in times of stress and fatigue when incidents can occur.

In addition to the compliance by the production with all applicable safety regulations, performers can contribute to their own safety by remaining alert and aware of all potential hazards. These guidelines are thus a handy collection of a few simple preventive measures for them to always consider.

At the 22nd FIA Congress in May 2021, the motion # 10 “On The Prevention Of Occupational Risks And Diseases” was adopted and required the federation to update the manual and include the risks of stress and harassment. In line with the growing awareness around work-related psychosocial risks in the industry and evolving professional practices such as the normalising of the work of intimacy coordinators in movie and theatre productions, three new sections were added to the manual: Harassment, Intimacy Scenes and Mental Health & Psychosocial Risks. The three sections reflect industry guidelines from different trade unions and countries and were proofread by several affiliates with expertise on the topics.

The section on Hair & Makeup has also been expanded to address equal access to professional hair and makeup services for all performers regardless of their ethnicity. Furthermore, the entire manual was rewritten with gender inclusive language.

Have a look at the new version of the manual with a fresh new layout:

We also have a printable version in a leaflet format. Don’t hesitate to contact the secretariat to receive it: office@fia-actors.com