Yelling Fire in a Crowded Room

Fire Safety On Set: What You Need To Know To Stay Safe & Compliant

Considering our climate, varied work environments, and long hours, it’s no surprise that fire safety is often at the forefront of our minds when considering the safety of production crews. Not too long ago, I was asked by a friend to explain the difference between the various fire extinguishers that we rent. In doing so, I discovered that there is sometimes a lack of knowledge as to how to stay compliant on set. Through a small amount of research, reading text that could be considered the worlds best non-pharmaceutical alternative to Ambien (check the link below, and you’ll be asleep within seconds), I filtered the information down to a few key points that (hopefully) won’t have you nodding off.

First off Cal OSHA is the government body that makes the rules. They require us to have our extinguishers inspected on a regular basis to make sure that when you pull the trigger, the fire is going to go out. Got questions? Call ‘em.

When looking at your set, there are three main points that you must take into consideration for compliance.

The first is storage. Fire extinguishers have to be mounted on a wall or placed inside a cabinet. All of our extinguishers include a truck mount. You also have to make sure that there is an open, clear path to the extinguisher at all times. What seems like a no-brainer can sometimes be difficult for production. With the massive amounts of equipment in constant motion, sometimes it takes a keen eye to make sure everyone is safe.

You also have to consider what kind of fires are possible on your set. The “ABC” on the side of most extinguishers often goes unnoticed, but holds much importance to Cal OSHA (and will to you also if you get an inspection, or a fire). The “ABC” represents the type of fires that can be extinguished by that particular unit. “Class A” fires include wood, paper, and textiles. “Class B” fires are caused by flammable liquids like gasoline. “Class C” fires are caused by electrical equipment. Unless you’re using pyrotechnics, or you’re shooting “Top Chef” (commercial or restaurant kitchen), or you have metal shavings or powder around, the “ABC” Fire Extinguisher is what you need.

The third consideration is, of course, how many fire extinguishers do you need, and where do you put ‘em? Cal OSHA wants to make sure that if any of your employees are working, and a fire breaks out, that they do not have to run too far to grab the extinguisher, race back, and put the fire out. So, take a look at your set. Imagine all the places on set that a fire could possibly happen, and make sure that there is a fire extinguisher within 75 feet of all “Class A” Hazards. For “Class B” liquid hazards, keep one within 50 feet. If all of your “Class C” electrical equipment is within these zones, then you’re good to go. You just set your fire extinguishers in place, let everyone know where they are, and have a great shoot!

If you want more information, contact Cal OSHA, or click here: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9811

This article is not legal advice. We do not make any warranty, expressed or implied, that your workplace is safe or compliant.

Robert Stewart

March 12th, 2010 at 10:22 pm

Steve,

Kudos to you for pointing out this valuable information, especially for young or inexperienced producers, who are often dealing with issues such as this for the first time. As a FX and Stunt production specialist, all issues of work place safety become super critical when dealing with pyro and other effects – though highly controlled and backed by safety procedures designed to immediately halt a given effect or stunt, when you introduce humans into the equation, sometimes the unexpected can unfortunately occur.

Often, on small budget projects you can walk the set and quickly discover that NO ONE has even considered the “what ifs” and taken necessary precautions – and even in a scene as mundane as a fry cook over a griddle full of burgers, fire is waiting – and the right mix of fuel, O2 and a spark is all it takes to get someone hurt or damage a location. (You don’t extinguish a grease fire the same way you do a grass fire, and that realization is critical to arresting a situation that could quickly get out of control, injuring cast, crew and location…there goes your insurance premiums…)

As a producer, it is my job to shoot the project out, on time and on budget, but it is also my paramount professional obligation to my cast and crew that the work environment is safe and that we mitigate any and all conceivable dangers to the extent humanly possible. You shouldn’t have your life placed in jeopardy just to get the shot.

Your point regarding access is spot on – I was once doing a 3/4 body burn, near a lake shore. When it was over, I was so thankful that the stunt was staged by this body of water, even though it was bitterly cold. The reason?

The personnel with the fire extinguishers had a hard time getting to me. We rehearsed it, and I knew that with the camera team and the other actor in their end position, I was virtually cut off until the director yelled cut. Right as the stunt went off, the wind changed direction as I was staggering along on fire waiting for another actor to shoot me EXACTLY three times…well, by the time that action had occurred, the wind had really pushed the fire into over drive and I was getting scorched and running out of air…I am sure you can see where this is going….rather than waiting for the crew to clear on “cut” and just standing there roasting, I dove for the water and even though it was cold, it was the best swim I had in a long time!! When it was over, my skin was red on one side of my entire body. Thus, even when you know what you are doing, things can get a little scary when you play with fire literally.

Learn fire safety – employ fire safety on set…and be hardcore about it. Humans are just like toast – you cant “un-burn” them.

You should do another article about the dangers of misuse when it comes to cranes, cherry pickers, etc. That is another area where inexperience or inattentive performance can jeopardize production and put people in harms way.

Stay safe!
RFS

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