Occupational safety for broadcasting, film and TV
Broadcasters, production companies and studios combine two kinds of work. In editorial and administration people sit at screens; in the studio and on set they work with lighting, power and heavy loads to a tight shooting schedule. Two sets of rules apply side by side: the duties under ASiG and DGUV Regulation 2 for the whole business, plus DGUV Regulation 17 for production sites for film, television, radio and photography.
- Broadcasting, film & TV
Important: Editorial and administration are an office operation; studio, technical areas and location work are not. Radio, television and film production fall into support group III under DGUV Regulation 2. Studio and shooting belong to business-specific support, and production sites are also covered by DGUV Regulation 17.
Studio and set: where broadcasting and film work happens
The production decides where people work. Shoots take place in the company's own studio, on public streets, in other people's buildings and outdoors. Crews change from one production to the next, and the schedule leaves little slack.
DGUV Regulation 17 applies to the production and performance areas of production sites, and that explicitly includes performance and scene areas for location shoots. Two of its requirements affect the organisation directly. The employer may only entrust the management and supervision of the work to stage and studio professionals. Before location shoots, or before third parties use a studio, it must also be settled who is in charge of supervision (section 15 DGUV Regulation 17). For co-productions, this should be set down in the contract or in a joint record before the first shooting day.
Broadcasters and film producers usually belong to different accident insurance institutions. The VBG's statutes name radio and television companies and the state media authorities. Film production, on the other hand, falls to the BG ETEM under its own statutes, which call it the production of Lichtbildstreifen. What counts is the membership notice.
Broadcasters, production companies and studios: classification and thresholds
| Item | Broadcaster or production |
|---|---|
| Accident insurance institution | Radio and television companies: VBG. Film and TV production companies: usually the BG ETEM. What counts is the membership notice. |
| Economic sector | WZ 60.1 radio broadcasting, 60.2 television programming and broadcasting, 59.1 film and television programme production, 59.2 sound recording and radio programme production |
| Support group under DGUV Regulation 2 | III for all four sectors; above 20 employees 0.5 hours of basic support per employee and year, shared between the specialist and the occupational physician, at least 20 per cent each. Company-specific support comes on top, and studio and location work fall into that part. |
| Additional accident prevention regulation | DGUV Regulation 17 for studios, sound stages and scene areas on location |
| Rest period | Eleven hours; in broadcasting it may be shortened by up to one hour if each reduction is offset within a calendar month or four weeks by a rest period of at least twelve hours (section 5 (2) ArbZG) |
| Children under 15 in front of camera or microphone | Only with approval from the supervisory authority, and only for children over three (section 6 JArbSchG) |
| From the first employee | Risk assessment, safety training, first-aid organisation, appointment of an occupational safety specialist and an occupational physician |
| Above 20 employees | Occupational safety committee meeting once per calendar quarter (section 11 ASiG) |
Anyone hired on a fixed-term contract for a production is an employee for that period, even on a contract for only a few shooting days, and every employer duty from safety training to first aid applies. Part-time staff count proportionally towards the threshold of 20: up to 20 hours a week as 0.5, up to 30 hours as 0.75. When employees of a lighting or sound contractor work on set, both employers have to coordinate on the hazards (section 8 ArbSchG).
The four main hazard areas for broadcasters and productions
- Studio and technical areas. Trusses, lighting, cable routing and loads above people. Access has to be regulated, and anyone working there is trained separately.
- Location work. Every location is a new workplace with its own hazards: traffic, weather, other people's buildings, power from other people's supplies. An assessment per production is the practical route here.
- Changing crews and freelancers. On every production there are people who do not know the building. The training obligation attaches to the engagement, not to its duration.
- Working hours. Shooting days, night work and short-notice changes affect rest periods and belong in the assessment of mental stress.
For location shoots a short form per location is often enough: who supervises, where the power comes from, where the escape route runs, who is the first aider on set. Once filled in, it is part of the risk assessment and can be copied and adapted for the next production.
Typical findings in broadcasting centres and studios
The editorial floors are usually unremarkable apart from acoustics and cabling. The studio and technical areas are where things surface: unregulated access, cables across traffic routes, equipment stored above head height. For location work there is regularly no assessment at all, even though the higher hazards are there.
Safety training for crew, editorial staff and performers
What works in practice is a short, always identical basic briefing for everyone entering the building, plus training per production covering the specific location. Freelancers and short-notice crew are trained before work begins, not at the next group session. The reporting route after an accident on location belongs in it explicitly.
DGUV Regulation 17 requires everyone involved to be briefed on the necessary accident prevention measures before rehearsals for a production begin, and to repeat this at suitable intervals for dangerous scenic actions (section 17). It also has specific requirements for such actions, for pyrotechnics and for firearms on set (sections 20 and 28).
Related
- External occupational safety specialist: Support for broadcasters and production companies, including how the hours are calculated.
- Occupational safety for stage, music and culture: Scenic performance on stage rather than in front of the camera.
- Occupational safety for journalism and press: For news desks with field assignments and shift work.
- Testing electrical equipment: What applies to cable drums, lamps and power supplies that are constantly rigged and struck.
- Young workers, apprentices and interns: What applies to under-18s in the team.
- First-aid notice generator: Create the notice with emergency number and first aiders for the studio or set.
Legal basis
- Occupational Safety Act (ASiG)
- DGUV Regulation 2 (occupational physicians and safety specialists)
- DGUV Regulation 1 (principles of prevention)
- Occupational Health and Safety Act (ArbSchG)
Frequently asked questions
Which employers' liability insurance association is responsible for a film production company?
Usually the BG ETEM. Its statutes cover the production of films, referred to there as Lichtbildstreifen, and it counts film and TV productions as part of its film production sector. Radio and television companies, on the other hand, are named in the VBG's statutes. What counts is the membership notice.
Does DGUV Regulation 17 also apply to a radio studio?
Yes. It covers production sites for film, television, radio and photography. How much of it applies in a given case depends on the equipment: a voice booth with a microphone and a screen raises fewer questions than a TV studio with trusses, spotlights and moving set pieces.
Can children take part in filming?
Yes, with conditions. Children under 15 may only take part with approval from the supervisory authority under section 6 JArbSchG, and only once they are older than three. How long they may take part each day depends on their age. The conditions include written consent from the parents or guardians, a medical certificate and proper supervision on set. The authority sets the duration, timing and breaks. The child may only start once the approval notice has arrived.
Other business types
Worry-free occupational safety in 4 steps
A simple path from the first conversation to audit-proof documentation.
Free initial consultation
We set out what the law requires, what you don't need and what we deliver. Clarity from day one.
Contract signed
One contract, market-tested fixed price, booked directly with us. First contact to signature: five working days at most.
Start of on-site support
Your specialist visits for the walkthrough, produces the risk assessment and checks: what is there, what is missing?
Audit-proof documentation in the portal
Every record sits in the client portal: digital, complete, current, easy to share.
Talk to us.
