Performing Arts: Health and Safety
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report by the Injury Prevention Consultancy entitled Impact of Injury ’24 report, published in March 2025, what steps his Department has taken to help ensure the safety of performers and crew in their place of work.
Answered by Sir Stephen Timms
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and associated regulations provide a framework for securing the health, safety and welfare of those working in the sector. Employers and the self-employed are required to comply with this law. A further duty is placed on them by Regulation 3 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, which requires every employer to make a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of the risks to those employees and non-employees in relation to risks arising from conduct of their undertaking and share the significant findings.
To help the industry comply with their duties under health and safety law, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides a wide range of guidance on common risks which may be applicable to activities within film, television and theatrical production. HSE also provides a range of guidance specific to film and television industry, describing the various roles and responsibilities of those within the production process (INDG360 - Health and safety in audio-visual production. Your legal duties) and guidance and information sheets for specific production activities and risks, e.g. stunts, use of firearms and filming while using vehicles. All guidance is freely available on the HSE website, a section of which is dedicated to health and safety in the film, theatre and broadcasting industries. Industry specific guidance is also available from a range of industry bodies and stakeholders.
HSE facilitates and chairs the Joint Advisory Committee for Entertainment (JACE). Membership is drawn from industry trade bodies, trades unions, large event facilities and the major national broadcasting organisations. It is a forum to consider problems in the industry, is a route for raising industry concerns with government, enforcing authorities, manufacturers, suppliers etc, and promotes improved health and safety standards within the industry, as encouraged in the report.
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