Injury on film set raises concerns about workplace accidents

Published on Oct 14

A film extra, injured on set during filming, is suing a major Hollywood film company. The female extra was in her own car performing the stunt when a piece of metal fell from another stunt car and hit her. She suffered head injuries which led to brain damage and partial paralysis on one side of her face.

A month after the accident, she remains in a rehabilitation centre. The extra’s lawsuit claims that the stunts were poorly coordinated throughout filming and proper health and safety procedures were not followed. She is suing for damages. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of workers on film sets.

The injured extra’s brother told reporters, “From what I know, an extra is in the background. Never did we think she’d be put in danger.” Films are supposed to only portray danger and not actually be dangerous to the actors. But sometimes the illusion of danger becomes actual danger. Accidents on film sets are surprisingly common, even for high profile stars.

George Clooney had to have surgery after he was injured during the filming of ‘Syriana’. He was filming an interrogation scene and the chair that he was sat on fell backwards, smashing his head against the ground. His spine was damaged and he suffered from intense headaches and short-term memory loss afterwards. Other stars including Michael Jackson, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford have also been injured on-set and the actor Brandon Lee was tragically killed on the set of ‘The Crow’ after being accidentally shot by a loaded gun that was supposed to be filled with blanks.

Although both stars and extras should be aware of the risks of on-set filming, the same principles apply as to workplace accidents elsewhere. An accident in the workplace may be the result of negligence, if proper procedures are not followed and precautions taken to protect workers. The organisation Skillset estimates that there are over 150 serious injuries in the creative media industry in the UK. For an actor, stuntman or dancer, an injury can mean the end of their career.

The construction of a film set is full of hazards such as ladders, scaffolding and power tools. During production, purpose built structures may not be stable and there is a risk of falling parts. The coordination of stunts and special effects is particularly crucial to avoid workplace accidents. If a stunt is poorly planned or if the person performing it is not properly trained, it can end in disaster. During filming, there are also the hazards that are present in any other workplace. This includes cables which provide the risk of tripping and electrocution, heavy equipment which provides a risk when lifting and general slips.

As in any workplace, there are risks on a film set but there are also precautions that need to be taken to avoid workplace accidents. In cases of negligence, the results can be disastrous.