Tragic accident in NOLA

[studiomprd]

" Mike Huber, a locally hired crew member working on the set of Paramount's G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation, died Nov. 22 while working on the production in New Orleans. "

Never forget that on a movie set, SAFETY is everyones #1 job:

" Paramount said the safety of its cast and crew is a top priority "

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gi-joe-crew-member-death-265400?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign==?utf-8?B?TWFpbGluZyAnRy5JLiBKb2UnIFNlcXVlbCBDcmV3IE1lbWJlciBEaWVzIE9uIFNldCgxMS8yMy8yMDExIDEwOjM1OjQ4IEFNKQ==?=&utm_content=

Edited November 23, 2011 by studiomprd

[Olle Sjostrom]

We recently had a great big director die on the set here in Sweden. Tragic, tragic accident. He drowned in a storm. Safety is oh so important. It's really a great tragedy when someone dies on the job. This is sad hearing this. I will send thoughts to this guy's family and friends. And the team.

[afewmoreyears]

Sorry to hear that... Very sad...

In regards to safety, many of us had to recently sit through a pretty lengthy Safety training class put on by Contract services... It was required...

At the class they went through detailed dos and dont's while on set... RULES... There were so many it was staggering... The training was informative.... Things and rules you see broken all the time... some things so obvious and some not so...

After the class was over someone raised their hand to ask "do the producers have to take this class?" the answer was no.... typical.... we are supposed to break the bad news about proper stairs into the trucks and what guardrails, or, that we need to shut down the Geni because there is Thunder and lightning anywhere close to the set.... or best yet, no propane heaters under or in tents /ez ups for Clients, directors or such.... Yeah right...

Point is, the people who should REALLY know the rules, in addition to the set workers, don't have any idea... Best we workers know for sure, the first line of defense, but when a problem does surface, Production should know what we are talking about...

[Jan McL]

[sNIP]

Point is, the people who should REALLY know the rules, in addition to the set workers, don't have any idea... Best we workers know for sure, the first line of defense, but when a problem does surface, Production should know what we are talking about...

Amen, brother.

The idea of a film "Charm School" for anybody above the line serious about getting in or getting better, with presentations from each department. One such presentation should certainly cover safety points of interest.

I've a few people I'd like to sentence to such a conference...

Haha.

-- Jan

[Q]

Everyone is being very tight-lipped about this accident. I heard about it the afternoon it happened, but was told nothing more than the person involved. He was working at striking the set, so not many people were around. Some reports say it was a condor, some say a scissor lift, that fell over. Read a report that said he fell out of the machine, so don't know the real story yet.

The accident happened on NASA property (they were shooting at Michaud where the shuttle tanks were built).

It is a holiday weekend, so noone is answereing phones. This is the most complete story I have seen so far, and it still has no real details of what happened:

http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2011/11/gi_joe_film_crew_member_killed.html

Please be careful out there.

[BoomOperator]

What I am wondering is if he had any safety training at all. Is it required by the local in Louisiana the way it is in L.A.? As I understand it it is not. This of course would not be his fault, and if this is the case then we need to put pressure on the local IATSE to institute a safety training program (based on Contract Services and paid for by the studios?) Making movies in Louisiana has exactly the same safety risks as it does in L.A. If the studios are going to make movies there to save money, they shouldn't be doing it at the expense of safety no matter what the cost.

Rich

[Izen Ears]

He was in a condor that's all I know but I did hear someone telling the story and sounded really tragic and avoidable. I can get the real details directly from the crew later. It was a very windy day, we were working EXT on the same day and it got surprisingly windy in the later morning. I never met Mike Huber but I feel terrible for his family. What a STUPID reason to die, making a fucking dumb ass action movie. I'm sorry but that's the truth. So many high strung crew people act like we're saving lives man it's just a job, and while the money is serious no one dies if we don't make our days.

Our DP died of a massive heart attack on episode 2 of my current gig (just wrapped day 4 of ep. 5 yesterday). It was awful and it made me realize how easy it's been to let the important things go in my life. This job is all-consuming (especially episodic TV which I hope to leave soon) and all those little things I wanted to do like travel, get a kiln and do ceramics at home, play in a surf band, write the stories that won't leave my brain, all these things have fallen by the wayside. GI Joe 2 may be a 200 million dollar movie, but it's far cheaper than not getting to do the things you want to in life.

Dan Izen

[Izen Ears]

And hey Rich B what's up - I would love to get those safety classes over here, and require them for all job classes. I believe in them and also I wouldn't have to go to LA just to stay on that IE dumb roster. If we went national with 695 they would have to offer those classes outside LA.

Dan Izen

[Ryan]

Tragic. Sad. I hate to see when this happens. It really is a reality check when you spend your days creating unrealities - especially like Izen says, a "(blank) dumb (blank) action movie".

I've used these types of lifts quite a bit and it's amazing how if you don't keep your triangle of gravity in mind, over you go - real simple, too - like weight-of-a-person-shifting simple.

I went through safety training here in LA for scissors, big boom lifts like a condor and forklifts (off-road and warehouse) and it's AMAZING how many people violate rule after rule after rule.

[RPSharman]

Producers don't really have anyone overseeing them. But if we can convince bond companies to mandate a few general safety classes for above the line before insuring the film, then it would happen.

DGA does have a governing body, and safety training ought to be required (for directors and ADs alike).

Most studios and production companies require sexual harassment meetings for ALL people on a project. I guess they feel it's important to protect themselves against sexual harassment suits, but don't care much about being responsible for unsafe work practices.

Robert

[Q]

I have taken the high lift and forklift training classes. They were offered by 478, but I can't recall ever being asked to show proof on any show.

The courses felt like nothing more than an attempt to remove liability from production.

[afewmoreyears]

I have taken the high lift and forklift training classes. They were offered by 478, but I can't recall ever being asked to show proof on any show.

The courses felt like nothing more than an attempt to remove liability from production.

They are.... period... but there is quality information for those who choose to listen...

Funny, it is many of the above the line people who SHOULD as I said take the courses as well, you would think they would want to so they may have better awareness to aid them in staying out of court in a heated lawsuit....

The situation will probably play out like this...

He may have been trained and may have been a TOTAL PRO... This is only an example of how they use the training to litigate...

Pros. Atty. " So, did the individual have the proper and relevant safety training to operate the equipment he was working on at the time of the incident?" No ?, well is it not mandatory in Los Angeles or NY where your Production company came from...? Did you not choose to shoot here, in another state, to save money by not hiring trained and skilled workers that might of cost you more? Is it true that many of these workers can be hired non union, or from union groups that do not require safety training classes depending on their skill? Would you not agree that this mans life may have been saved had someone else been brought in specifically trained on that gear, or , he was trained in this part of the country in such safety training programs.... had they existed?

This is why they want the training.... So they can simply say, yes, they were trained...

[Ryan]

Great point, afewmoreyears. I totally agree.

@Q They should totally be more stringent on asking for proof to operate.

And I don't know about you, but I got a lot out of the courses I did. I had a good instructor and he let me ask him as many questions as I wanted.

[Q]

We should have to demonstrate proficiency on the machines. Instead we listen to a guy read from a manual for a couple of hours and get a card saying we took the class.

For a few years, about 25 years ago, I worked in lumber warehouses and I used to unload trucks all day with a forklift. Actually a few different forklifts with different sizes and capacities. I have run a lot of them on smooth pavement in warehouses and on rough surfaces on construction sites. I know about load capacity, height vs. load, tipover angles, etc. The classes were a joke.

[afewmoreyears]

We should have to demonstrate proficiency on the machines. Instead we listen to a guy read from a manual for a couple of hours and get a card saying we took the class.

For a few years, about 25 years ago, I worked in lumber warehouses and I used to unload trucks all day with a forklift. Actually a few different forklifts with different sizes and capacities. I have run a lot of them on smooth pavement in warehouses and on rough surfaces on construction sites. I know about load capacity, height vs. load, tipover angles, etc. The classes were a joke.

The safety classes were OK, no hands on training really needed there.....I agree, any SPECIFIC classes should have actual hands on training.... The idea of how to operate equipment without operating the equipment does not sound like a good idea....

[stacysound]

Amen with the national 695...

[Rich Reilly]

Eh..sorry to hear this.

A few days ago was recording from ground as talent went up in a manlift. I heard him ask the operator if he was required to have training..couldn't hear the operator response but the talent said "No?"

Later a camera op was up in it and a sensor got confused and wouldn't let it come down. And it was cold. They had to drive the bucket to a patio and jump a bit to land on it. I thought for sure something awful was going to happen.

[Laurence]

National 695 is a very interesting concept and, if done right, could make things a whole lot better for our sound community. Talk it up amongst your Brothers and Sisters not currently in 695. It could happen.

[old school]

National 695 is a very interesting concept and, if done right, could make things a whole lot better for our sound community. Talk it up amongst your Brothers and Sisters not currently in 695. It could happen.

Plus one. There is power in numbers my brothers and sisters.

CrewC

[mikewest]

There is power in numbers but usually only one safety officer battling several producers with temporary deafness!

mike

[DSX]

Plus one for national 695.

[RPSharman]

So who organized 600 into a national? Can we hire them to do the same for us? Contract is up next year. No time like the present.

[ProSound]

So who organized 600 into a national? Can we hire them to do the same for us? Contract is up next year. No time like the present.

+1

Im tired of doing projects where the 600 Loader is making more then all the department heads in my local

[RPSharman]

Moving topic.

[studiomprd]

" It could happen. "

I doubt it.... but there is an alternative.