---
name: "film_set_safety"
description: "On-set safety planning for film and video crews: electrical load math, stand and tripod safety, weather contingency plans, and call sheets with emergency info. Triggers when planning or running a shoot, calculating lighting power, setting grip/electric gear, checking weather risk, or drafting a call sheet."
---

# Film Set Safety

## Purpose
Keep cast and crew safe on location and stage. Four jobs: (1) do electrical load math so no circuit runs over its safe limit, (2) set stands, tripods, and rigging so nothing tips or falls, (3) have a weather action plan with hard thresholds for wind and lightning, (4) put emergency info and hazards on the call sheet. Factual safety claims in this skill were verified against industry sources (see references/); numbers below are the verified ones.

## Workflow
1. **Power first.** List every fixture and its wattage. Run `bin/load_calc.py` with each fixture's watts and each circuit's amps/volts; it reports amps per circuit and flags anything over the 80% continuous-load limit. Never assign more than 80% of a circuit's capacity to lighting (15A = 1,440W max, 20A = 1,920W max at 120V). Only a qualified person ties into premises wiring: tie-ins are barricaded and protected from contact. In wet conditions, or whenever energized gear is within 10 feet of water, add GFCI protection. Keep generator exhaust away from cast, crew, and enclosed spaces (carbon monoxide). See references/electrical_math.md.
2. **Set stands and rigging.** Every stand in use gets sandbagged for its load. Carry stands legs-first and call "points coming through" loudly. For C-stands: run the arm over the knuckle with the load on the side toward which the knuckle tightens, so a slip tightens the knuckle and stops. Mark any C-stand arm that sticks out past the base. Rigging hardware must be rated at least 5x the load. For tripods: the camera is at eye level but the legs sit below the sight line, so place cases and bags around the legs to make them visible and prevent tripping. Ramp dollies onto tracks, never lift; clamp the tracks; only the dolly grip rides the dolly.
3. **Set the weather plan.** Pick a predetermined safe area and an all-clear authority before the shoot day. Wind: clear all cast/crew from elevated gear and lower aerial, lighting, diffusion, and boom equipment; industry cutoff is 25 mph max for aerial lifts unless the manufacturer rates lower (rotor wash and wind machines count as wind). Lightning: use the flash-to-bang method (seconds between flash and thunder, divided by 5 = distance in miles); warn crew at 20 miles, prepare to secure and evacuate at 15 miles, cease all outdoor work and evacuate at 6-10 miles; shelter in an enclosed grounded building or hardtop vehicle, wait 30 minutes after the last thunder, and shut down generators if safe to do so. Rain on electrical gear means GFCI protection and covers, or abandon the setup. See references/weather_action_plan.md.
4. **Write the call sheet.** Every call sheet carries: nearest hospital, fire station, and police station with physical addresses and phone numbers; today's specific hazards (heights, pyrotechnics, water, animals, minors) with the matching safety bulletin attached; muster point and evacuation route. Hold a daily safety meeting and document it on the daily production report. See references/call_sheet_safety_template.md.

## Output Contract
- Electrical: per-circuit wattage, amps, and verdict (OK / OVER 80% / OVER RATING) from `bin/load_calc.py`; tie-in and GFCI notes; generator exhaust placement.
- Stand/tripod setup: sandbag placement per stand, C-stand knuckle orientation verified, tripod leg visibility created, rigging load ratings at or above 5:1.
- Weather plan: safe area, all-clear authority, wind and lightning thresholds written down before call time.
- Call sheet: emergency facility list with addresses and phone numbers, hazard callouts, attached safety bulletins, muster point.
- Everything checkable on set the morning of the shoot, no vague "be careful" items.

## Operating Rules
1. Never skip the load math. Amps = Watts / Volts, every time, and the 80% rule is a ceiling, not a suggestion.
2. A stand that is not sandbagged is a stand that tips over. Treat tipping gear as a likely event, not a rare one.
3. Weather thresholds are decided in advance, not argued about in the moment. The person who calls the all-clear is named before call time.
4. Every factual number in any safety material you produce must come from the references or a verified primary source. Unverifiable = cut it.
5. This skill gives planning guidance, not licensed electrical or rigging sign-off. Tie-ins to premises power and overhead rigging get a qualified professional on set.