Safety in
Motion Picture
Productions

Every qualifying production must employ a dedicated, qualified safety advisor who is assigned exclusively to that production. The safety advisor may not hold any other role on set. They have full authority to access all locations, equipment, and materials — and the authority to temporarily halt production if a safety hazard is identified.

Productions must conduct a daily safety meeting with the safety advisor present and participating. These meetings are not optional — they are a legally mandated part of the production day from the beginning of filming activities through wrap.

The safety advisor must complete detailed, script-specific general risk assessments before production begins, as well as specific risk assessments for any high-risk activities. All assessments must be made available electronically to performers, crew, and labor representatives, and must be updated whenever meaningful changes occur.

Any employee responsible for handling, or in proximity to, firearms on set must complete the CSATF Firearms Safety Course for the Entertainment Industry, or an approved equivalent. This training is mandatory and paid for by the employer — it applies to all personnel, not just union or guild members.

Live ammunition is prohibited on set under SB 132, with very limited exceptions — such as a controlled shooting range environment for actor training, or while filming trained military or police personnel in a supervised facility. Blanks and dummy rounds are treated separately and may be used under proper protocols.

Within 60 days of completing filming activities, the safety advisor must prepare and submit a Final Safety Evaluation Report to both the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee and the California Film Commission. Any reshoots or additional scenes require an addendum report.