While many people may associate the entertainment industry with exciting and glamorous tasks, the reality can involve serious physical labor as well as the potential for major workplace injuries and damaging accidents. Many workers in the entertainment industry are injured on the job due to electrical issues, falls and other hazards that are commonly found in theaters, concert venues and on movie sets. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is renewing an alliance with several major organizations in the industry in order to help address the potential for workplace accidents and improve safety for wokers in the industry.
OSHA has formed the alliance with the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT), a professional and networking association, and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada (IATSE), the major trade union in the industry. The purpose of the alliance is to facilitate communication and information-sharing to help reduce the number of workplace accidents and injuries in the entertainment industry as well as developing better understanding of enforcement actions and regulatory processes.
In addition, the industry groups will provide information to OSHA about their own priorities for improving workplace safety, including the types of fall arrest and prevention technologies in use as well as the potential for portable power systems. This alliance is one of several similar OSHA programs in various industries that seek to improve workplace safety in tandem with active enforcement efforts.
Despite the various efforts made in order to improve workplace safety, thousands of workers face serious, life-changing injuries on the job every year. Workers who have been injured on the job may have a right to compensation for their medical bills and other costs incurred as a result. Working together with a workers’ compensation attorney might help injured workers to secure the compensation they deserve.