ADVERTORIAL HEALTH AND SAFETY All the drama without the risk


From overseas shoots to studios, safety specialist 1st Option helps TV production companies make programmes safely – and no idea is considered too risky


Ross Kemp On Gangs: 1st Option has built a


reputation for everything from studio shows to outside broadcasts


info@1stoption.biz 0845 500 8484 www.1stoption.biz


TV or film challenge. They also offer specialist fire risk- management, from fire cover on location to training. “People wonder ‘how do they do that on TV?’ – it’s


because they’ve got the people, planning and advice, and that’s where we provide the expertise,” says Bob. “We cover programme-makers’ risks in places like Libya or the recent tsunami – everything from body armour, radiation dosimeters to food and hygiene support. Whatever a company’s risk appetite, 1st Option helps them understand and manage their safety.” In just five years, the company has built a reputa-


tion for everything from studio shows to major out- side broadcasts such as the forthcoming Olympics. Now it is establishing a new base at Salford’s MediaCityUK, operating a production safety advisory service, as well as a branch of sister company Safety Equipment Stores (SES).


W


hether it’s news teams covering tsunamis, or gameshow managers about to pump 450,000 volts of electricity through a celeb-


rity’s head, there’s one phrase nobody wants to stop cameras rolling: health and safety. Which is why the 1st Option team rise to any


production challenge. With more than 200 collective years’ industry experience, they know TV is a unique business – with unique risks. And, they reckon, there’s no programme pitch too crazy to get made. “If you want to throw a man off a building in a


ball of fire, we can help you,” says 1st Option MD Bob Forster. “We know production companies run the whole gamut of risk. Our job is to help them do that. If the first response you get from us is ‘no, you can’t do that’ – then sack us.” Bearing in mind risk-management spe- cialist Bob has only said no as a first response once in 20 years, that’s quite a claim. As the biggest team of chartered health and safety consultants in broadcast- ing – with experts ranging from drama to disaster reporting – it’s one he feels 1st Option can deliver. A one-stop shop for everything from survival and


safety equipment to remote rescue training, this crack team of health, safety, fire and engineering advis- ers have an impressive client list: from major indies Talkback, Shine, All3Media and Endemol to big news players such as Sky, NBC and ITN. That’s because 1st Option offers a unique total risk-management service, whatever the production,


www.broadcastnow.co.uk


‘Never discard a show idea blaming health and safety. Nothing is risk-free. Our job is to help mitigate that risk with you’


whatever the notice, with 24/7 safety, fire, high-risk and medical support. “Most safety consultancies are one-man bands,” explains Bob, who runs the busi- ness with co-director Mat Vyze. “We’ve got the full range of skills. From our ‘drama queen’ Anne Shanley, who has advised on major TV dramas and films such as Brighton Rock, One Day, Nowhere Boy and St Trinians, to team members who previously worked as special-effects supervisors, floor managers, lighting directors, production managers, military and aviation experts. We’ve covered everything from Slumdog Millionaire to Gladiators to Ross Kemp On Gangs.” An RAF engineer for 23 years, Bob swapped one


danger zone for another by leaping into risk manage- ment. Working his way up to head of health and safety at the BBC, he was responsible for all occupational risk-management support teams, including safety, occupational health and high-risk – from local radio or journalists in Iraq, to documentaries and drama. Setting up 1st Option with Mat in 2005, they


recruited from within the industry to accommodate any


Working on a budget However, the biggest challenge facing the industry, Bob believes, is not from hostile environments; it’s swingeing budget cuts. “When budget pressure is on, people cut corners,” he says. “We understand those pressures and have put very few costs up – we’re especially sympathetic to start-ups. “We work hard at 1st Option to bring risks down to a tolerable level, whatever the budget constraints.” With budget pressures leading to greater use of


freelancers, the onus is on production managers more than ever to make sure crews are working safely. This is where Bob feels it is now time for commis-


sioners to get real – to allocate adequate funding for health and safety. “Productions are being underfunded – they have good intentions but are strapped for cash,” says Bob. “The commissioners have a real responsibil- ity here to check indies are properly funded.” Not that safety checks mean stifling creativity.


Bob says health and safety’s bad press is more down to managers making irrational decisions than regulations. 1st Option offers an unbeatable online A to Z of advice and 24/7 telephone support to make production managers’ lives easier. “Production safety support is managing real


dynamic risks, not the day-to-day monotony of an office,” says Bob. “Never discard a show idea blaming health and safety. Nothing is risk-free. Our job is to help mitigate that risk with you. Have a chat with us at 1st Option and there’s probably a way you can do it.”


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