Facebook Live: Safety on Set : Covid-Compliant Workplace

The ways in which film and TV productions are operating in a Covid-19 era are unparalleled and, with much misinformation circulating, it can be difficult to understand what makes a set Covid-compliant. With advancements in testing, zonal systems and Covid-related training professionals can take advantage of, it is important to put the safety of cast and crew at the heart of productions.

It is because of this that we hosted a Mandy Panel Session on Facebook Live with two professionals who are making a real difference in the industry. On 30th July 2020 we were joined by Marc Auerbach, a location manager, screenwriter, author and Covid-compliance officer, and Alex Pollak, a paramedic and CEO of ParaDocs. They discussed ways in which sets can be made safe, what constitutes the role of a Covid-compliance officer and how the entertainment industry is adapting. You can check out our session below!



The Covid pandemic has had a huge impact on the creative industry and on professionals. Marc and Alex highlighted that much still needs to be done on sets to ensure that the safety of cast and crew is of paramount importance. They brought attention to training that can be undertaken, as well as offering first-hand insight into the reality of operating a production in a pandemic.

Our Business Development Executive of East Coast Operations, Jess Kane, posed questions to our panel, with many being submitted from our community. Professionals were curious as to what the role of a Covid-compliance officer actually is and what training can be undertaken to attain this title, as well as guidance on how productions, both big and small, can be compliant and much more.

“Returning to work on set is a difficult balance between potentially compromising health and earning money. We should be grateful that there are opportunities to go back to work, but with gratitude comes responsibility. Responsibility for your own and health and that of everyone else.”

“I think the benefit of what ParaDocs is doing now is that our set medics are doubling as Covid-compliance officers. We know what precautions to take when someone appears sick. Amongst all necessary steps, we will do temperature checks and ensure safety on set throughout a full production. Having someone on set who truly understands Covid and PPE is advantageous.”

We would like to extend a huge thank you to all those who tuned in to our Facebook Live and those who submitted questions! A huge thanks is also in order to Marc and Alex. They offered an incredible insight into their line of work, what certain productions are looking like and the steps ur industry can take in order to move forward.


https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3815866/ https://www.paradocsworldwide.com/

A Location Manager, Screenwriter and Author based in NYC, Marc now also works as a Covid-Compliance Officer. After catching Covid-19, he dedicated his time to becoming certified in Covid safety practices. He now works with sets during pre-production to ensure all components are taking proper safety precautions. He has been using his location management company to offer a seamless experience between the location being prepped and the cast and crew having the safest experience possible. Recently, he was hired to work on Sesame Street.

An NYC paramedic with over 18 years of experience, Alex is now the CEO of ParaDocs - a collaboration of Doctors and Paramedics and a Worldwide Medical Service that serves clients in various industries, including TV & Film. As projects resume, their medics have been on set as both set medics and as Covid-Compliance Officers. They have been working with all different sizes of productions to assist with Covid testing and to ensure cast and crew members are safe.