Medirek provides holistic water safety for film and TV shoots on non-swift water. It covers water risk assessment input, safe systems of work, control measures and briefings, then bankside responders and in-water safety staff in full PPE on the day, with boat-based cover organised if needed and medics ready to take over care.
Water safety is about far more than someone on standby in case a person falls in. The aim is that nobody ends up in the water unintentionally, and anyone who needs to be in it is working to a plan everyone understands.
Planned with the shoot
Water safety works best when it is planned with the shot list. Medirek can input into the risk assessment, agree the safe system of work with the production team, brief cast and crew, and position safety staff where they are needed. It usually pairs with Medirek's production health and safety first and its medics second, so one team plans the risk, manages it on the day and responds if needed.
- Water risk assessment input: the water itself, access and exit points, the activity, the people and the expected conditions.
- Safe systems of work for crew setting up kit and for cast and performers in or near the water.
- Control measures: edge controls, exclusion zones, PPE and buoyancy aids, supervision and agreed stop points.
- Briefings so everyone knows the plan, the hazards and what to do if something goes wrong.
On the day
- Bankside responders along the water's edge to supervise, spot people in difficulty early and respond from the bank.
- In-water safety staff in full PPE, working alongside crews in the water in non-swift conditions, as Medirek has provided on media shoots.
- Boat-based cover organised where the water or the activity needs it.
- Medics ready to take over care as soon as someone is out of the water.
Medirek's water safety cover is for non-swift water: still or slow-moving water assessed as low to medium risk, such as lakes, ponds, docks, canals and slower stretches of river. If your shoot involves fast-flowing water, talk to Medirek early so the right arrangements can be discussed.
Trained to industry standards
Medirek's water safety staff are trained to industry standards, including DEFRA and RYA qualifications. There is a range of recognised qualifications for this work and, as far as Medirek is aware, no single qualification that the law requires, so Medirek takes responsibility for making sure its people are competent for the water, the activity and the level of risk. This is Medirek's understanding rather than legal advice.
On Dirty Business (Channel 4), Medirek provided water safety and rescue capability alongside its safety management and medical cover. More on Medirek's water safety service at medirek.co.uk.
Frequently asked questions
What does water safety for filming include?
Input into the water risk assessment, safe systems of work, control measures and briefings, then bankside responders, in-water safety staff in full PPE and, if needed, boat cover on the day, with medical cover behind it.
Can your safety staff go in the water with the crew?
Yes, in non-swift water. Medirek has provided safety staff who worked in the water in full PPE alongside crews during media shoots.
What qualifications do water safety staff need?
There is a range of recognised qualifications, such as DEFRA and RYA, and as far as Medirek is aware no single qualification that is legally required. What matters is competence for the specific water and activity, and Medirek takes responsibility for that.
Provided by Medirek – Safety and Medical. More on medirek.co.uk.
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