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A major concern among acting unions and the technical crews for theaters, motion pictures, and television shows and commercials is the large increase in stunt-related injuries and fatalities. This has been publicized in a number of articles appearing in the trade press, and a survey of these articles since 1980 showed 17 fatalities, mostly due to stunts.

A study by the Screen Actors Guild in California found that 4,998 SAG members were injured from 1982 to 1986 on motion picture and television locations; during this time period there was a 41% increase in compensable injuries. Their statistics also found a fatality rate of 2.5/1000 injuries, a rate that is higher than in law enforcement, road construction or mining. Types of activities resulting in these fatalities and accidents include car chases, helicopter scenes, fires and explosions, blank ammunition and falls.

The observed increase in stunt-related accidents appears to have two causes: the trend towards realism, and the increased use of special effects, such as fires and explosions. Whereas ten years ago, helicopter chase scenes would have been simulated, today they involve live action. Helicopter accidents alone have resulted in at least 8 fatalities in the last 8 years in the United States.

The most famous of these accidents - involving the deaths of actor Vic Morrow and two Vietnamese children during filming of "The Twilight Zone" - focused natinowide attention on the problem. One result was the establishment in Hollywood of the Industry Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee for the motion picture and television industry. This Safety Committee has begun to develop safety bulletins for stunts, including helicopter safety, live ammunition, animal handling, smoke inhalation, etc. However, as the above-mentioned statistics and the chart below show, the number of injuries and fatalities appears to be increasing. In addition the very high fatality to injury ratio indicates a possible lack of adequate emergency medical procedures, especially on remote locations.

Stunt and Special Effects Fatalities in the U.S. 1980-1988

• 1980 Rodney Mitchell (cameraman) TV Series: "Dukes of Hazzard". Cause: car chase
• 1980 Robert Van Der Kar (cameraman) TV Series: "Magnum PI". Cause: helicopter accident
• 1981 Jack Tyre (stuntman) Film: "Sword and the Sorceror". Cause: falling off cliff stunt.
• 1981 Boris Sagol (director) TV Film: "World War III". Cause: helicopter accident
• 1982 Jack Tandberg (cameraman) TV Film: "The Five of Me". Cause: car chase
• 1982 Vic Morrow, Myca Dinh Lee, Renee Chen (actors) Film: "The Twilight zone". Cause: helicopter accident.
• 1984 Jon-Eric Hexum (actor) TV Series: "Cover Up". Cause: blank ammunition accident
• 1985 Art Scholl (stunt pilot) Film: "Top Gun". Cause: airplane accident
• 1985 Reid Rondell ( stuntman) TV Series: "Airwolf" Cause: helicopter accident
• 1985 Claudio Cassinelli (actress), Don Nasca (pilot) Film: "Hands of Stone". Cause: helicopter accident
• 1985 Rich Holley (pilot) Film: Runaway Train". Cause: helicopter accident
• 1986 Dar Robinson (stuntman) Film: "Million Dollar Mystery". Cause: motorcycle stunt
• 1986 Bruce Ingram (cameraman) Film: "The Wraith". Cause: car chase
• 1987 Victor Magnotta (stuntman) Film: "Skip Tracer". Cause: car stunt

- reprinted from Art Hazards News, Vol. 11, No. 4
Stunt Safety By Michael McCann, Ph.D., C.I.H. and Sandy Richman*

Which of the following should be considered a stunt? - diving off a cliff - falling down a staircase - a fist fight on stage - a car chase - a car driving at excessive speeds on a grade - a helicopter ride - riding a horse across a bridge - firing a gun.

A stunt is "any action sequence that involves possible injury to performers or others on the set or stage." Using this definition, all of the above examples of action sequences should be considered stunts because they involve risk to the performers or others.

Carrying out a stunt safely requires careful advance planning, which should start with the script. When the script is first reviewed, any action sequences should be evaluated by independent, qualified experts to determine their potential for injury. In cases of high risk, there should be a determination as to whether the stunt could be modified, or whether it should be done at all. Then who participates in the stunt needs to be decided.

Once all these preliminary steps have been carried out, then it is necessary to develop the actual procedures needed to carry out the stunt safely. Evaluation of the Risk The degree of risk is going to depend on the nature of the action sequence, who could be injured, and the nature of the potential injuries. For example, falling down a flight of stairs is inherently more dangerous than falling down on a level floor. The first carries a high risk of severe injury and possibly even fatality, whereas simply falling carries a much lower risk of severe injury. Note however, that both are stunts since even a simple fall can have a high risk of minor injuries such as sprained ankles, bruises, etc. In both these instances, the likelihood of bystanders being injured is minimal under normal circumstances.

However consider a high speed car chase in traffic. The drivers and passengers in the cars involved in the actual chase are obviously at high risk. However, everyone in the cars that are part of the normal traffic are also at high risk because of the chance of misjudgments on part of the chase cars or traffic cars, resulting in an accident.

Even the crew can be at risk. In 1980, cameraman Rodney Mitchell was killed and several others injured when a car crashed into them while filming a car jump scene for the television series "Dukes of Hazzard." This is just one instance of film crews or other non-participants being injured or killed during this type of action sequence.

Evaluation of the Stunt In many instances, the basic questions should be asked " Is the stunt worth the risk? Can it be simulated effectively? Or modified?"

In 1987, stuntman Victor Magnotta was killed when he couldn't escape from a car that crashed into the Hudson River during filming of "Skip Tracer". In 1985, stuntman Reid Rondell was killed going back to the starting position after a helicopter stunt during filming of the television program "Airwolf". Prior to the push for realism of the last couple of decades, many such stunts would have been faked without anyone being able to tell the difference.

Films such as "Star Wars" show what can be done today with modern special effects. Other examples of stunts that could be eliminated or modified include use of live ammunition and explosives (which is common for film), real swords and knives in stage fights, dangerous helicopter sequences, etc.

Who Performs the Stunt?
In the car chase scene described earlier, everyone in cars in the scene is potentially at risk. The question is what qualifications are needed to participate in this scene? Obviously qualified stuntpeople should be driving all cars involved in the chase sequence, not just the stunt cars. Everyone else in these cars (and even "pedestrians" in the area) should have relevant stunt training (e.g. how to survive a crash). The use of extras as pedestrians and drivers in traffic in such scenes should be eliminated due to the inherent danger.

For example in filming of "Cannonball II", Heidi Van Beltz was hired as a stunt person to be a passenger in a car crash, although she did not have any training or qualifications. She was thrown out of the car and is now a paraplegic. Professional stunt people should be performing all stunts where there is a high risk of injury. Untrained extras should never be asked to perform stunts.

In many less hazardous action sequences, actors can perform them with proper training. Stage fights, for example, require that actors be trained in stage combat by professional stage combat directors who actually choreograph the fight. Actors should be trained how to fall for simple action sequences such as running after someone and falling down.

Actors using stage firearms must be trained in their safe use. Blank ammunition can be dangerous, as witness the death of actor Jon-Eric Hexum while doing the television series "Cover Up" in 1984.

Stunt Safety Procedures
Obviously each type of stunt will have its own detailed precautions, but there are some general guidelines that should apply to all stunts.

1. There should be adequate access to emergency medical care, fire protection, etc. The extent of on-site emergency medical facilities and personnel would depend on the distance to adequate hospital facilities, availability of emergency transportation, number of people on the location, and the degree of risk of the stunt. In case of stunts involving fire or explosions, fire permits must be obtained, and proper fire fighting equipment and personnel should be on hand. These emergency facilities should be planned and coordinated with local authorities at the planning stage for the stunt.
2. Safety procedures for stunts should be in writing and discussed well in advance of the stunt with all participating personnel (including crew).
3. Before actors or extras are hired, they should be made aware that a stunt sequence will be performed with trained professionals.
4. All stunts should be rehearsed in dry runs without the risk, as required by Industrywide Labor Management Safety Bulletin #4. Everyone involved should be clear as to their roles in the stunt.
5. All nonessential personnel should be kept clear of the area where the stunt is being performed.
6. Children must not be permitted to perform stunts or be in the area where stunts are being performed. Failure to observe this rule killed two children during the 1983 filming of "The Twilight Zone".
7. Special procedures should be taken to protect the camera crew and others on the set.
8. There should be an absolute minimum number of repetitions of the stunt to avoid tiring of stunt performers or unnecessary risk of disorientation which may lead to accidents. With stage productions where people might have to repeat the stunt every night or twice for matinee performances, evaluation should be made to determine whether the action sequence should be shared by more than one stunt person.

Decision Making
One of the most important aspects of planning and carrying out a stunt is who is responsible for safety in planning the stunt and on the set. As discussed, every stunt should go through a formal approval mechanism. We believe that the industry should establish a stunt safety committee consisting of industry representatives, representatives of all unions whose members are at risk, insurance company representatives, stunt experts, and other relevant safety experts. This committee would have the authority to approve all stunts and the safety procedures that must be followed.

On the set, the stunt coordinator should have absolute control over whether the stunt proceeds or not, and over all safety procedures. The stunt coordinator should not participate in the actual stunt since it is impossible to properly supervise all aspects of a stunt if that person has other responsibilities (such as driving a stunt car).

In conclusion, if we want to decrease the high fatality and injury rate in stunts, then planning and carrying out stunts have to be formalized into standard procedures involving an approval mechanism and clear safety procedures.

* Sandy Richman is President of the Professional Stuntmen's Association, and National Co-Chair of the SAG/AFTRA Stunt Safety Committee.

- reprinted from Art Hazards News Vol 11., No. 10 5

Dead in Movie Helicopter Crash By Michael McCann, Ph.D., C.I.H.

Dead:
Geoff Brewer, stuntman
Gadi Danzig, cameraman
Michael Graham, key grip
Jojo Imperial, pilot
Don Marshall, gaffer Injured
Mateo Gomez, actor
John Ryan, actor
Rami Siman-tov, cameraman

On May 16, 1989 a helicopter used in filming the Chuck Norris film "Delta Force 2" crashed in Tagaytay, Philippines, killing three and seriously injuring four others. Two of the injured subsequently died. According to news stories, the helicopter with 8 aboard took off and immediately crashed when the motor failed. The cause of the accident was not known, but reports indicated that the filming company,

Cannon NV, used a Philippine helicopter that had been repossessed by a bank and had been sitting in the Philippine climate for several years. The injured were evacuated to a "bush" hospital 30 miles away over a bumpy road. This evacuation was reported to take about one and a half hours in a vehicle without stretchers. It was even reported that direct person-to-person transfusions were given without blood type matching.

Filipino pilot Jojo Imperial died at this hospital. Those seriously injured were evacuated by helicopter to Clark Air Force Base, an American military base in the Philippines. There stuntman Geoff Brewer died of cardiac arrest. We interviewed Charles Brewer, the brother of Geoff Brewer and a stuntman himself, who went to the Philippines after the fatal accident. According to him, the injured were at the local hospital for a good eight hours before being evacuated to Clark Air Force Base.

Charles Brewer also charged that Cannon NV, the film production company, had no advance emergency preparations, despite a similar helicopter crash in 1987, also in the Philippines, which involved the deaths of three extras during filming of the Chuck Norris film "Missing in Action, Part III - Braddock". "Why are these productions allowed to continue?", he asked, charging that the same people were running "Delta Force 2 as "Missing in Action III". He also questioned why an inexperienced Filipino pilot was used rather than a trained American stunt pilot. He hoped, however, that this accident will change the way films are made.

After the accident, Charles Brewer demanded that Cannon NV bring in LifeStar International from the United States to provide emergency medical care. LifeStar International is an emergency medical care company specializing in motion picture film production. Dr. Robert Morris, a Board-certified Emergency Physician who was sent by Lifestar to the Philippines said, "This is truly a situation where Emergency Physicians might have changed the outcome of this tragic situation." It is well known that the first hour, the so-called "Golden Hour", is the crucial time for intervention after a life-threatening accident. (See CSA's data sheet "Emergency Medical Care on Set and Location", published just two weeks before this tragic accident.) Cannon officials refused any comment, and their press release on the accident did not discuss the issues raised here.

- reprinted from Art Hazards News Vol. 12 No. 4

Editorial: Why? This fatal accident is not the first involving helicopters and American motion picture production. Since 1980, there have been at least 19 fatalities involving helicopters, 9 of which occurred in the United States. The most famous involved the deaths of actor Vic Morrow and two children during the 1982 filming of "The Twilight Zone: The Movie." The recent fatal accident and the previous ones raise several very serious questions.

1. Why wasn't there an emergency medical plan for "Delta Force 2?" History had shown Cannon that this type of emergency can happen. Why didn't they have a needs analysis and suitable emergency plan? A proper emergency plan would have involved having an Emergency Physician on location since the filming was so far from medical help, and a prearranged evacuation plan that involved direct helicopter evacuation to Clark Air Force Base, where adequate emergency medical care was available. (See new CSA data sheet "Emergency Medical Care on Set and Location".) Are other film productions facing the same risks without adequate emergency medical planning?
2. Why have there been so many accidents involving helicopters? Helicopters are used for filming close up and in stunts, all situations involving high risks. The Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) regulates motion picture and television filming productions involving helicopters closer than 500 feet to persons or property. Their regulations only require pilots to log 500 hours as pilot in command, and merely 5 hours in the make and model of aircraft to be used in the filming. Many stunt pilots have said this is inadequate for this type of flying. What is needed, perhaps, is a stunt flying certification or similar procedure to ensure that only adequately trained pilots are used for motion picture film production. FAA regulations also require the approval of "consenting participants directly connected with the approved filming sequences" for all filming involving helicopters closer than 500 feet. Several actors and stuntmen CSA questioned had never heard of this requirement, even though they have been involved in helicopter sequences. Is the FAA really enforcing these regulations? Are production companies following them?
3. Why was "Delta Force 2" filmed by a foreign subsidiary under a non-union contract? Screen Actors Guild representatives said that "Delta Force 2" was produced by Cannon NV, a foreign subsidiary of Cannon, the American production company, under a non-union contract. They said this is becoming common in film production. Are production companies deliberately using foreign subsidiaries and non-union contracts to escape American safety standards and regulation? For example, did the Filipino pilot even meet present FAA standards? Did the helicopter used meet FAA maintenance standards?
4. What is the insurance industry doing to control this problem? Insurance companies stand to lose a lot from this type of accident involving fatalities, injuries, lost production time, possible lawsuits, etc. Is the insurance industry adequately assessing the risks and ensuring adequate measures are being taken to minimize these risks. In some instances, insurance premium rebates have been given to production companies having an adequate emergency medical plan. However, much more is needed. Insurance companies have the power to stop these needless fatalities.
5. What are the production companies and unions doing? Several years ago, after the Twilight Zone disaster, an Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee was established for the motion picture and television industry. It has produced 21 Safety Bulletins since then. Unfortunately none of these address the types of emergency medical plans and standards for helicopters and pilots discussed here. CSA has just received a grant from the New York State Department of Labor to produce a safety manual for the television and motion picture production industry. Union and industry support for this manual will hopefully be a beginning. Need for Action All of the above questions need answering. Additionally, helicopter accidents are not the only type of accident involving fatalities and injuries in motion picture and television film production? There have been at least 10 other fatalities in film production in the United States since 1980. One definite need is for qualified, on-site safety officers who have the authority to stop a particular filming sequence if they believe it is hazardous. It seems that some film directors are not willing to do this. It is time for action.

This is not just a Hollywood/New York problem, but one involving American motion picture and television film production everywhere. The industry cannot address this deadly issue on its own. The large number of fatalities in recent years proves this. We call on Congress to conduct an investigation into this safety crisis in the film production industry.

- reprinted from Art Hazards News Vol. 12 No. 4

Director Killed in Movie Stunt By Michael McCann, Ph.D., C.I.H.
Movie producer and director Toby Halicki was killed on August 20 when a stunt misfired while shooting the motion picture "Gone in 60 Seconds II" in Tonawanda, New York near Buffalo. The stunt was going to involve the collapse of a 161-foot water tower. One leg of the water tower had been severed and support cables hooked to a bulldozer. The water tower collapsed prematurely, snapping a supporting cable. The broken cable pulled over a telephone pole which fell on Mr. Halicki, who was 70 feet from the base of the tower, and killed him. There had been considerable controversy about the safety of the water tower stunt. The Town of Tonawanda had required an 8 million dollar certificate of insurance, and a signed statement from the production company, Ronald Halicki and Project Films, Inc., agreeing to "assume all risk of loss, damage, or injury to persons or property", according to Town of Tonawanda Supervisor Ronald Moline.

Halicki's death raises questions about the adequacy of safety procedures for the stunt, and even whether the stunt should have been attempted in the first place. The collapse of the water tower could have been done on a smaller scale model, according to stunt experts. This fatality also feeds the growing concern that the drive for realism in television and motion pictures in recent years is unacceptably killing people, not only stunt people, but also actors, camera crew, and others. (See Art Hazards News Vol. 11 Nos. 4 and 10, and Vol. 12 No. 4)

Seven people have been killed in film stunts: five during filming of "Delta Force 2" in the Philippines in May, stuntman Clint Carpenter during a helicopter stunt while filming "Hired to Kill" in Corfu in June, and Toby Halicki in August. In addition, stunt coordinator Joel Kramer recently broke his back during a high fall stunt while filming in Mexico. It is becoming increasingly clear that the entire question of how and why stunts are being done in television and motion pictures has to be reexamined.

- reprinted from Art Hazards News Vol. 12 No. 7

MOTION PICTURE/TELEVISION FATALITIES 1980 TO DATE

This list was compiled from newspaper reports and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's National Traumatic Occupational Mortality Database.

• 1980 Rodney Mitchell (cameraman) TV Series: "Dukes of Hazzard". Cause: car chase
• 1980 Robert Van Der Kar (cameraman) TV Series: "Magnum PI". Cause: helicopter accident
• 1980 unknown woman (stuntwoman) Film. Cause: fall from roof.
• 1981 Jack Tyre (stuntman) Film: "Sword and the Sorceror". Cause: falling off cliff stunt.
• 1981 Boris Sagol (director) TV Film: "World War III". Cause: helicopter accident
• 1982 Jack Tandberg (cameraman) TV Film: "The Five of Me". Cause: car chase
• 1982 Garry Hansen (cinemetographer), John Jasiwkowicz (cameraman), Alastair Simon Macdonald (producer). TV commercial Cause: helicopter crash in New South Wales, Australia.
• 1982 David Perrin (stunt pilot), Jaron Anderson (mechanic), Nigel Thornton (helicopter pilot). Film: "High Road to China" Cause: helicopter crash en route to location in Yugoslovia
• 1982 Vic Morrow, Myca Dinh Lee, Renee Chen (actors) Film: "The Twilight zone". Cause: helicopter accident.
• 1983 Joseph Leonard Svec (skydiver) Film: "The Right Stuff". Cause: skydiving accident
• 1985 Art Scholl (stunt pilot) Film: "Top Gun". Cause: airplane accident
• 1985 Reid Rondell (stuntman) TV Series: "Airwolf" Cause: helicopter accident
• 1985 Claudio Cassinelli (actress), Don Nasca (pilot) Film: "Hands of Stone". Cause: helicopter accident
• 1985 Rich Holley (pilot) Film: Runaway Train". Cause: helicopter accident en route to Alaska filming location
• 1985 unknown male (stuntman) Entertainment production. Cause: fall from height.
• 1986 Dar Robinson (stuntman) Film: "Million Dollar Mystery". Cause: motorcycle stunt
• 1986 Bruce Ingram (cameraman) Film: "The Wraith". Cause: car chase
• 1986 Martin Wenzel and Conrad Wenzel (bystanders) Film: "Gor". Cause: gas cylinder explosion-fire scene in South Africa.
• 1987 Victor Magnotta (stuntman) Film: "Skip Tracer". Cause: car stunt
• 1987 3 dead Film: "Braddock: "Missing in Action III". Cause: helicopter crash in Philippines.
• 1989 Geoff Brewerr (stuntman), Gadi Danzig (cameraman), Michael Graham (key grip), Jojo Imperial (pilot), Don Marshall (gaffer). Film: "Delta Force 2". Cause: helicopter crash in Philippines.
• 1989 Clint Carpenter (stuntman) Film: "Hired to Kill". Cause: helicopter stunt in Corfu.
• 1989 Tobi Halicki (director) Film: "Gone in 60 Seconds II". Cause: falling water tower special effect.
  
  
• Total number: 37 Number involving helicopters: 24