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Jet Lag
Has anybody dealt with Jet-lag. It effects different people in different ways, if you are travelling East it can take a day an hour to overcome, and it can be quite debillitaiting. Last week we had a person up an 8 meter tall single person access platform fall asleep while working. He had had a day off after flying and was only a few hours into his shift yet he just dozed off. Nothing happened but he got quite a shock, as did I.
Now to give people a day off for every hour that they are out of kilter with their home time zone is not practical, but ensuring that they have a day to aclimatize is certainly benificial but clearly not enough.
Any thoughts?
:Jet lag
Hello,
There isn't a quick fix or ready reckoner re jet lag but is that your biggest H&S issue?
With Companies working temporaraly overseas it very rarely is. I'ts usually about the management structures both fiscal and operational, JL may only be part of the problem.
If you had a worker asleep at the top of a tallescope or other piece of access equipment you're in breach of reg's 1-4 and I suspect you've a lot more Legal,Financial, Operational, Scheduling, H&S ,Welfare issues issues going on.
I'm a Health Safety and Risk Management Consultant working with Producers, Production Managers and Crews in the film and television industry working overseas
Crews used to be shipped out as and when needed (usually at the eleventh hour) in order to limit cost to production!
They were also expected to hit the ground running; as opposed to simply hitting the ground due to stress, overwork and the effects of JL.
This used to be the crux of the film industry's problems, I'm sure it's relevant across most commercially focused industry sectors.
My advice is always get your key personnel out as soon as possible giving them enough time to recover from any discomfort or harm incurred during their journey, subsequent transporting to safe place of accomodation,safe harbour or refuge. Line mangers to have access to medical advice both from the parent company and at location in order to be advised on fitness for duty of any worker.
These Key persons should be in a supervisory role only and will not normally be subject to the additional stress of completing physical tasks.
Contract competent local staff in doing as much of the groundwork as possible.
Generally Film and TV companies only bring out Key staff such as DOP etc and employ from the body of competent professional staff in the country their filming in. It can cause resentment but can be legally and commercially sound.
If you employ a UK team every one should be aware of their duties of care (don't assume this to be the case check your workers skills, training,knowledge and experience). There is also a tendency, certainly in the entertainment industries for individuals to push themselves too far. I'm sure this competetive tendancy applies to most industry workers and shouldn't be underestimated as a potential risk.
There is the rush and excitement working in an "exotic" location so the buzz counteracts and often masks the the effects from jet-lag. As I stated above there's the ever present need to compete/excell working with professionals from a different country.
There's also the potential of substance abuse need I say more?
All this is potentially catastrophic; especially if crew members are inexperienced in crossing time zones so the idea of giving formalised instruction/training prior to recruitment/travel shouldn't be dismissed.
An assurance from the Line Producer that no one will be penalised for taking time to recoup is always a big comfort.
In most areas I deal with the Parent Production Company is normally UK based and therfore generally UK guidelines and practices take precidence over local health and safety provision.
A big factor now is that the Producer may end up in court/prison now that corporate manslaughter and other measures are now a very real legal option; many senior managers who used to try to renage on duties are now becoming very very H&S conscious.
I could go on and on and on but essentially... no there isn't a one size fits all solution. It's all down to responsible scheduling, crewing levels and money.
I know this doesn't help with a quick fix. The quick answer is there isn't one and don't let anyone bully you into thinking there should be!
Hope this helps
Kind regards
George
