SKILLSET LAUNCHES HEALTH & SAFETY CAMPAIGN

THE TELEVISION and film industries are investing £100,000 in a new Health & Safety training campaign.
The money, from Skillset`s Freelance Training Fund and Skills Investment Fund, will be used to fund a number of activities to help freelancers access training, which not only saves time and money on production, but could also save lives.
The three elements of the campaign are: Individual Training Bursaries, which can cover 75 per cent of the cost of a course plus travel and accommodation cost, subsidised places on short courses and opportunities to gain the Skillset Health & Safety Certificate in Risk Assessment or Risk Control
Health & Safety law now states all employees and freelances must be `competent`. Some insurance companies are looking for hard evidence of this in the form of training and qualifications.
Dinah Caine, Chief Executive of Skillset, said: "By developing this bursary scheme we`re offering the opportunity for freelancers to choose a Health & Safety course that fits in with their schedules and location. As long as it meets industry standards Skillset will offer financial assistance. For many freelancers Health & Safety training is often lower down the training list than learning the latest piece of kit but people need to realise that in our industry this type of training is critical for productions to run smoothly and can affect getting that next contract."
Skillset will also be developing a web-based repository of Health & Safety information to assist the audio visual industries in maintain high standards of Health and Safety. For more information on the scheme visit www.skillset.org or call Skillset`s Investment Team on:
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7534 5302
(GB)