CAPIC – COVID-19 Health & Safety Guidelines for Image Creators
CAPIC, the Canadian Association of Professional Image Creators, has released their recommended COVID-19 health and safety guidelines for Canadian commercial photographers and filmmakers.
Following these guidelines will help ensure that commercial photographers meet the various Provincial Ministries of Labour requirements for anyone who employs people as part of their photography or filmmaking business by facilitating a safer work environment.
We have included the complete CAPIC guidelines for your review below.
Covid-19: Health and Safety Guidelines for Commercial Photographers
The impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic have changed the way that we work. What are the responsibilities of photographers in facilitating a safe work environment?
Canadian Association of Professional Image Creators
CAPIC recognizes that every photographer runs a unique business and will face their own individual challenges while working throughout the pandemic. Some photographers work by themselves, or with small teams, and can easily communicate remotely with their clients. Others work with a large crew and are accustomed to sharing a set with many other people. The larger the production, the higher the risk. The higher the risk, the more complicated the implementation of health and safety measures becomes.
The following recommendations are guidelines that photographers should adapt to fit their own respective business. All photographers following these guidelines must ensure that they are also abiding by all local health and safety directions. Public Health authorities set the minimum standards and regulations and these must be adhered to by everyone.
Provincial Ministries of Labour require that employers have a comprehensive health and safety plan in place for Covid-19. Photographers must establish their own policies that clearly outline the measures they are implementing to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. This policy must be made available to clients, crew, and other workers. It is recommended that this policy be posted in the work environment. In accordance with Provincial guidelines, this policy should cover how the workplace will operate, including, but not limited to:
Screening measures
Cleaning and sanitation of the workplace
Physical distancing
How work will be scheduled
All persons present at the shoot must be made aware of the measures that are being taken by the photographer to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus. Individuals on set must understand what their roles are in implementing these measures and the importance of complying with them. A waiver for clients, crew, and models can serve as an additional method to communicate and educate on risk of exposure to the virus.
CAPIC has created a template for a standard policy and several templates of waivers that you can download from the links below.
Please note that these are templates only and that they must be adapted to suit your particular production. It is your responsibility to ensure that they are adjusted to comply with local public health restrictions in your jurisdiction.
There should be no disincentive for any employees and independent contractors to stay home if they are sick or isolating. Photographers should review their agreements with all employees to ensure they align with local public health guidance.
Ensure that you have a back-up plan in place should an individual not be able to work the day of the shoot because they are ill or are isolating.
If photographers are made aware of any persons present during the shoot becoming symptomatic within 48 hours, all other individuals who were on set on the same day should be informed immediately.
A complete contact list of all individuals present on set, the times they were present, and their roles, must be maintained to facilitate contact tracing in the event of a positive case. This contact sheet should include names, phone numbers, and addresses. Public Health may request records from up to two-weeks prior to an individual becoming ill.
All contracts with clients and crew must include a cancellation and postponement policy related directly to Covid-19 health and safety. Production could be postponed or cancelled entirely for uncontrollable reasons related to the pandemic and associated restrictions. Ensure that you outline this risk and have a contingency plan in place.
All shoots should be precisely scheduled ahead of time with healthy and safety measures in mind.
All shoots should be done for the shortest amount of time possible. Longer times spent in enclosed spaces increases the risk of virus transmission. Shorter shoot times will also allow for additional time to be allocated to cleaning and disinfecting. Additional measures will take extra time and this needs to be taken into consideration. Schedule accordingly.
Scheduling needs to accommodate for additional cleaning and disinfecting measures. Other safety measures will also take more time, so ensure to plan accordingly for this.
It is recommended that the fewest people possible are on set at any given time. If possible, stagger scheduling times to reduce the amount of individuals working.
People should arrive and leave at separate times to avoid coming into close contact. Areas such as doorways make physical distancing difficult.
The concept of working remotely whenever possible is important in order to reduce the amount of people required on set. Anything that can be done remotely should be. This includes pre-production meetings, live streaming of shoots for clients, image review, and post-production. Whenever possible, the shoot should also be live-streamed to art and creative directors. All productions should be limited to only essential staff on set. No visitors should be permitted.
Schedule a remote screening of all individuals who will be on set 24 hours prior to the shoot. This is your opportunity to screen everyone ahead of time and make yourself aware of anyone who may not be able to work because they are sick, caring for someone who is sick, or isolating.
The remote screening should include questions on physical symptoms, travel history, and whether or not individuals have come into close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19
It is recommended that you direct people to use the Covid-19 online self-assessment tool in your province.
On the day of the shoot, everyone must be screened for symptoms prior to entering the studio and/or set. Symptoms may include:
Fever (temperature checks may be appropriate for large scale productions)
Runny nose
Cough
Sore throat
Difficulty breathing
Anyone with symptoms will not be permitted to enter and will be encouraged to return home and contact their local public health unit for further directives on isolating.
Anyone who has had close contact within the previous 7 days with an individual that has tested positive for Covid-19 should not be permitted on set (please note that most individuals is this position will have already been contacted by public health and will already be self-isolating at home).
Anyone who has travelled internationally within the previous 14-days should not be permitted on set.
Shooting On Set
As the photographer, you are in control of your set and are responsible for ensuring that appropriate health and safety measures are in place.
The most effective method to prevent transmission is by ensuring all individuals practice physical distancing while on set. The recommended minimum physical distance from public health authorities is 2 meters.
Physical distance must be maintained between all individuals on set whenever possible. This applies to all persons, including talent.
Anticipate that the concept of the shoot may need modification in order to allow for health and safety measures to be implemented. For example, the client may initially request that talent be shot in close proximity to one another. These discussions must be included in pre-production meetings.
Exceptions to physical distancing measures can only be made for those persons who are from the same shared household. If someone does not live under the same roof as another, they must keep a minimum of 2 meters distance.
Physical contact must be avoided whenever possible.
If physical distancing is absolutely not possible, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn and made available to all people working on set.
Physical distancing measures must be taken into account when organizing the layout of the set. Consider where individuals will be working and in what roles. Plan for any movement that will need to happen on set and control this movement by establishing one way traffic flows where possible. Doorways are areas that will need special consideration as there is a higher risk of creating a bottleneck.
When possible, individuals present on set should be restricted to separate areas. The layout of the space needs to be planned for this separation. Consider using space markers to clearly designate specific areas. For example, tape on the floor or physical barriers can be used to section off designated areas.
The movement of people on set must be controlled whenever possible. Establishing a one way flow of traffic will reduce the risk of physical distancing measures not being respected. This can be done with arrows taped to the floor or clearly posted signs.
Signs should be posted in all shared spaces to remind individuals of physical distancing and hygiene practices. These are new measures and it helps to have visible reminders. CAPIC has created signs that you can download and print to use for your shoots.
Hair and Makeup
Hair and makeup work stations must be minimum of 2 meters apart. Surfaces in stations should be reserved for essential tools only. Food, drink, and other items unrelated to the work of the stylists and artists should be banned.
PPE should be used when setting up the work stations to avoid contamination.
Bathrooms
Bathrooms must be thoroughly cleaned after every use and disinfected daily. Any surface touched must be wiped down (taps, handles, soap dispenser, etc). Ensure that disinfectant wipes or other cleaning products are available for people to use in the bathroom.
Kitchens and Food
If possible, kitchens should not be used during the shoot. These are spaces with many touch spots and are high risk. If a kitchen is to be used, it should be only by a single designated person and needs to be cleaned thoroughly after every use.
It is recommended that all food and drink available on set should be packaged. Food and drink should not be shared in any way and packages must be disposed of safely in designated waste containers, similar to PPE.
Consider having all individuals bring their own food and drink to reduce the risk of any contamination. People should bring their own water bottles already filled. Water bottles should not be filled on set.
PPE should be worn when possible. This is of the utmost importance when adequate physical distancing is difficult to maintain and when individuals are expected to be in the same enclosed space for lengthy amounts of time. Examples of PPE are:
Masks
Gloves
Face shields
Barriers in place where appropriate or possible
It is recommended that you encourage workers to all bring their own individual PPE to set. This ensures that masks and gloves will fit well.
As the employer, the photographer is responsible for the health and safety of the workers on set. You must supply adequate PPE (masks and gloves), for all crew and clients scheduled to be on set should they not have any of their own, with the exception of Hair and Makeup.
Hair and Makeup have specialized needs and their work puts them at a higher risk. As such, they will be required to bring their own PPE to the shoot to ensure that it is well-fitted and tailored to their specific needs.
PPE is an additional and necessary health and safety expense to be included in the total cost of production for the client.
Proper disposal of used PPE
Used PPE should be disposed of in designated waste receptacles.
These waste bins should be easily accessible to ensure that used masks and gloves can be disposed of quickly when needed.
Waste containers should be ready with a sealable bag inside and should not have a lid that needs to be touched to be opened. The bag should be sealed and be removed after every shoot.
It is essential that used PPE is disposed of safely. Once worn, PPE should be treated as contaminated.
Masks should be worn only once and by a single person. Before removing a mask you should first wash your hands, remove it by the straps, dispose of it, and then wash your hands once more. In the case of reusable masks, follow the same steps, but place the used mask in a sealable bag until it can be laundered.
Gloves should be worn only once and by a single person. Consider the outside of the gloves as hands that can’t be washed. When removing gloves ensure that you do not touch the outsides of them, dispose of them in appropriate containers, and wash your hands.
Face shields should be worn only once and by a single person. They are reusable and can be cleaned and disinfected. Before removal ensure to wash your hands, place the used face shield into a sealable bag until it is time for it to be cleaned, and wash your hands once more.
You should plan to allocate more time to cleaning and disinfecting. Ensure that all cleaning products are approved by Health Canada and are safe to use.
Avoid sweeping and dusting as this can stir up contaminating materials into the air. You should use cleaning wipes and mops instead.
The entire set/studio must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before and after every shoot. This includes all workstations and changing rooms.
High contact areas such as interior and exterior door handles, light switches, and surfaces such as tables, counters, and chairs, must be cleaned frequently throughout the duration of the shoot.
If possible, avoid using props in the shoot. If props are used, they must be cleaned frequently.
Remove any unnecessary objects from the environment. Only essential items should be on set and each item should only be handled by a single person. For example, everyone has their own pen. Pay close attention to commonly shared objects and remove them if they are not necessary. Remember that everything that is touched will need to be cleaned.
All equipment and gear must be cleaned. Use alcohol wipes and soap when possible, taking caution to not damage your gear.
Details on what crew will be assigned what equipment must be clearly established in the remote pre-production meetings. It is essential that all persons understand their roles and what equipment they can handle ahead of the shoot. This will avoid any confusion on set, as well as decrease any risk of cross-contamination and transmission.
Equipment must not be shared whenever possible. This may mean additional equipment is required on set.
If it is not possible to have separate equipment for crew, then all shared equipment must be cleaned and disinfected following each and every single point of contact. Ensure that disinfectant wipes or cleaning products are readily available to facilitate this.
It is recommended to store gear separately to avoid having heavy cases that will require more than one person to carry them. This will require more cases than usual. If this is not possible, PPE must be worn when multiple people are carrying cases as physical distancing will be impossible to maintain. In addition, disinfectant wipes must be used to clean the cases after every point of contact.
When choosing a location, ensure that it is large enough to accommodate physical distancing measures. Confirm that other health and safety standards can also be maintained before choosing a location. It is recommended that locations be scouted by a single person, if possible.
Shoot as much as possible outdoors.
Ensure that physical distancing measures are followed at all times during the shoot.
Separate transportation to and from the set needs to be planned for. If possible, do not share a vehicle with others from outside of your immediate household.
Minimise the time spent on set. The shorter the length of time shooting, the lower the risk of transmission.
You should anticipate that other individuals on set will come with their own protocols and guidelines for working safely during the shoot. All parties involved should meet remotely prior to the shoot to discuss their respective policies. This will allow for you to mitigate any foreseeable issues and clearly establish the responsibilities of all persons in implementing health and safety measures on the day of the shoot.
Certain members of the crew, such as makeup artists and hair stylists, will be working in the highest risk positions as physical distancing becomes nearly impossible. Specific PPE such as masks, gloves, and face shields will need to be used. Prepare for them to also have the strictest protocols and understand that respecting and accommodating these guidelines is crucial for the health and safety of all.
Projects can vary greatly in scale and productions will require different sizes of crews based on need. Regardless of the size of the production, the photographer is the one who is overall responsible for the health and safety of all on set.
It is recommended that a single individual be assigned the role of Covid-19 Protocol Officer. This individual will be responsible for the planning, scheduling, and executing the enhanced Covid-19 health and safety measures for any given shoot. These additional measures will be extensive and it is essential that all protocols are followed. This role should be recorded as an additional health and safety expense.
Controls and directs the creative process that takes place in front of the lens, on camera activities, and lighting in consultation with the client’s creative team
Assumes the role of Covid-19 Protocol Officer
COVID-19 Responsibilities
Overall responsibility for the health and safety of everyone on set
Must wear a mask when working with people
Must maintain the 2 meter physical distancing rule when working with anyone
Ensure that all cleaning protocols are followed before and after the shoot
Is the only person to set up and touch the camera and lenses during the shoot
Subject is not permitted to come close to the camera or computer (if used). Images can be reviewed only if a monitor is set up 2 meters from the computer.
Due to lack of crew, the photographer will take on the additional role of Covid-19 Protocol Officer
Controls and directs the creative process that takes place in front of the lens, on camera activities, and lighting in consultation with the client’s creative team.
The photographer on small shoots will be the only one to set up and handle camera gear.
COVID-19 Responsibilities
Overall responsibility for the health and safety of everyone on set
Must wear a mask when working with people
Must maintain the 2 meter physical distancing rule when working with anyone
Ensure that all cleaning protocols are followed before and after the shoot
Is the only person to set up and touch the camera and lenses during the shoot
Subject is not permitted to come close to the camera or computer (if used). Images can be reviewed only if a monitor is set up 2 meters from the computer.
Sets up lighting and other gear under the photographer’s direction, monitor lights, anticipate problems, provide suggestions, and make sure that the photographer can concentrate on the task at hand without distraction.
COVID-19 Responsibilities
Ensure that all camera gear is clean and disinfected in advance of the shoot
Must wear PPE (mask)
Camera gear on smaller shoots will need to be stored separately from other gear to ensure that it is only handled by the photographer on set.
All gear to be cleaned and disinfected upon completion of shoot.
Responsible for setup of workstation, organizes file structure and naming, backup drives, external viewing monitors.
During shoot: monitoring for exposure, focus and technical needs. Ensures that clients have a monitor offset to watch progress of the shoot.
COVID-19 Responsibilities
Only person allowed to set up, touch and operate computer gear
All gear must be disinfected on setup
Must wear mask at all times
Figure logistics for additional handsfree wireless or wired monitors set up to be at minimum a 2 meter distance from computer workstation and other people.
Only 1 person per monitor is permitted within the 2 meter zone
At completion of shoot, all gear, drives, and memory cards are to be disinfected.
Photographer Controls and directs the creative process that takes place in front of the lens, on camera activities, and lighting in consultation with the client’s creative team
COVID-19 Responsibilities
Overall responsibility for the health and safety of everyone on set
Should wear a mask when working with people
Must maintain the 2 meter physical distancing rule when working with anyone
Ensure that all cleaning protocols are followed before and after the shoot
Is the only person to set up and touch the camera and lenses during the shoot
Subject is not permitted to come close to the camera or computer (if used). Images can be reviewed only if a monitor is set up 2 meters from the computer.
Sets camera and lighting under photographers direction, constantly check camera settings, check focus, monitor lights, anticipate problems, provide suggestions, and make sure that the photographer can concentrate on the task at hand without distraction.
COVID-19 Responsibilities
Ensure that all camera gear is clean and disinfected in advance of the shoot, and again if they set up gear for the photographer.
Must wear PPE (mask), if working within the 2 meter photographer safe zone
Responsible for setup of workstation, organizes file structure and naming, backup drives, external viewing monitors.
During shoot: monitoring for exposure, focus and technical needs. Ensures that clients have a monitor offset to watch progress of the shoot.
Only person allowed to set up, touch and operate computer gear
COVID-19 Responsibilities
All gear must be disinfected on setup
Must wear mask at all times
Figure logistics for additional handsfree wireless or wired monitors set up to be at minimum a 2 meter distance from computer workstation and other people.
Only 1 person per monitor is permitted within the 2 meter zone
At completion of shoot, all gear, drives, and memory cards are to be disinfected.
Props stylist acquires and adjusts objects to tell the visual story with items that may be held or seen on camera.
Set dressing may be included in this role, or may be the responsibility of a separate set dressing crew member.
COVID-19 Responsibilities
If possible, props should be obtained in advance with enough time for quarantine (up to 72 hours), before bringing to set.
Prop stylists must wear gloves and mask at all times
Suggest sealable plastic bags or baggies to bring to the set to be opened using PPE, or allow talent to be the only ones to handle them on set until shoot is finished.
Props should be cleaned and quarantined before returns or disposal.
Responsible for obtaining and preparing all wardrobe that may be used in the photo shoot (other than talent clothing).
The wardrobe stylist is responsible for steaming, pressing, and pinning clothing for talent.
If not using talent, stylist folds and prepares the garments on set for the photographer.
COVID-19 Responsibilities
Wardrobe stylists to use mask and gloves at all times
If possible wardrobe should be obtained in advance with enough time for quarantine (up to 72 hours), before bringing to set.
Suggest large plastic garment bags to bring to the set and to be opened using PPE, or allow talent to be the only ones to handle on set until shoot is finished.
Garments should be cleaned and quarantined before returns or disposal
Hair stylists are responsible for styling hair for the look and feel of the shoot under direction of the photographer.
Makeup artists work with talent to achieve the best look to meet photography style requirements
Both work in direct contact with the talent
COVID-19 Responsibilities
Hair Stylists and Makeup Artists will have their own set of COVID-19 health and safety regulations and protocols to follow. These must be adhered to on set.
Face shields, masks, and gloves must be worn at all times when working with the talent.
No sharing of makeup applicators allowed.
Consider use of disposable applicators
It is recommended that separate palettes per talent are used to avoid cross contamination
Disposable towelettes are to be used at all times
All tools must be disinfected to medical standards between use and kits must be completely sanitized between shoots
Provides general assistance on set to help as required. This includes, but is not limited to, carrying and setting up gear, and preparing tables and other required infrastructure to facilitate crew as needed.
May be required to drive a vehicle in order to do pickups and returns.
COVID-19 Responsibilities
Follow all standard safety and physical distancing protocols
Should have access to cleaning supplies at all times
Sets with over a certain number of people in attendance will require a certified first aid attendant on set at all times (Specific provincial regulations on this must be consulted prior to shoot).
This role is often combined with a person or team who provides snacks, drinks, and other items to sustain the crew between meals.
COVID-19 Responsibilities
First Aid/Craft Services will have their own set of Covid-19 health and safety regulations and protocols to follow. These must be adhered to.
No common self-serve craft services will be permitted
For larger productions on location (ie: public buildings, streets, or parks), a location manager is required to obtain permits and ensure that all safety rules are adhered to.
In some cases, Location Production Assistants will be required to control access and assist in directing the public around sets.
COVID-19 Responsibilities
Will work directly with the producer and photographer onset at the shoot. Follow all standard safety and physical distancing protocols.
PPE must be worn if dealing with the public or crew.
Cell Phones and walkie-talkies are the usual methods of communication for location and set control and must be cleaned before, during, and after the shoot
