Open letter urges UK government to back campaign against on-set injuries

In total, 15 industry figures have signed an open letter addressed to UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden.

The letter draws attention to high rates of workplace injury in the UK’s film, television, and theatrical sectors.

These were highlighted in a major 2024 report by consultancy Injury Prevention Consultancy (IPC). The report found that injuries to workers in stage and screen production are widespread, with 85% of respondents saying that they or their colleague had been injured at work and 79% saying they have personally been injured.

Many workers said they feel expendable, with 69% of the opinion that creative vision is prioritised over safety at work.

“Our industry’s greatest asset is its people, and protecting their welfare is a responsibility we all share. We have heard the concerns of our colleagues, and are committed to taking action to make things better,” says the open letter, whose signatories include Philippa Childs, the Head of broadcasting union Bectu, Donna French and Kevin Brady, the Co-Chairs of the Personal Managers’ Association, which represents agents, and Jen Smith, CEO of anti-bullying body CIISA.

The letter in full was as follows:

“Dear Secretaries of State,

“We, the undersigned, are writing to bring to your attention the high rates of workplace injury in the UK’s film, television, and theatrical industries. This matter was highlighted last year, when the IPC’s Impact of Injury (IOI24) report unveiled difficult yet urgent truths about the realities of working in production. In the wake of its publication, the findings sparked an industry-wide conversation about areas of production safety that have been historically overlooked and presented employers with a powerful case to ameliorate this state of play.

“Our industry’s greatest asset is its people, and protecting their welfare is a responsibility we all share. We have heard the concerns of our colleagues and are committed to taking action to make things better.

“We recognise that we are part of the systems we are asking to improve. The sectoral consultations and roundtables held in the wake of the IOI24 publication point to a solution that lies in improved education and enforced regulation in this space. As a broad coalition of industry stakeholders, we are committed to developing a framework that will encompass both, in so doing, promoting the safety of cast and crew at work. In order to actualise the degree of systemic change we want to see, we ask for the direct engagement of the addressed government departments to support the development and delivery of this framework. In view of this, we would welcome your commitment to meet with the signatories of this letter at our next meeting in October 2026.

“In the Creative Industries Sector Plan in the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, the Culture Secretary’s Ministerial foreword states: ‘By 2035, the UK will be recognised as the best place in the world to make and invest in film and TV, video games, music, performing and visual arts, and advertising and marketing.’ Against the backdrop of this government’s stated aim, we ask the government to recognise that high job quality cannot coexist with high workplace injury rates and acknowledge the strong and clear alignment between these policy ambitions and the need for further robust, solution-led work to reduce the occurrence of workplace injury in this sector.

“It is incumbent upon all stakeholders to recognise that the safety and welfare of our workforce is fundamental to safeguarding the world-class product that the British stage and screen sectors offer. We have called upon our industry to meet this moment and demonstrate a united front in calling for action to improve the safety of working conditions. We now call on this government to support us in making this action a reality.

“Signed,
 

“Tome Levi
Director IPC
 

Alexander Nicoll
Head of Media & Entertainment – Active Media Active Underwriting Specialists Ltd
 

Abbi Collins
Chair
Mark Milsome Foundation
 

Donna French
Council Co-chair
Personal Managers’ Association
 

Kevin Brady
Council Co-chair
Personal Managers’ Association
 

Matthew Hill
Chief Executive
Chartered Insurance Institute
 

Pippa Stone
Head of Media and Entertainment
Markel International Insurance Company Ltd
 

Andra Milsome
Founder
Mark Milsome Foundation
 

Charlotte Knight
Council Co-chair
Personal Managers’ Association
 

Jen Smith
CEO
Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA)
 

Philippa Childs
Head of Bectu Bectu
Matt Hood
Managing Director Spotlight
 

Kelly Valentine Hendry
Owner
KVH Casting
 

Fiona Williams
Council Co-chair
Personal Managers’ Association
 

Paul Hillier
Director Tysers”

Rhodri Talfan Davies, Interim Director General for the BBC, recently revealed that the organisation is planning to cut between 1,800 and 2,000 jobs. Philippa Childs, Head of the union Bectu, stated: “Cuts of this magnitude will be devastating for the workforce and to the BBC as a whole.” Discover more here.