Mary Lawrence advises ITV as it joins forces with UK broadcasters to introduce guidelines for producing TV safely during Covid-19

The guidelines are intended to enable a return to production for the television industry. Mary leads Osborne Clarke’s health and safety practice. She advises a range of organisations, both in the media and other sectors, on health and safety principles at work. 

Osborne Clarke Partner Mary Lawrence has advised ITV as it join forces with the BBC, Sky, Channel 4, Channel 5, STV, ITN, the Association for Commercial Broadcasters and On-Demand Services (COBA) and Pact to introduce new industry wide guidelines for producing television safely in the weeks and months ahead.

This guidance covers the broad range and scale of all TV programme-making in every genre for TV. The full guidance can be found on ITV's website.

In the new guidelines, the number one priority remains the safety and well-being of production teams and those who work with them. The guidance has taken careful note of the recent government advice on the safe return to work. The expectation is that the guidance will evolve over the coming months as the lockdown is eased, as government advice evolves and as TV productions adapt to the new challenges posed by the Covid-19 risk and provide a framework the entire industry can work within.

The guidance has been produced through a collaboration of cross industry experts in this area along with external expertise. In addition to Mary, ITV were also advised by Dr Paul Litchfield CBE and worked closely with ITV's operational risk director, Ruth Denyer. The broadcasters also worked with First Option, safety consultants to the media and entertainment industry, to devise this approach as well as liaising with union representatives and the Health and Safety Executive.

Mary is available to speak to the media about how these measures were decided upon and how they may be used and adapted in other sectors. Please contact Chris Bond or Katy Saunders in the PR team for more information.