It is not the use of a toilet that comes to mind when one thinks of the film industry, but the coronavirus pandemic has changed everything.
The coronavirus forced to paralyze theater, cinema and television in Los Angeles.
Photo:
ETIENNE LAURENT / EFE
The coronavirus pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to Hollywood, paralyzing numerous filming and premieres and generating unemployment in the industry.
However, new opportunities have also emerged as Now the sets are demanding toilets for tasks such as taking the temperature or conducting COVID-19 tests.
As Deadline reports, cinema mecca is preparing to resume filming and that is why they are now looking for employees from the sanitary and cleaning sectors to maintain hygiene and safety measures.
“The training that our members already have makes them exceptionally qualified to handle the situation. They are known as outpatient doctors, but they are all emergency technicians; the majority are paramedics, and a good number are also nurses ”, he explained Thom Davis, director of the International Alliance of Theater Employees, the union that brings together technicians, artisans and also health workers who carry out their work within the entertainment industry, including theater and film and television productions.
"Right now we are doing intense specific training for this virus," Davis added of the additional steps they are taking to be ready in the new reality, which is none other than roll with coronavirus factor present.
In total, this institution has 260 medical specialists in shooting sets.
An environment where until now they used to deal with problems such as injuries, insect bites, hypothermia or respiratory problems, but where they are now preparing to “monitor conditions and equipment, making sure that all safety protocols are strictly adhered to by production and employees ”.
"I think that increases the level of safety in the workplace and I also think it brings a certain level of comfort," Davis said of these new health standards on film.
In this sense, he assured that today no series or movie can be imagined that he plans to film without a doctor present. “During my conversations with union members I have seen that everyone wants to go back to work, but some are a little apprehensive. They are the same as other people: it does not matter if you work on a movie set, in a food store or at a service station. ”
"Thus, by having doctors on set on set, monitoring set conditions, monitoring the team, and ensuring that all protocols are followed by production and employees, the level of safety increases," says Davis, who believes that Having these measures, even if it involves an extra expense, compensates since it makes production have "a much more productive workforce."
It is currently unknown when Hollywood will resume activity, but Nearly a million television and movie workers are estimated to have lost their jobs after declaration of alarm status.
