In film and television, the work of a safety officer hides in plain sight. When a stunt lands, when a bear shuffles into frame without incident, when a helicopter arcs across a mountain valley and no one flinches, what you are witnessing is the quiet architecture of risk managed well. Few people understand this better than Frith O’Hagan of GFS Risk and an early advocate for embedding safety into the everyday life of a production.

From Nursing to Production Risk: The Instincts That Transfer

O’Hagan began her career not on set, but on the wards. Having trained as a nurse, she worked in emergency rooms, fracture clinics, and oncology units. “You use your nursing skills every day in production risk,” she says. The habits of calm assessment, of treating crises without drama, have never left her. When she transitioned into production services in the early 2000s, she found herself carrying those instincts into new terrain.

The Moment That Changed Everything

O’Hagan recalls working on a tropical island, where a young crew member suffered a significant medical event the day after arriving on location. She knew the ambulances didn’t reach that far, so the safety team bundled her into a vehicle and drove to the local hospital where it became clear she would need to be transferred to a larger facility. O’Hagan turned to the producer and said it was time to activate their production insurance. He admitted he didn’t have the policy details with him.

Drawing on her nurse’s training, she kept her focus, before pulling out her phone and calling GFS’s insurer. Within minutes, a medevac jet was on standby. The experience crystallised something for her: even the best-prepared productions can be tested by pressure, and when they are, the ability to access critical details instantly, in one place, and on any device, can be life-saving. It is this realisation that underpins her advocacy for systems like SetConnect.

“The true test of any system is whether it holds under pressure.”

Risk Management as Culture, Not Compliance

That moment became a turning point. What began as a career in healthcare evolved into a vocation in risk assessment and safety services for screen production, where the same principles of preparation and calm intervention could mean the difference between disruption and continuity, between a near miss and a tragedy.

Today, O’Hagan describes her work as a matter of presence and trust. “A safe set,” she says, “is one where the responsible person ensures everyone comes to work and goes home safe at night,” and that responsibility scales with the size of the show. On a small production, the responsible person may be the director or producer. On large productions, specialist safety officers, including riggers, climbers, or medics, must be woven into the crew without creating an “us and them” divide. Universal access to the same information is key. With a centralized system like SetConnect, the safety lead, the producer, and the grip on the ground are all working from the same page. 

Trust, in her view, is built not through authority but through competence, and shared access ensures that competence is visible to everyone. The rigging expert calmly checking a cameraman’s harness, the animal handler explaining how a hot-wire enclosure will function, the understated safety consultant who has quietly spent decades keeping people safe and focussed, when they’re on your sets, “You can see the crew relax. Faces soften. They can focus on their jobs because they know someone has their back.”

Why Systems Like SetConnect Matter

It’s why O’Hagan is a champion of systems like SetConnect, which consolidate the chaos of paper, WhatsApp threads, and scattered files into a single operating picture.

“With SetConnect, everyone has the briefing in their hand,” she explains. “You know who has read it. You know who is on set. Communication doesn’t vanish into a chat history.”

The result is not simply efficiency but equality: a shared baseline of information that makes crew feel informed, respected, and responsible.

The Rhythm of Safe Sets

O’Hagan’s philosophy is disarmingly simple: “Be professional, be kind, make sure everyone goes home safe.”

Yet in practice, it requires orchestration: the morning briefings targeted enough to matter, the contingency plans layered without fuss, the quiet vigilance of safety consultants who scan for hazards while blending into the crew. She likens it to habit-building. Productions that normalise consistent reporting and communication create not only safer sets but smoother ones.

“It’s not about adding a system. It’s about removing friction.”

The Fastest Wins Are Often the Simplest

In an industry that measures success in days saved and reputations protected, O’Hagan’s presence is both pragmatic and philosophical. She has seen grumpy crews, old-school cultures, and the accidents that follow from neglect. But she has also seen how quickly attitudes shift when safety is delivered with clarity and care.

“The fastest win,” she insists, “is often the simplest: keep the essentials effortless, keep the oversight live.”

Explore how SetConnect works →

Every production wants a safe set. No one shows up hoping to cut corners or see someone get hurt. And yet, even with the best intentions, smart people, and carefully planned processes, safety steps can get lost in the pace and pressure of a shoot.

At GFS, we’ve spent decades supporting productions of every size across multiple countries, crew cultures, and working conditions. We’ve seen first-hand how safety systems succeed, and where they can quietly slip out of sight. And we’ve baked these insights into SetConnect.

But technology on its own isn’t enough. Consistent, meaningful use (especially under pressure) comes from something deeper: making safety part of the everyday flow.

That’s what this guide is for.

It’s written for production leads, HODs, safety managers, and anyone else responsible for keeping teams aligned and protected. It looks at the most common reasons safety systems can be overlooked, how to identify them and what you can do to make safety a priority on your set without slowing things down.

Let’s begin.

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1. Safety feels like admin, not day-to-day support

When safety steps are seen mainly as paperwork or compliance, their value to daily work can get lost.

What you might notice on set: Light-hearted jokes during inductions, people jumping ahead to get back to the day’s tasks, forms left for later.

Try this: Reframe safety as crew care and operational clarity.

• Use empathetic, competence-affirming language
• Show how safety tools help work run more smoothly
• Highlight peer-protection (“We do this so other people don’t get blindsided”)

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2. People follow people, not policies

On-set habits are often shaped by what influential crew members do day-to-day.

What you might notice on set: Crew taking their cue from HODs; updates being skipped if they aren’t mentioned in the morning round-up; quiet uncertainty about whether anyone’s using the tool.

Try this: Make visible adoption the norm.

• Have respected crew use SetConnect in front of others
• Use casual prompts: “I just scanned in” or “Check the update in SetConnect”
• Build it into briefings so it’s part of the routine

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3. Today’s problems feel more urgent than tomorrow’s risks

When the focus is on solving what’s in front of you, like gear delays, location changes or wardrobe fixes, longer-term risk checks can drop down the list.

What you might notice on set: Someone meaning to scan in “once this is sorted,” updates read later in the day, sign-ins postponed while a scene is reset.

Try this: Reduce decision friction and use hot triggers.

• Make the first step quick: “just scan this” instead of “open the app…”
• Place QR codes where crew already pass through
• Add prompts to call sheets or morning notes

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4. Too many tools can create decision fatigue

Even the most useful platform can get lost if it feels like one more thing to check in a sea of other systems.

What you might notice on set: “Which one do we use for that?”; reverting to familiar channels like WhatsApp; forgetting to check an app if it’s not already part of the workflow.

Try this: Make SetConnect the easiest path.

• Integrate it into what already happens on set
• Keep the interface clean and task-focused
• Use consistent language: “This is where you sign in and get updates”

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5. Shared responsibility can sometimes mean no one takes the lead

When something is “for everyone to do,” it can be easy for it to slip between the cracks without anyone realizing.

What you might notice on set: Safety steps assumed to be handled by “someone else”; no clear follow-up if a team hasn’t signed in; uncertainty over who’s prompting updates.

Try this: Create clear ownership touchpoints.

• Ask each HOD to keep their team signed in and updated
• Use messaging like: “Help your team stay safe, get them signed in.”
• Reinforce: “This only works if we’re all in it”

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6. Effort doesn’t feel acknowledged

When people don’t see the impact of their actions, it’s easy for the habit to fade.

What you might notice on set: High engagement at the start, tapering over time; fewer hazard reports after the first few days; wondering if anyone’s reading the updates.

Try this: Celebrate early adoption and visible impact.

• Thank teams who flag hazards
• Share positive usage stats: “100% sign-ins this week. Thank you!”
• Tell stories of avoided delays or solved problems thanks to early reporting

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7. Familiar habits are comfortable

When a way of working has been reliable for years, new processes can take time to feel natural.

What you might notice on set: Sticking to paper forms, relying on verbal updates, light comments like “I’ve always done it this way.”

Try this: Pair familiar practices with new benefits.

• Show how existing routines fit into the new routines
• Get respected, experienced crew to model it
• Highlight before-and-after time savings or clarity gains

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8. Speaking up can feel risky

Even with a supportive culture, people may hesitate to report issues for fear of creating friction or slowing things down.

What you might notice on set: Hazards mentioned informally to a peer but not logged; low numbers of formal reports despite visible issues.

Try this: Normalize and value hazard reporting.

• Have senior crew submit a report in front of the team
• Thank people openly for flagging issues, e.g. “We avoided a trip hazard thanks to the Camera team flagging it in the app”

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California is about to reshape how safety is managed on set.

As of July 2025, any production receiving the Film & Television Tax Credit 4.0 must comply with the Safety on Productions Pilot Program (SPPP). It’s a first-of-its-kind, state-mandated framework for managing on-set risk requiring an independent, full-time Safety Advisor and the digitising of core safety workflows.

For producers, this brings new responsibilities and, if compliance slips, new risks. Here’s what you need to know, and how SetConnect can help.

What is the SPPP?

Who’s Eligible?

You are, if you’re claiming the California tax credit and meet the following thresholds:

Minimum Budget:

• $1 million+ per project or episode (features, pilots, new or relocating series)
• Independent productions must stay under $10 million total to qualify

Ineligible:

• Reality, documentary, current affairs, student films, and variety shows
• Productions also claiming the Soundstage Construction Program in the same year (unless specifically exempt)

What the Law Says (in plain terms)

Here’s what SB 132 actually requires from your production team:

• Hire or assign a safety advisor to perform risk assessments in consultation with department heads.
• The advisor retains autonomy to address risk, including authority to halt production.
• The advisor shall prepare and submit a final safety evaluation within 60 days of wrap.
• All risk assessments must be electronically accessible to performers, crew, and union reps upon request.

What This Means for Producers

Put simply, this is no longer a check-the-box exercise. The SPPP creates a daily, on-record obligation that will be actively reviewed by regulators and potentially audited. Producers now face:

• Increased documentation and oversight
• New reporting timelines and formats
• A need for transparency across departments and stakeholders
• Legal exposure if safety documentation is incomplete or inaccessible

Trying to manage all of this through spreadsheets, shared drives, or emails isn’t just inefficient, it’s risky.

How SetConnect Closes the Compliance Gap

SetConnect is the only on-set safety platform purpose-built for productions. We work hand-in-hand with safety professionals to help you meet your obligations under the SPPP without disrupting the pace of your shoot.

1. Built for the Safety Advisor’s Workflow

The SPPP centers the role of the Safety Advisor. SetConnect gives them the tools to:

• Log and distribute daily safety meeting notes
• Create and update risk and hazard assessments
• Capture stop-work decisions with justification and timestamps
• Track safety activity across departments, units, or locations

2. Post-Wrap Reporting Made Easy

Productions must now submit a final safety evaluation within 60 days of wrap. With SetConnect, safety data is already logged, timestamped, and linked, so your final report is audit-ready, without the scramble.

3. Secure Sharing & Labor Transparency

SB 132 mandates electronic access to all safety documents for crew and labor organizations. SetConnect supports:

• Role-based access for cast, crew, and unions
• Real-time mobile access on set
• Full audit trails and version history
• Secure document controls to meet compliance and privacy standards

4. One Platform. No Guesswork.

Producers face overlapping requirements: Cal/OSHA, firearm safety logs, union transparency, advisor qualifications. SetConnect helps you centralize it all:

• Track Safety Advisor credentials
• Standardize forms and reporting
• Reduce admin time and liability risk

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California’s new safety standards are serious, and for producers, they’re unavoidable. But with the right infrastructure, they don’t have to slow you down.

SetConnect gives your team the visibility, tools, and documentation needed to meet SPPP obligations with confidence.

Whether you’re prepping a pilot, running a high-risk day, or wrapping a multi-episode series, we’re here to support you and your Safety Advisor every step of the way.

Need help planning your next shoot?

Explore how SetConnect helps crews act on what they already know.

On any given day, a production set operates like a living system: shifting, adapting, moving fast. What keeps it running isn’t just creative talent or technical skill, it’s real-time coordination. And in that environment, safety can’t afford to lag behind.

What we’re seeing across high-performing sets isn’t just a shift in tools, but a shift in mindset. The best crews aren’t just complying with safety protocols, they’re integrating them seamlessly into their workflow. That’s only possible when the information they need is clear, current, and accessible from anywhere.

Mobile-first systems don’t just speed things up. They reframe how safety functions. A rigger can flag a live hazard from their phone while walking the perimeter. A new cast member can self-complete their induction before stepping on set. A location change or weather alert can trigger an update that hits everyone’s device in seconds.

These aren’t edge cases, they’re now standard expectations. Just as crews expect real-time call sheet changes or cloud-based script updates, they expect safety to be just as responsive.

We’ve watched productions use SetConnect to simplify what used to take hours. Inductions that once involved printers and clipboards now take minutes. Risk assessments and safety briefs stay live and visible. No bottlenecks. No gaps. No missed handovers.

The takeaway isn’t just that mobile matters, it’s that modern crews work better when safety is treated with the same urgency, fluidity, and respect as the rest of production.

SetConnect was built for exactly that: a faster, clearer, crew-first approach to safety.

Explore how SetConnect helps crews act on what they already know.

There’s a story Matt Damon tells about having dinner with Tom Cruise. They were talking about the Mission: Impossible stunt where Cruise runs down the side of a skyscraper. Damon, who’s afraid of heights, asked him how he pulled it off.

Cruise, laser-focused, explained that he’d been dreaming about that shot for fifteen years. When he finally had the chance to do it, he pitched it to the safety advisor who immediately said, “You can’t do that. It’s too dangerous.”

Cruise’s response? “So I got another safety guy.”

It’s hilarious when Matt Damon tells it, but there’s a lot to be admired in that answer. Cruise didn’t ignore the risk. He didn’t push through recklessly. He simply found someone who could help him figure out how to make it happen safely. That’s the difference. For Cruise, safety’s job wasn’t to say no. It was to help him say yes, wisely.

Because when safety is done right, it doesn’t block the art, it unlocks it.

And when safety works the way it should, that’s what you see. The crane operator whose already checked the harness twice. The stunt team who shave hours off reset time because their rigging protocols are tight. The 1st AD who never has to ask, “Who hasn’t been inducted yet?”

You don’t see chaos. You see clarity. Because when crews have tools that match their pace, safety stops being a distraction. It becomes part of the flow. Issues are raised early. Fixes are fast. No one’s digging through shared folders or chasing paperwork after wrap. They’re already onto the next setup.

This is what productions using SetConnect report time and again. Not just better compliance, but smoother days. Less second-guessing. More shared ownership. More confidence to go bigger, because everyone knows the risks are managed. Not just theoretically, but in practice.

It doesn’t mean there aren’t surprises. It means the team is equipped to handle them.

When safety is embedded into the rhythm of the day, it helps you move, it gives producers confidence, it gives crew autonomy, and it gives the story room to stretch.

Ready to shift from firefighting to flow? Explore how SetConnect can help.

Producers know the stakes: one incident can ripple across an entire project, delaying schedules, triggering claims, and raising red flags with insurers. And while everyone understands the importance of safety, what often gets overlooked is how it’s documented. That’s often the difference between a smooth claim and a costly dispute.

Behind the scenes, insurance brokers aren’t just looking for whether you had a safety plan. They’re looking for evidence: clear records, time-stamped reports, a traceable chain of action. That’s where most productions fall short. Documents get misplaced. Forms aren’t standardized. Risk assessments are saved locally, or not at all. And when something goes wrong, it’s hard to reconstruct what happened, let alone prove you did the right thing.

The claim process isn’t always as simple as reporting an incident and receiving a payout. Once a claim is lodged, insurers want a detailed account of what occurred, what steps were taken to prevent it, and how the production responded. They examine timing, reporting accuracy, and whether procedures were actually followed. If there’s a gap in the record, it can raise doubt and delay resolution. That’s where the financial risk escalates. A lack of clarity doesn’t just frustrate claims managers. It can compromise your ability to recover losses.

Digital safety systems change that equation. When tools like SetConnect are in place, every hazard report, site induction, and risk review is logged, centralised, and time-stamped. It becomes easy to demonstrate not just that safety was considered, but that it was actively managed. For insurance providers, that level of visibility builds trust. For productions, it strengthens your position in a claim.

We’ve had brokers tell us directly: productions using digital safety platforms are easier to insure. Not only because the risk profile is clearer, but because there’s less ambiguity when something happens. Underwriters hate grey areas. SetConnect helps eliminate them.

The underwriting process is built on risk assessment. Insurers evaluate everything from the complexity of the shoot to the number of locations and crew involved. But increasingly, they also want to see how productions manage that complexity. Are hazards logged in real time? Are risk assessments kept up to date? Can crew access site-specific safety info instantly? Platforms like SetConnect provide that operational transparency. The more structured and auditable your safety approach is, the less likely you are to face delays, escalations, or exclusions when it counts.

That kind of preparedness also resonates with studios and investors alike. As safety regulations evolve, including mandatory advisors in places like California and increasing union oversight globally, productions are under growing pressure to show that safety isn’t just an afterthought. They need to prove it’s part of the production fabric. Not just a binder on a desk, but a live system that adapts in real time.

For producers operating with studio oversight, investor pressure, or tight margins, this isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a strategic asset. Digital safety infrastructure doesn’t just protect your crew, it protects your production’s financial and reputational standing.

Better safety records start with better tools.

Explore how SetConnect can help

There’s a quiet truth on set that rarely gets said out loud: even in the most well-run productions, safety can slip into the background.

Film and TV sets are high-performance environments. They run on precision, momentum, and trust. Every department is balancing competing pressures. The clock is ticking, the schedule is tight, and the creative stakes are high. Everyone’s doing their job at speed, often anticipating problems before they happen. In that context, anything that doesn’t feel directly tied to getting the day made can start to feel peripheral, even when it’s not.

What we hear, again and again, from producers and crew alike, is that safety starts to feel like a parallel process, something outside the rhythm of the shoot. It’s treated as a compliance chore rather than a creative asset. The paperwork is clunky. The protocols feel like a barrier. And even the most diligent teams start cutting corners just to keep up.

This isn’t a case of apathy. It’s a case of misalignment.

When safety tools and workflows don’t reflect the real pace of production, people disengage. And when they disengage, they take shortcuts. Not out of laziness, but out of necessity.

The fix isn’t more rules. It’s better rhythm.

Safety has to move at the same speed as the rest of the set. It has to live in crew’s hands, not buried in a binder or lost in a shared drive. If something’s changed on location, teams need to know right then, not at the next wrap meeting. If a hazard crops up mid-scene, the system should let someone flag it with a tap, not a form. If crew want to be responsible, the tools should let them act, not wait.

This is where the old model breaks down. Traditional systems are designed for record-keeping. But production is about decision-making – it’s live, deliberate and high-stakes. And that means safety needs to be more than documented. It needs to be actionable.

We built SetConnect because we’d lived through the friction ourselves. We knew what it meant to lose an hour chasing signatures. To watch the briefings get looser as the schedule got tighter. To see talented, committed crews stuck with processes that didn’t match the way they worked.

The goal isn’t to make people care more about safety. They already do. The goal is to give them systems that make it easier to act on that care in real time, on the ground, without derailing the day.

Safety doesn’t need to slow you down. In the right hands, it’s what keeps you moving.

Explore how SetConnect helps crews act on what they already know.