IATSE Safety Hotline

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees has launched its safety hotline program for members to report hazards on the job.

The nature of IATSE members’ entertainment-industry jobs means working for many different employers. As the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) puts the responsibility of reporting hazards on the employers, the IATSE Safety Hotline is meant as a safety net for when the employers’ reporting plan breaks down.

 “We remain committed to doing everything possible to keep our members safe and healthy at work,” said IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb. “This new hotline is another measure supporting that all-important commitment.”

 When a member calls the IATSE Safety Hotline (Toll free: 844-IA AWARE, 844-422-9273), the caller can either leave a message for or talk to a safety representative who will begin handling the issue. Depending on the circumstances, the safety representative will contact the Local’s representative and assist them with the issue, or call the employer directly.

 The IATSE Safety Hotline is not intended to take the place of an employer’s hazard reporting plan, or to relieve the employer from their responsibility to keep jobs safe. The “General Duty Clause” in the OSH Act requires the employer to provide a safe place to work. Part of the IATSE’s mission is to assist the employer with making the workplace safer.

 In its 2015 2nd quarter issue of The Official Bulletin, the IATSE provides more details on the safety hotline along with guidelines that members can follow if they discover a hazardous situation at work, and the employer reporting plan has broken down.

 Safety is one of the pillars that the IATSE is built on. Through training, safety committees, safety programs, and participating in standards writing, the IATSE International leadership is committed to making the jobs members show up for daily as safe as possible.