Responsible person for all workplace safety regulations on set — stunts, rigs, heights, pyrotechnics included. Safety stops production, not the director.
On set, it's not the director who decides when things get dangerous – that's the Safety Officer. This position is not an administrative runner function, but a technical and legal authority with absolute stop authority. The Safety Officer controls every aspect that could injure people: stunts, pyrotechnics, shooting at heights, electrical installations, vehicle movements, rigging, even the stability of set pieces. When the Safety says stop, everything stops – regardless of how expensive the scene is or how much the producer is pushing.
In practice, this means: The Safety Officer works closely with the Gaffer (electrical safety), with the Stunt Coordinator (choreography of dangerous movements), with the Production Designer (stability of structures). He inspects the set in the morning before the first crew member arrives. For high-risk stunts – fire falls, explosions, heights over three meters – the Safety Officer requests additional safety equipment and often records the shoot himself to be able to reconstruct the sequence of events in case of an accident. This is not patronizing, it is legal protection: for talent, for crew, for production.
What many underestimate: The Safety Officer also writes risk analyses. The calculation works like this: a complex scene is planned, the Safety Officer creates a document that records: What is the risk? How is it minimized? What equipment/insurance is necessary? This document protects everyone involved. Liability insurers will only accept damages if proper safety documentation is available. Without it, the production company pays out of its own pocket in case of damage.
On set, the work differs depending on the size of the production. For large productions, Safety is a full-time position or even a department. For smaller TV shoots, the Production Manager can take over this function, but must then exercise the same diligence. As a cinematographer, you never need to see the Safety Officer as an adversary – he also protects you from negligent claims. If something goes wrong and you should have to testify afterward, the documented safety concept is your best proof that you did nothing negligently.