Production Guidance

There are currently no COVID-19 restrictions in the UK. The UK Government state that if you have COVID-19 you should try to stay home. However, there are no legal requirements to do this. The Government’s current position on COVID-19 and information can be found here.

Producers may use the COVID-19 production guidance below when conducting any production risk assessments. We would like to remind members that these documents provide guidance only. Each production must be assessed on the basis of its own unique circumstances and appropriate protocols should be created for the production accordingly.

COVID Production Guidance
- Production: Living with COVID Guidance (published 28th March 2022).
  
  Pact, ITV, BBC, Sky, Channel 4, Channel 5, STV, ITN, and the Association for Commercial Broadcasters and On-Demand Services (COBA) joined forces to introduce new industry wide guidelines for producing television safely during the Coronavirus pandemic.
  
  The latest version of the guidance is the Living with COVID Guidance (published 28th March 2022), which can be downloaded here.
- BFC high-end TV & film production guidance (Last updated 28th March 2022)
  
  The BFC document is intended to provide high-level guidance to manage COVID-19 specific risk in producing film and high-end TV drama in the UK. In the case of high-end TV drama productions, the BFC guidance should be considered alongside the broadcaster guidance above.
  
  The BFC guidance document can be downloaded here.
- Testing on Productions
  
  First Option Safety Consultants have published an online tool designed to help you navigate the complexities of workplace COVID-19 testing. It's not just a question of 'which test', there are legal complexities relating to COVID-19 testing too. As you answer the questions, the tool will give you your options.
  
  Visit the tool here.
- UK Screen Alliance post-production guidance
  
  This guidance has now been withdrawn. Read more here.
- Close Contact Cohorts and increased screening for COVID-19 - protocol for TV production
  
  This is a historic document but may be relevant when considering how to mitigate risk amongst those who work very closely together. The document can be downloaded here.
- Pact COVID-19 Production Restart Bible
  
  The Pact COVID-19 Production Restart Bible was first published in 2020 to help producers to prepare and deal with the implications of COVID-19 on their productions and/or businesses.
  
  This is a historic document but may be relevant when considering how to mitigate risk. Download the COVID-19 Production Restart Bible via the Resource Library here.
- COVID guidance note: Pact Equity TV Agreement (published on Thursday 15th October 2020)
  
  With Equity we have compiled guidance in relation to TV productions filming during COVID. The document sets out those terms agreed between our organisations in relation to self-isolation, testing and force majeure.
  
  You can download the guidance note from the Pact Resource Library here.
- Government Guidance
  
  All film and TV industry guidance should also be read in conjunction with the latest UK Government guidance. Productions based in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales should additionally check for relevant devolved Government guidance, as it may differ.
  
  On 1st April 2022 the UK Government published guidance for employers: Public health principles for reducing the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19, in the workplace.
- International travel guidance
  
  Those travelling abroad from England may want to check the Government's guidance, which can be found here.
  
  On the Pact Growth Accelerator*, Pact members can find guidance documents from 40+ territories explaining the situation for production in different countries and how to create production protocols using the relevant guidelines. Whilst we are regularly updating the information on this page, it is advisable to double check the latest COVID guidance information on the Government website of any country you are planning to visit.
  
  *Not registered on the Pact Growth Accelerator? It's our tailor-made online tool, free and exclusively available for Pact members. All you have to do to start using it is register here.

Should you have any queries relating to any of the industry guidance that has been published to date, please contact Pact’s legal and business affairs team by emailing Weronika Kurzynska: weronika@pact.co.uk.