Safety gear for crew and talent — helmets, vests, respirators during stunts, pyrotechnics, or hazmat work. Insurance requires documentation.
On set, safety doesn't begin with good intentions, but with PPD — personal protective equipment, standing between talent and camera, and between crew and danger. Whether it's a stunt coordinator, pyrotechnician, or cinematographer next to an explosion: no production today proceeds without documented, correctly worn PPD. The term encompasses helmets, vests, respiratory protection, hearing protection, eye protection, and specialized suits — anything that shields people on location from immediate physical or chemical exposure.
Practice: Who Wears What and When
In stunt direction, PPD is not optional. A stunt performer who falls wears a helmet, spinal protection, and often elbow and knee pads — the camera only sees the take, not the protective vest underneath. For pyrotechnic shots, the pyrotechnician themselves dictates who wears hearing protection and safety glasses; the distance to the explosion determines the protection class. Chemicals on set — fog, artificial blood aerosols, sweat smoke — require respiratory protection for everyone in the immediate vicinity. The difference between a paper mask and an activated carbon filter determines lung protection or placebo.
The critical rule: Every protective measure must be documented. The AD notes who put on which PPD and when, and who took it off. This isn't bureaucracy — it's liability protection. Accidents don't happen when everyone knows everyone was protected. They happen when documentation is missing and questions arise later. I've seen sets where the costume designer had to hide PPD under props because the camera wasn't supposed to show it — that's possible, but the entries in the safety log must still be completed fully.
The practical procedure: Production Safety or the Unit Production Manager conducts an inventory; before each scene with risk, the Department Head (Stunt, Pyro, Effects) checks sizes, wear and tear, and fit. Helmet straps must be snug, not dangling. Respiratory protection must seal properly, not just hang on the chin. Hearing protection only works if inserted correctly — most people don't do this right the first time. A 10-second briefing before the take saves injuries and helps maintain the crew's trust. PPD isn't the glamorous side of filmmaking, but it's the side that lets people see each other on the next set.