Volunteers and Interns on Film Sets: Worth the Risk? (Canada)

Work comp (WC) coverage provides medical costs, rehab costs, loss of future earnings and most importantly, once the injured employee accepts the WC benefits, they waive the right to sue their employer.

Work comp and interns information for BC

WorkSafeBC will not provide WC coverage to unpaid interns or volunteers; there are no wages to base loss of future earnings on.

Work comp and interns information for other provinces/states

Productions should consult with their respective provincial workers compensation boards to see if certain job classifications can be covered.

We suggest that you have the intern sign a waiver acknowledging the inherent dangers of a film set. A sample waiver can be obtained from your lawyer.

We can provide you with an accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) policy for $75 per volunteer (cost subject to change) that will pay a cash settlement for a specific list of injuries ($50,000 for loss of eye, $100,000 for loss of leg, etc.); although, this in no way replaces WC. The injured intern could still sue the employer. For this reason, we would recommend against hiring a volunteer. Your film insurance does not provide work comp benefits for interns and volunteers.

Let us know if you would like us to send you an AD&D application. We need to know the name, nationality and dates of work for each of the volunteers.

Podcast credit: The CineVic Podcast

About: Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc. is an independent insurance broker that specializes in the entertainment industry – specifically, the film industry. Front Row works hard to provide insurance protection for a very low cost. Should a claim occur, Front Row works diligently with clients and insurers to expedite the payment.

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