IATSE Hires Epidemiologists to Consult on Reopening Procedures

Mon, May 18, 2020 12:21 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)



BOSTON, MA — IATSE announced Monday they have hired a team of three epidemiologists to consult the union on best practices for workers in the entertainment industry to safely return to work. The move comes as workers in all sectors of the industry face unprecedented levels of unemployment as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, and employers look to find a way to resume business.


IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb said, “We want everyone to get back to work as soon as possible, but we need to do it right. We are working with these epidemiologists and employers to create standards that will apply across the board in the US and Canada, so no production or worker is left behind.”


The epidemiologists include:

  • David H. Wegman, M.D., M.P.H., Emeritus Professor of Work Environment at Umass Lowell and Adjunct Professor for the Harvard School of Public Health
  • Letita Davis, ScD, EdM, director of the Occupational Health Surveillance Program (OHSP) in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
  • Gregory R. Wagner, M.D., Adjunct Professor of Environmental Health Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

The nature of the entertainment industry presents unique challenges in a global pandemic. Much of the live event industry is dependent on drawing crowds of people for revenue. And behind the scenes, many workers, like those in Hair and Make-up and Wardrobe departments, must work in extremely close proximity to others to do their jobs. “Creative jobs will require creative measures to come back safely,” said Loeb. “These professionals will help us uncover what those measures should be.”


Click to read their full bios HERE.


If you have difficulty accessing any material on this site, please contact us in writing and we will

work with you to make the information available. You can direct your request to our Webmaster.



All content copyrighted

© 1999 - 2024 ASEPO, Inc
12522 Moorpark St  •  Studio City, CA 91604
Office – 818-506-8173   Fax – 818-769-9438



Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software