‘I fell asleep driving around London’: TV workers on fear, danger and fatalities in an industry in crisis

Car accidents caused by tired, overstretched crew nodding off happen frequently and are often unreported.

Exhaustion is also leading to burnout and accidents on set, with one source alleging a Netflix production recorded almost 50 incidents.

Rico Priem a crew member on emergency services drama 9-1-1 died after suffering a heart attack following two consecutive 14-hour overnight shifts.

The freelance nature of the industry exacerbates the issue in that many TV shows are made by independent production companies.

Many series are shot on multiple locations and crews are not always put up in hotels by the production.

Power imbalances are also a factor, with one source saying: 'If you’re important to them on the production, they’ll bend over backwards and give you what you want'.

The Mark Milsome Foundation created following the death of a cameraman while filming a night -time car stunt for BBC/Netflix drama Black Earth Rising .

The foundation wants the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act to be reviewed as it is out of date with the way people work in the freelance and gig economy.