“Squid Game: The Challenge” has been under security surveillance following medical incidents on the Netflix series

EXCLUSIVE: Squid Game: The Challenge has been subject to an independent security clearance after the cast members of the Netflix reality series required medical attention during filming.

Britain’s Health and Safety Agency – or HSE as it is commonly known – reminded producers to properly plan for the risk involved in recreating the Korean drama, but ultimately decided that no further action was necessary.

One of the biggest reality TV shows of all time had production responsibilities shared by two British producers: Studio Lambert, creators of The traitorsand The Garden, producer of 24 hours in the emergency room.

HSE contacted the growers after receiving concerns about conditions on the mainland, but would not say who raised those concerns. Deadline understands Studio Lambert and The Garden also report safety incidents to HSE, which is required by UK law.

HSE reviewed the processes on show and closed the case. However, the watchdog reminded producers to “plan well for possible risks” in future filming.

Netflix has confirmed that three of the 456 players are participating Squid Game: The Challenge received medical attention during the filming of “Red Light, Green Light,” in which players must avoid the attention of a menacing robot doll.

Vice, Rolling Stone and Variety were among the publications that detailed problems during filming last month, when a cold snap hit the UK’s Cardington Studios, a former Royal Air Force base in Bedford.

Rolling Stone, which published the first detailed report Squid Game: The Challenge, said the participants were subjected to “inhumane” conditions. Four players recalled a game lasting from two to nine hours in freezing temperatures, with one claiming to have suffered a herniated disc and a torn patellar tendon during production. Another participant claimed to have contracted pneumonia and an ear infection.

One of them described a situation where a woman was “lying on the floor cramping” while other participants remained in place for fear of being eliminated. “It has affected our morale and it is sick. It’s absolutely sick,” the player said.

A spokesperson for Squid Game: The Challenge said last week that “all appropriate security measures” had been taken by the show. In response to questions from Deadline, she issued a new statement: “Netflix, Studio Lambert and The Garden have done everything required by health and safety laws and the HSE has stated that they have reviewed and closed the matter.”

HSE said: “We contacted the program producers after receiving concerns about their recent draws. We reviewed the producers’ responses and decided not to take any further action. We stressed to them the importance of planning well for possible risks in future surveys.

The HSE’s decision cannot prevent certain contestants from filing a lawsuit after players notified Rolling Stone that they were considering legal action. They were not only upset by the circumstances, but also by the feeling that the game was “rigged” to favor social media influencers. Netflix denied this.

Crew Member: Series Wasn’t “Hellscape”

production on Squid Game: The Challenge closed this week and one winner received a cash prize of $4.56 million, the largest in reality television history.

A freelance crew member who declined to speak to Deadline said the show was not the “all scenery” reports make it out to be.

“’Red light, green light’ was unbearably cold, but there was no need to freeze. Participants also practiced running and stretching,” the source said. “With the kind of people being thrown, there’s always going to be people who are likely to have issues with things, especially if you’re flying a really long distance and you’re on the first lap.”

The source said there is an army of welfare workers who are “paid to watch participants sleep.” It is not known exactly how many crew members looked after the players, but a second source said Studio Lambert had a social assistant for each contestant The traitorsthe Peacock and BBC reality series.

The crew member added, “I’ve interacted with cast members at hotels and none of them have expressed any kind of resentment, which is what you’d expect at the end of the day when people have come so close to losing the competition to win. You have no skin in you.”

Studio Lambert and The Garden stopped crew members from speaking to the press after British tabloid The Sun first reported problems during the filming of Red Light, Green Light last month.

Production manager Jo Crawley sent an email to colleagues urging them to be “extra vigilant” when answering calls from unknown numbers. “If anyone receives a call from a member of the press, or is suspected of being a member of the press, please do not comment,” Crawley said in the email.

Netflix, Studio Lambert and The Garden said: “We care deeply about the health of our cast and crew and the quality of this show. Any suggestion that the league is being cheated or allegations of serious harm to players is simply untrue. We have taken all appropriate safety measures, including aftercare for participants – and an independent referee oversees each match to ensure it is fair for everyone.”

Max Goldbart contributed coverage.