Good point, and again I have to point out how cheap a 'tier one' budget production is. The DP (director of photography) is usually behind the camera, or their 2nd is. Whoever is back there is normally protected by a 'protection piece' which is a 4 x 10 piece of 3/4" lexan with a hole cut into it for the lens, which hangs from C stands. The director is usually off to the side, behind a bank of monitors (video village) that capture the images of every camera rolling on the set. The fact that this wasn't the scenario is telling, and I think that these elements not being in place on the set is probably due to budget.
As to your second point, out of state production has been a big thing for years due to tax incentives, and IATSE, which has strong safety protocols. casts a wide net in their jurisdiction, so I wouldn't think there is a direct correlation re: safety / out of state production.. The low budget 'tiers' have always been an issue amongst union members...although they pay crap wages, the hours accrued on a low budget show count the same as a normal production, allowing the worker to earn enough hours to achieve union membership.