'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Production Company Pleads Guilty
"The British film industry has a world-renowned reputation for making exceptional films. Managing on-set risks in a sensible and proportionate way for all actors and staff – regardless of their celebrity status – is vital to protecting both on-screen and off-screen talent, as well as protecting the reputation of the industry," an HSE spokesman said July 26.
Foodles Production (UK) Ltd pleaded guilty July 26 to failing to protect actors and workers following a 2014 incident in which actor Harrison Ford was injured during the filming of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" at London's Pinewood Studios. Foodles Production (UK) Ltd is based in London and pleaded guilty to two charges in a Magistrates Court, the Health and Safety Executive reported.
HSE announced four charges in the case in February 2016, reporting then that Ford suffered a broken leg and other injuries when he was hit by a heavy hydraulic metal door on the set June 12, 2014. The company was charged for allegedly violating Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
"During the filming of Star Wars Episode Seven: The Force Awakens, the actor Harrison Ford was badly injured after he became trapped under a rapidly closing metal-framed door. The power of the door's drive system was comparable to the weight of a small car. This was a foreseeable incident. Foodles Production (UK) Ltd has accepted it failed to protect actors and staff, and HSE welcomes the firm's guilty plea," an HSE spokesman said July 26. "Every employer in every industry has a legal duty to manage risks in the workplace. Risks are part and parcel of everyday life, and this is acknowledged by health and safety law – but they still need to be identified and managed in a proportionate way. The British film industry has a world-renowned reputation for making exceptional films. Managing on-set risks in a sensible and proportionate way for all actors and staff – regardless of their celebrity status – is vital to protecting both on-screen and off-screen talent, as well as protecting the reputation of the industry."