The Disney owned production company, Foodles Production (UK) Ltd have been fined £1.6 million over an incident on the set of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, that broke actor Harrison Fords leg.
In June 2014, the actor was struck by a hydraulic door on the set of the Millennium Falcon, which pinned him to the ground by his pelvis. It was the fast reaction of a prop operator hitting the emergency stop button for the door that prevented the door from continuing to crush Mr. Ford.
The actor sustained a broken leg and deep lacerations, and had to be airlifted to hospital following the incident for surgery.
On investigation it was found that the production company, despite having carried out a risk assessment for the hydraulic door, had failed to communicate these risks to the actor.
Judge Francis Sheridan stated: ''The greatest failing of all on behalf of the company is a lack of communication, a lack because, if you have a risk assessment and you do not communicate it, what is the point of having one? That is the most serious breach here. If only they had included Mr Ford in all the discussions, he might have at least been alert to the dangers that he had to avoid.''
The production company pleaded guilty to breaches under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
Following the verdict, the Health and Safety Executive commented: ''The risk of the door causing a serious injury or death had been highlighted by one of the health and safety officers for the production company. Foodles Production (UK) Ltd should have put a system in place to ensure the actors and production workers were protected. A different design with inbuilt safety features or using a different material could have guarded against any possible miscommunication on a busy film set.''
Foodles Production (UK) Ltd were Han-ded a not Solo fine of £1.6 million and ordered to pay costs of £20,861.22.
