Even Jedi have to comply with Health and Safety
The producers of Star Wars Foodles Production (UK) Ltd have pleaded guilty to failing to protect their employees and workers.
The proceedings relate to an incident in which Harrison Ford suffered a broken leg when he was hit by a metal door on the set of the Millennium Falcon in June 2014, during the production of Star Wars The Force Awakens at Pinewood Studios in London.
They were prosecuted by the Health Safety Executive (HSE). A spokesman for HSE said:
“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.
“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.
Under Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 every employer has a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees.
Failure by employers to comply with this duty can result in criminal prosecutions and civil proceedings by injured employees or workers for damages. Employers should make sure they are taking adequate steps to safeguard the health and safety protection of their employees.
If you are an employee who has had an accident at work or an Employer who is seeking advice about your obligations, then please call our Shrewsbury office on 01743 248148 for an initial discussion with our Edmund Coxhead or Ryan Bickham.