The force awakens and admits to Star Wars safety breach
Posted On: Jul. 26, 2016 12:00 AM CST
Walt Disney Co.-owned Foodles Production Ltd., the production company responsible for working on the U.K. set of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” admitted to health and safety breaches following an accident that crushed actor Harrison Ford's leg.
Mr. Ford was pinned by a hydraulic door on the set of the Millennium Falcon spaceship during filming at Pinewood Studies outside London on June 12, 2014, and Mr. Ford was airlifted to a nearby hospital following the accident.
Mr. Ford, who was 71 at the time, was reprising his iconic role as Han Solo, and could have been killed, according to court testimony, which compared to accident to the force of being hit by a small car.
Foodles pleaded guilty to one count under section two of the U.K. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, relating to a breach of duty in relation to employees, and a second under section three, a breach over people not employed by the company.
The company will be sentenced on Aug. 22 at Aylesbury crown court.
“The British film industry has a world-renowned reputation for making exceptional films,” a representative for the government's Health and Safety Executive said in a statement. “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.”