Following an investigation into the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, the production behind the ill-fated Alec Baldwin film Rust has been hit with the maximum fine for the unsafe working conditions. The New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau spent six months looking into the circumstances that led to Hutchins’ death after a gun held by Baldwin went off during a rehearsal. (The actor has claimed that he didn’t pull the trigger.) Somehow, a live round was in the chamber, which never should have been the case, and it led to the production getting hit with the highest possible fine.
Via Deadline:
“While the film industry has clear national guidelines for firearms safety, Rust Movie Productions, LLC failed to follow these guidelines or take other effective measures to protect workers. Rust Movie Productions, LLC’s documents indicate that it would follow the Industry Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee’s Safety Bulletin #1, ‘Recommendations for Safety With Firearms and Use of Blank Ammunition,’ but failed to adhere to these guidelines on set. The guidelines require live ammunition ‘never to be used nor brought onto any studio lot or stage,’ that safety meetings take place every day when firearms are being handled, and that employees ‘refrain from pointing a firearm at anyone’ except after consultation with the Property Master, Armorer or other safety representative, such as the First Assistant Director. By failing to follow these practices, an avoidable loss of life occurred.”
Baldwin is currently facing litigation for the shooting incident, which has led to a tense back and forth between himself and Hutchins’ husband. Baldwin has also claimed that his contract for the film absolves him from liability for Hutchins’ death because he was not responsible for hiring decisions, specifically, in the case of the film’s armorer, who was in charge of firearm safety on set.
(Via Deadline)