After the death of a camerawoman during a film shoot with Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin, a US agency for occupational safety and health has imposed a large fine for lack of safety on set. The producers of the western “Rust” have to pay almost 137,000 dollars (about 126,000 euros), as announced by the authorities in Santa Fe in the US state of New Mexico.
A month-long investigation brought violations of safety requirements to light, it said. The authority accuses the producers of disregarding safety protocols for the use of weapons. For example, there should never have been “live ammunition” at the location or a weapon should have been pointed at a person, the investigation report said. The “tragic incident” could have been avoided.
During the shooting of the low-budget western “Rust” on a film ranch in Santa Fe, chief camerawoman Halyna Hutchins, 42, was fatally injured and director Joel Souza was hit in the shoulder. Baldwin, who served as lead actor and producer on the film, had used the gun in rehearsal for one scene. Investigations revealed that the Colt had a real bullet lodged in it. Police investigations into how this happened are ongoing. It is also being investigated whether Baldwin is partly to blame.