The makers of Star Wars: The Force Awakens have been sentenced after failing to protect the actors and workers while on set during filming at Pinewood Studio, Slough, Buckinghamshire. Harrison Ford suffered a broken leg and deep lacerations when he was knocked off his feet and pinned to the floor of the Millennium Falcon set, as a prop door closed on him. HSE’s investigation found that there was no automatic emergency cut off, to protect those on set, instead relying on the reactions of the prop operator(s) to bring the door to a stop. Aylesbury Crown Court heard how a combination of preventable events, starting with how the door was designed, led to the incident.

In 2013, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust (Sloven) failed to protect patients in the Short Term Assessment and Treatment Unit, Headington, Oxford. Connor Sparrowhawk lost his life when he was left to bath alone despite a diagnosis of epilepsy. 

During dress rehearsals on the 12 June 2014 Harrison Ford walked back towards the entrance ramp of the Millennium Falcon and pressed the prop door button to ‘close’ the door. As the cameras were not rolling he did not expect it to close. The production crew member who was operating the prop believed they were in full rehearsal and closed the door. The door’s steel frame was overlaid with sheets of metal and had a tapered edge. It’s operation moved from ceiling to floor in a sharp downward motion. It did not have any automated safety mechanisms to cut out if a person was unexpectedly under the door.

On 4 July 2013, Connor went to have a bath. He didn’t expect to drown. Staff on duty didn’t think about his safety. There was no leadership from Sloven, both locally and at executive level, which meant the recently taken over unit was unsafe.

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.

The risk of seizure activity had been highlighted by Connor’s mother and wider longstanding health and safety failures by Mike Holder. Sloven should have put systems in place to ensure patients were protected. A different system with robust safety procedures would have guarded against any possible miscommuncation in a small unit.

Foodles Production (UK) Ltd, who had pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to Section 2 and Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, were today fined £1.6 million and ordered to pay costs of £20,861.22 at Aylesbury Crown Court. 

Sloven have consistently tried to wriggle out of any accountability, blame Connor’s mother and ride the waves of executive level corruption over £millions wasted on nonsense training by an organisation led by the then CEO’s mate. 

HSE’s Divisional Director Tim Galloway said: “This incident was foreseeable and preventable and could have resulted in more serious injury or even death. The power and speed of the door was such that, had Mr Ford or anyone else had been struck on the head by the door as it closed, they might easily have been killed. It was only the almost instantaneous actions of the prop operator in hitting the emergency stop that prevented the door from continuing to press down on Mr Ford as he lay on the floor. I think everyone would accept that all the people who work in the film industry have a right to know that the risks they take to entertain us, including when making action movies, are properly managed and controlled.

End.

There has been no statement, report or court case about LB’s death. His death. There was no ‘might’ about what happened to him. No over sensationalised, dramatic rehash of what (nearly) happened with photos. He died a year before Harrison Ford’s knee injury.

The HSE, like the GMC and NMC, clearly have no interest in swift, efficient and timely investigations into the death of a young man with his life ahead of him. LB ain’t no Han Solo. Well, he aint human in the eyes of these organisations. But Harrison Ford is more so. As this salacious guff  highlights.

There is no whiff of respect, dignity, care or humanity around the deaths of LB, Danny, Edward, Adam, Thomas, Sarah, Nico and others. Along with complete disregard for their families. We are simply ignored, dismissed, bullied, battered and, I suspect, despised.

I’ve given up asking, pleading, demanding, raging or expecting any action. Here’s a selection of words. Please order them in any way you choose. Or don’t bother.

Bunch. Jot. Among. Fuckers. Sad. You. You. Of. Of. Self serving. Integrity. With. Among. No.