The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has fined Stalwart Films, which films "The Walking Dead" in Georgia, after a stuntman died for failing to protect employees from fall hazards while filming the television show, The Walking Dead.”
OSHA fined Stalwart $12,675 for what it called "the company's failure to provide adequate protection from fall hazards."
John Bernecker died in July 2017 from head injuries when fell about 30 feet to a concrete floor.
OSHA investigated Stalwart's filming location in Senoia after Bernecker's death.
OSHA said Stalwart exposed employees to fall hazards while performing stunts from an elevated platform. Among the measures OSHA said Stalwart should have implemented were reducing stunt fall distances to minimum required levels; using a freefall catching system; providing “an adequate number of spotters” with crash pads; and employing an independent safety specialist.
“This tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for the entertainment industry,” said OSHA Atlanta Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer. “The entire industry needs to commit to safety practices for actors and stunt people involved in this type of work.”
Bernecker was a veteran stuntman with many film and television credits in his background including recent local work in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, 24: Legacy, The War With Grandpa, The Fate of the Furious, Black Panther, Rampage, and Escape Plan 2: Hades.
