New Mexico safety regulators on Wednesday issued a maximum possible fine of $137,000 against a film company for gun safety failures on the site of Rust, where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot by actor Alec Baldwin.
New Mexico’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau said Rust Movie Productions must pay $136,793 and delivered a scathing report on the company.
The company “knew that firearm safety procedures were not being followed on set” and “demonstrated plain indifference to employee safety”, a report into Hutchins's death said.
Hutchins was killed on the set of the Western film after a prop gun held by Baldwin was discharged. Director Joel Souza was also injured in the shooting at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The actor is currently facing several lawsuits stemming from the shooting, including from Hutchins's family.
Rust Movie Productions showed “plain indifference to the recognised hazards associated with the use of firearms on set that resulted in a fatality, severe injury, and unsafe working conditions”, the report concluded.
The report also said that while the film industry has clear safety guidelines for firearms safety, the company “failed to follow these guidelines or take other effective measures to protect workers".
In a televised interview in December, Baldwin said he pointed the prop revolver at her instruction when it discharged without him pulling the trigger.
Assistant director David Halls handed the revolver to Baldwin without consulting on-set weapons specialists before or after the gun was loaded.
“The Safety Co-ordinator was present on set and took no direct action to address safety concerns,” the report said.
“Management was provided with multiple opportunities to take corrective actions and chose not to do so.
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New Mexico's environment secretary James Kenney called the incident a “complete failure of the employer to follow recognised national protocols that keep employees safe".
Investigators found production managers placed tight limits on resources for a small team that controlled weapons on set and failed to address concerns about a shotgun left unattended twice.
Armourer Hannah Gutierrez Reed was limited to only eight paid days to oversee weapons, and was assigned otherwise to lighter duties as a props assistant. Ms Gutierrez Reed warned a manager as her time as armourer ran out, but she was rebuffed.
Rust Movie Productions also did not develop a process to ensure live ammunition rounds were not brought on set, in violation of safety protocols.
The agency dedicated 1,500 staff hours to its investigation, examined hundreds of documents and conducted at least a dozen interviews with cast and crew members.
Baldwin surrendered his phone to authorities in January as part of the investigation.
Mr Kenney said the separate investigations into possible criminal charges were still under way.
