LONDON — British workplace safety authorities are prosecuting the production company behind “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” over a 2014 accident that left star Harrison Ford with a broken leg.
Britain’s Health and Safety Executive, or HSE, announced Thursday it was prosecuting Foodles Production (UK) Ltd. over four alleged breaches of health and safety law.
The charges relate to a June 2014 accident at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England. Ford, then 71, was seriously injured when a heavy hydraulic door hit him on the set of the Millennium Falcon, his character Han Solo’s spacecraft.
“By law, employers must take reasonable steps to protect workers — this is as true on a film set as a factory floor,” the HSE statement said.
“We have investigated thoroughly and believe that we have sufficient evidence to bring the case to court.”
Company representatives are set to appear May 12 in a court in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, to face the four charges.
HSE said Foodles was the company responsible for producing the smash hit film and, as such, was responsible under British health and safety law for managing risks involved in the production.
The company is based at the same west London address as a number of Disney-owned companies, including ESPN. Disney purchased Lucasfilm from “Star Wars” creator George Lucas in 2012.
Ford acknowledged the accident, which required surgery, through a spokeswoman shortly after it occurred. He later teased the movie’s director, J.J. Abrams, about the incident during promotional appearances in December.
The seventh installment of the beloved sci-fi franchise has proved a massive hit with audiences worldwide. Disney said in December that the blockbuster had broken the $1 billion mark around the world faster than any other film in history.
