"The Walking Dead" production company gets maximum fine for stuntman's death

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of Labor on Friday imposed a maximum fine on one of the production companies of AMC television show "The Walking Dead" over the death of a stuntman last summer.

According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Stalwart Films LLC was notified Friday for failing to protect employees from fall hazards while filming the post-apocalyptic horror television series "The Walking Dead" in the southeastern U.S. state of Georgia.

"OSHA issued a serious citation and proposed penalties totaling the maximum allowable fine of 12,675 U.S. dollars, for the company's failure to provide adequate protection from fall hazards. OSHA investigated Stalwart's filming location in Senoia after a stuntman was fatally injured after falling more than 20 feet," said the statement.

"This tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for the entertainment industry," said OSHA Atlanta Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer in the statement.

"The entire industry needs to commit to safety practices for actors and stunt people involved in this type of work," he added.

During the rehearsal of a stunt set of "The Walking Dead" on July 12, 2017, 33-year-old American stunt performer John Bernecker fell accidentally 20 feet (about 6.09 meters) onto a concrete floor and died from his severe head injury the following day.

Stalwart Films, which has offices in the state of California, has issued a statement in response to the fine.

"This was a tragic and terrible accident," said the company. "We take the safety of our employees extremely seriously on all of our sets and comply with - and frequently exceed - industry safety standards. We disagree with the issuance of this citation and are considering our response."

Stalwart Films has 15 business days to decide if it would comply or contest the penalties. Enditem