<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">Came across this today. Anyone know any additional info??<div><br></div><div><p style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; visibility: visible; margin: 16px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Stalwart Films LLC, the production company for <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">The Walking Dead</em>television series, faces $12,675 in OSHA penalties following the death of a stuntman.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; visibility: visible; margin: 1.5em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The worker, 33-year-old John Bernecker, died on July 12, 2017 after falling 30 ft. from a balcony during filming in Senoia, Ga.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; visibility: visible; margin: 1.5em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“This tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for the entertainment industry,” said Kurt Petermeyer, OSHA Atlanta regional administrator, in a statement. “The entire industry needs to commit to safety practices for actors and stunt people involved in this type of work.”</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; visibility: visible; margin: 1.5em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Bernecker, a native of New Orleans, sustained massive head trauma as a result of the fall and was pronounced dead at Atlanta Medical Center, according to news reports and IMDB.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; visibility: visible; margin: 1.5em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A subsequent OSHA investigation revealed Stalwart Films exposed workers to fall hazards during filming and issued a serious citation, the maximum-allowed $12,675 in fines as well as the following suggestions to reduce the hazards:</span></p><ul style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; list-style-position: inside; list-style-image: initial;"><li style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 25px; list-style-type: none;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Reduce the stunt fall distance to the minimum required for the particular scene and utilize an appropriate free-fall catch system</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 25px; list-style-type: none;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Use a free-fall catch system whose size and design that takes into account free-fall distance, the performers unique, physical characteristics, trajectory and foreseeable worker error or mishap</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 25px; list-style-type: none;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Provide an adequate number of spotters equipped with individual cash pads, or other equipment, such as guidelines, to protect performers and correct the trajectory of a misaligned fall</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 25px; list-style-type: none;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Secure the services of an independent safety specialist to assess the potential hazards associated with each proposed stunt and develop appropriate risk reduction strategies for implementation</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 25px; list-style-type: none;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Provide and require the use of appropriate personal protective equipment that may reduce the risk to performers engaged in stunts</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 25px; list-style-type: none;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Use a restraint and deceleration system to prevent performer contact with the ground.</span></li></ul><p style="box-sizing: inherit; cursor: default; visibility: visible; margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The company has 15 days to request an informal conference with OSHA, contest the findings or comply with the citation.</span></p><div><br><div id="AppleMailSignature"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Michael Powers</span><div>USMC '65-'69<br><div>ETCP Rigger #820 (Ret'd)<br><div><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>