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'Walking Dead' Producer Hit with Max Fine for John Bernecker Death
From an official standpoint, some resolution was achieved this week – at least for now – in the tragic death of The Walking Dead stuntman John Bernecker. U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has hit Stalwart Films, which produces AMC's hugely successful horror-drama series, with the maximum fine allowable by law under the citation. In OSHA's official statement regarding the fine that was released on Friday, Stalwart Films was called out for "failing to protect employees from fall hazards while filming the television show, The Walking Dead."
OSHA's statement continues:
"OSHA issued a serious citation and proposed penalties totaling the maximum allowable fine of $12,675, 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."
In their statement, Stalwart Films acknowledges the tragedy behind the accident that took Bernecker's life, but disagree with OSHA's decision and imply that this may not be the end of the matter:
"This was a tragic and terrible accident. 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."
As background, the vast majority of citations issued by OSHA violation citations are classified as "serious," with more severe citation categories including "repeat" and "willful" violations that would result in heavier fines.
"This tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for the entertainment industry. The entire industry needs to commit to safety practices for actors and stunt people involved in this type of work." – Kurt Petermeyer, OSHA Atlanta Regional Administrator
In July 2017, Bernecker was filming a stunt for The Walking Dead's eighth season that would've had him falling approximately 22 feet off of a balcony and onto a safety cushion that was set below. Assistant director Matthew Goodwin stated that Bernecker did not achieve "good separation" from the balcony; resulting in severe injuries that the Coweta County Sheriff's Office reports were caused by the stuntman landing on his head and neck on the concrete next to the safety cushion. Immediate aid was rendered, and Bernecker was airlifted to an Atlanta medical center where he was place on a ventilator. His family asked that the ventilator be turned off the following day.
Production on The Walking Dead was suspended briefly, and a number of cast and crew took to social media to express their heartbreak and condolences. Showrunner Scott M. Gimple and executive producers Gale Anne Hurd, Robert Kirkman, Dave Alpert, and Greg Nicotero cancelled their panel at the Television Critics Association (TCA) press event to attend Bernecker's funeral.
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