Rust Movie Productions LLC has agreed to a $100,000 settlement with the New Mexico Environment Department’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau regarding workplace safety citations issued following the October 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Hutchins was shot and killed on October 21, 2021, when a live round was fired from a revolver used as a prop gun by actor Alec Baldwin during a rehearsal on the film set.
Director Joel Souza was also injured during the incident but survived.
The OHSB issued the writ against the production company in April 2022, which was subsequently appealed. Settlement negotiations followed.
On Friday, the New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Review Commission released the settlement agreement, which says the production company agreed to an amended penalty of $1
00,000, which was reduced from the $136,793 fine originally proposed.As part of the agreement, the company must pay the penalties within 30 days.
The agreement includes a provision stating that accepting the fine is not an admission of guilt and cannot be used as evidence in further civil litigation that may arise as a result of the incident or in the ongoing criminal proceedings connected to the death.
When the workplace citations were announced last April, OSHB said investigators determined that the production company’s management knew that firearms safety procedures were not being followed on the film set and that the company “showed clear indifference to employee safety by failing to review work practices and take corrective action.”
The company was issued a cognizable-serious summons along with the civil penalty, which OSHB said is the highest level of citation and maximum fine allowed under New Mexico law.
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