Actor Harrison Ford reprised his role as Han Solo for the film 'Star Wars:The Force Awakens.' (Photo : YouTube/Star Wars)
Britain's health and safety watchdog revealed plans to prosecute the production company behind the film "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" over safety issue which developed on set that led to actor Harrison Ford, 73, fracturing his ankle.
The group known as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) claimed in a statement obtained by the Daily Mail that it had enough evidence to bring legal action against Foodles Production (UK) Ltd.
The production company allegedly breached four laws regarding health and safety while filming on set in June 2014. The HSE claimed in the statement that under British law, employers are responsible for the welfare of workers and the same rules apply while filming on a movie set as it would when conducting work on a factory floor.
The incident took place in Buckinghamshire at Pinewood Studios, where Ford was seriously injured when a metal hydraulic door collapsed onto him while filming. The heavy door was part of the set of a spacecraft called the Millenium Falcon, which belongs to Ford's character Han Solo.
The "Indiana Jones" star was immediately airlifted to Oxford where surgery was performed on his leg. While the actor received compensation worth $1.4 million, the following weeks for Ford were spent in rehabilitative therapy and the filming scheduled was delayed.
Foodles Production (UK) is scheduled to appear at the Magistrate's Court in High Wycombe in May, to reply to charges brought about by the HSE, the publication reported.
Furthermore, it is reported that British law managers and supervisors can be fined as much as $30,000 per case of negligence and in serious cases even jailed for two years for failing to ensure the safety of staff members.
Insiders on set who witnessed the accident told CNN Ford fell back and clutched his chest as the cast and crew immediately rushed to free him from the heavy hydraulic door.
A spokeswoman for Ford acknowledged the incident and briefed media regarding the actor's surgery, the American news channel reported. Subsequently, it was reported that Ford during promotional appearances teased director J.J. Abrams about the incident.
In December 2015, Disney reported that the latest instalment of the saga had generated more than $1 billion at the box office, a record for any blockbuster.
Catch the trailer of the latest "Star Wars" film below:
