Production company fined £800k after man sustains life-changing injuries filming Fast and Furious 9 in Hertfordshire

A production company has been fined after a man sustained life changing injuries during the filming of a major Hollywood blockbuster in Hertfordshire.

Joe Watts, a stuntman from Surrey, sustained life-changing injuries after he fell approximately 25 feet at Warner Bros. studios in Leavesden on 22 July 2019.

He was filming a fight scene for Fast and Furious 9: The Fast Saga and the company overseeing the production has been fined £800,000.

Mr Watts fell 25 feet onto the concrete floor below when the line on his stunt vest became detached. He suffered a fractured skull and a severe traumatic brain injury, which has led to permanent impairment and disability.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found several failings by FF9 Pictures Limited.

The company, which is under the Universal Pictures umbrella, completed a risk assessment that failed to address the potential issue of a rope snap or a link failure, there was no system for double checking that the link had been properly engaged and tightened.

There was also no system for checking the link for wear and tear that could be caused by stretching between takes. Investigators discovered the the manufacturer’s website stated that the link used was forbidden for use as PPE and shock loading should be avoided.

Also, six-monthly inspections of harnesses were required but it had been over six months since the harness used had been checked.

FF9 Pictures Limited did not extend the crash matting needed to mitigate the consequences of an unintended fall, investigators found.

FF9 Pictures Limited, of St. Giles High Street, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £800,000 and ordered to pay £14,752.85 in costs at Luton Magistrates’ Court on 24 November 2023.

HSE inspector Roxanne Barker said: “Mr Watts’ injuries were life-changing and he could have easily been killed. In stunt work, it is not about preventing a fall but minimising the risk of an injury.”

Sentencing, district judge Talwinder Buttar stated Mr Watts is fortunate to be alive and added she was astonished that the crash matting was not adequate.