WorkSafeBC has levelled nearly $300,000 in fines against a Vancouver film production company for the death of a stuntperson during the filming of Deadpool 2.
Joi ‘SJ’ Harris, a professional motorcycle racer from Brooklyn, N.Y., was killed when she lost control of a motorcycle during a stunt shoot near Vancouver’s Jack Poole Plaza on Aug. 14, 2017.
A preliminary WorkSafeBC report in October determined that the accident was the result of multiple safety failures on the set, and said at the time that TCF Vancouver Productions could be liable for administrative penalties.
On March 10, the agency imposed a penalty of $289,562.63 on the company.
According to the report, TCF was responsible for multipe “high-risk” violations of safety standards.
Among those violations, WorkSafeBC found that TCF had failed to do a risk assessment before the stunt addressing safety controls, the speed of the bike and equipment limitations, or to complete the company’s own inspection safety checklist.
It also found Harris had not been provided a new worker orientation, or equipped with a helmet.
WorkSafeBC found the infractions violated three provisions of the Worker’s Compensation Act and two provisions of B.C.’s Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.
Harris was working her first-ever job as a stunt person when the crash occurred.
Another Deadpool 2 stunt person told ET Canada that Harris was brought in days before the shoot when the original stunt person was unavailable.
According to the WorkSafeBC report, Harris was riding a Ducati Hyperstrada 939 down a stairwell when she hit a curb and was thrown through a glass window.
Reports from the set indicated Harris had successfully completed the stunt four times during practice runs, but had lost control on the fifth attempt.
Harris’ family reached an out of court settlement with 20th Century Fox for an unspecified sum last April.
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