"Rust" production company fined over $136,000 for alleged safety failures after Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on set

Rust Movie Productions LLC was fined over $136,000 by New Mexico's Occupational Health and Safety Bureau on Wednesday, months after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot by Alec Baldwin on the set. In a scathing report, safety officials said the production company showed "plain indifference to the recognized hazards associated with the use of firearms on set that resulted in a fatality, severe injury, and unsafe working conditions." 

"Our investigation found that this tragic incident never would have happened if Rust Movie Productions, LLC had followed national film industry standards for firearm safety," Environment Cabinet Secretary James Kenney said in a statement announcing the fine. "This is a complete failure of the employer to follow recognized national protocols that keep employees safe." 

The bureau said the "Willful-Serious" citation and $136,793 fine is the maximum permitted under New Mexico law.