Texas businesses have seen their share of violations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) when there has been a workplace accident. Many have been contested because sometimes, an accident is unpreventable. People are human and can make mistakes even with proper and sufficient training. When OSHA cites a company due to a workplace accident, it pays to have any attorney present to ensure the company is not being a scapegoat for an unpreventable accident.
An accident that occurred earlier this year in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand has now been investigated by Nevada's OSHA, and the Cirque du Soleil and MGM Grand casino and hotel have been cited. A 31-year-old woman fell to her death during an act in Cirque du Soleil's show called "Ka." She died of blunt-force trauma when she fell into a pit.
According to the OSHA, the woman's wire rope came detached when she ascended too fast into the air. The rope apparently broke after scraping a sharp object. Cirque du Soleil is cited for not sufficiently training the woman and not supplying proper protection for their performers due to a lack of plans for their elaborate set. But can you properly plan for every possible accident that can occur?
The woman was apparently a 7-year veteran of the act, so conceivably she would have performed many times before. This is allegedly thought to be the first fatal accident Cirque du Soleil has had in 29 years. They claim they have now "redoubled" their efforts to ensure safety of their employees. They have also replaced the battle scene that the woman was performing in the "Ka" scene with one that is more tranquil.
Cirque du Soleil is facing $25,000 plus in OSHA violations fines, while MGM Grand is facing $7,000 in fines for safety shortcomings.
Source: latimes.com, "Cirque du Soleil and MGM Grand cited in death of Vegas performer" Matt Pearce, Oct. 29, 2013
