Six citations were issued by OSHA against Cirque Du Soleil, and three against MGM Grand, for the accidental death of an acrobat during a performance of “Ka” on June 29. The performer fell 94 feet to the floor after the wire rope which supported her was severed. Both Cirque Du Soleil and MGM Grand plan to appeal the citations.

The citations against Cirque Du Soleil include findings that they failed to “provide proper training for the ‘Ka’ battle Spearman Employee involved in the accident in the use of equipment and tasks used in the ‘Ka’ Show battle scene,” and that they removed “equipment from a fatality site before Nevada OSHA authorized the dismantling and removal of the equipment.”

Additionally, both Cirque Du Soleil and MGM Grand were cited for not properly assessing the workplace for hazards.

Incidents like these should act as a wakeup call to any employers who have not recently had their facility audited by a third party safety auditing firm. The nuances of certain OSHA regulations can be difficult to understand, and the expertise of an outside agency can often clear up serious issues which were not accounted for.

If you have not recently had your facility audited, or if you are concerned there might be hazards which are not properly accounted for, please contact us so that we can help you analyze your facility. If you have anything to add about the Cirque Du Soleil fines or about the importance of a third party audit, please leave a comment.