Cirque fined by OSHA for Las Vegas 'O' course violation
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) charged Cirque du Soleil with two "serious" violations following a near-fatal injury last summer, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. Show "O" has moved to Las Vegas.
On June 28, 35-year-old circus performer Kyle Mitrione broke his neck while trying to jump backwards from a barge onto a raised stage and collided head-on with the stage. The near-tragic scene shocked the audience at the 9:30 p.m. Bellagio show. Performance - Occurred during an update to a long-running sequence introduced two weeks ago.
According to R-J, the violation related to Mitrione's injury was that he did not provide adequate auditory or visual cues to keep the acrobats safe when jumping into shallow water.
OSHA's second opinion addresses the requirement for all performers to wear safety belts during high jumps and trapeze stunts. While not related to Mitrione's injury, it could have serious implications for the future operations of circus acts throughout the Las Vegas Strip.
While tying up acrobats may seem like a safer measure, it exposes workers to "serious physical harm, such as internal organ damage and asphyxiation," according to OSHA.
Cirque du Soleil, which reportedly has annual revenue of $120 million to $140 million, must pay $15,625 for each of the two violations, OSHA's maximum fine for an on-site violation.
Diver Dive
According to multiple reports, Mitrione required five hours of emergency surgery to repair his broken spine after being transported on a stretcher from the Bellagio stage to a local hospital.
Mitrione - a former Purdue University diving champion and member of the extreme stunt team Red Bull Cliff Diving - is said to be gradually improving as he recovers. However, his legs didn't have enough strength to get back to the "O" yet.
A week after the accident, Mitrione took to Facebook to thank fans for their congratulations.
"Please know that the love I feel is what keeps me going," he wrote. "It's an indescribable feeling of hope and light. You brought me out of a darkness I didn't know existed. Every help, every gesture, every thought, every prayer, every Grateful for a wish, for every dream…I feel them.”
Mitrione's LinkedIn profile shows that he has been working at another job since January 2022 - as a marketing representative for a technology company in Los Angeles.
According to documents obtained by R-J., another performer, not identified by OSHA, "grazed" the front of the platform during the same incident, causing abrasions to his upper body.
"Without question, the health, safety and well-being of our artists, staff and management team is our cultural priority and remains a top priority," circus spokesperson Ann Paladie said in a statement to R-J the statement said. "We have confirmed that our health and safety standards are comprehensive across our unique industry and we will continue to be vigilant in our commitment to providing a healthy and safe working environment for all."
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Source: www.casino.org
