Cirque du Soleil officials have expressed “surprise” that OSHA leveled its findings in the investigation into the death of “Ka” artist Sarah Guillot-Guyard before either Cirque or MGM Resorts had an opportunity to issue their formal appeals into the conclusions of the government safety agency.
There have been reports that the “Ka” team was caught off-guard that the findings were made public, with six citations issued against Cirque and three against MGM Grand by OSHA investigators before either company had a chance to formally address those conclusions.
In an email, Cirque spokeswoman Renee-Claude Menard clarified the company’s view of this process: “We were surprised but not concerned, and since we have been cooperating fully with OSHA since the beginning, we will continue to do so during the appeal process.” OSHA Public Information Officer Teri Williams said the agency commonly issues its findings before appeals are heard, citing examples across the country where employees were killed on the job and the results of the investigation were delivered before employers made any appeal.
MGM Resorts spokesman Gordon Absher also was asked about the appeals process and said the resort company has “no concern. We are cooperating fully with OSHA and following the process per their guidelines.”
Menard also was asked specifically about OSHA’s citation as it related to the training of Guillot-Guyard, who on the night of June 29 fell 94 feet to the floor while ascending up the show’s movable stage during the production’s “Final Battle” scene. Investigators concluded that the 31-year-old mother of two known as “Sasoun” fell after the wire rope connected to her harness was “severed due to the rapid ascent of the performer, ultimately causing the rope to be freed from the sheave/pulley and scraping against a shear point.” That thin wire had scraped against the sharp edge of the disk in the pulley, breaking the rope and causing her to fall.
Guillot-Guyard had reportedly just moved to a new “track,” in that scene, in which a lineup of costumed, harnessed Spearman Warriors are pulled up the stage in its vertical position. After a training period reported to be three months, Guillot-Guyard was performing on that particular track for the first time in a live performance on the night she died, although she had performed in the scene regularly for more than eight years.
Asked to verify that version of events, Menard said only, “I can’t answer at this time since it is linked to the appeal process.”
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun | http://goo.gl/T18MX3 }
