The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found no major safety violations after an investigation into a Cirque du Soleil performer’s fall last year.
Karina Silva Poirier, an aerial silk performer with Cirque at Disney Springs, was seriously injured after falling about 45 feet during a practice session Oct. 20.
“Based on interviews and the evidence collected during the course of the investigation, there were no violations identified” related to the accident itself, OSHA spokesman Michael D’Aquino said in an email. OSHA issued an “other-than-serious” citation last week, with no proposed penalties, noting that employees cleaning up after the accident did not wear protective clothing to prevent exposure to blood.
“We have only just received the report from the authorities,” Cirque du Soleil spokeswoman Marie-Helene Lagace said in an email. “We will take the time to thoroughly review it before we make any observations. Of course, nothing is more important than the safety of our employees. Our priority now is to understand how this terrible accident could happen and do everything we can to prevent anything like it from happening again. Though we have the highest safety standards in the industry, we are always looking for ways to further improve them.”
According to social media posts from her husband David, Poirier has been improving. She was initially in a coma, but pictures show her sitting up and smiling. David Poirier said in a social media post that after three surgeries, his wife is “recovering fast.”
The Cirque show “La Nouba” will end Dec. 31. Cirque du Soleil has not announced a replacement.
{ SOURCE: Orlando Sentinel | https://goo.gl/TspLZB }
