LAS VEGAS – Safety officials announced plans Tuesday to cite Canada’s Cirque du Soleil and Las Vegas Strip casino MGM Grand after an acrobat died over the summer in a fall witnessed by the audience.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said in a statement it wrapped up an investigation into the June 29 death of 31-year-old Sarah Guillot-Guyard. Investigators concluded she fell 94 feet to the floor below when a wire rope she was suspended from was severed due to her rapid ascent.
“She ascended too quickly which caused the rope to come out of the sheave/pulley,” said Teri Williams, spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Business and Industry. “The rope was severed when it encountered a sheer point. The investigation concluded that she ascended too quickly, in part, because she did not receive proper training.”
OSHA proposed six citations and more than $25,000 in penalties for Cirque du Soleil Nevada, and three citations totalling $7,000 for the MGM Grand, where the performance took place.
Among other things, OSHA reported Cirque didn’t provide proper training for the performer, and didn’t property assess the workplace for hazards. MGM faces citations because its employees were exposed to hazards due to deficiencies in Cirque’s hazard assessments, according to OSHA.
Officials from both entities said they will appeal the decision.
“Cirque du Soleil completed an exhaustive review of its safety policies and procedures in the wake of the tragic accident involving Sarah,” said Cirque du Soleil spokeswoman Renée-Claude Ménard. “We have redoubled our efforts to ensure the overall diligence and safety of our performers and crew.”
The accident occurred during a fight scene near the end of Ka, which combines acrobatics with martial arts and puppetry and tells the story of two imperial twins on a quest to reclaim their palace from evil warriors.
The show was cut short after the acrobat’s fall, and reopened 17 days after her death.
Guillot-Guyard was the first Cirque du Soleil performer to die in an onstage accident in the company’s 29-year history.
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