Pennsylvania residents who have been to the SeaWorld theme park may be interested to hear about the park’s appeal of citations made by OSHA concerning the safety of trainers. The initial citations arose after the death of a SeaWorld trainer during one of the park’s killer whale shows.
The 2010 incident occurred when a 12,000-pound whale dragged its trainer into the water and killed her. Afterward, OSHA placed restrictions on the shows, requiring that employees do not enter the water with the whales without physical barriers.
SeaWorld made an appeal against the citations. One judge who dissented felt that OSHA was overstepping its bounds and had no right to impose restrictions on the specialized industry However, the appeal was still denied, with judges agreeing with OSHA’s measure 2-1. SeaWorld has not yet reported whether it will appeal to the Supreme Court. However, it did state that new safety measures were put in place in the park although all human interaction with the whales could not be prevented.
Injuries in the workplace have the potential to affect an individual’s life permanently. They sometimes result in temporary or permanent disability or disfigurement. Employees who experience a workplace injury may wish to seek the assistance of an attorney with experience in workers’ compensation. A lawyer might help the employee file a claim for benefits that can cover any extensive medical treatment as well as loss of income in the case that they can not work for a period of time. If an employee is killed while on the job, their close family members may be eligible to receive survivor benefits.
Source: CNN, “SeaWorld appeal of OSHA citations denied“, Vivian Kuo, April 13, 2014