Protector of safety vs. the web-slinger. Who wins?
The winners in this case may be the actors in the Broadway production, “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.”
The actors can benefit from new safety precautions as they perform high-flying stunts on the stage.
There have been four actor injuries since previews of the show started in November.
In the latest, Christopher Tierney, a stunt double playing Spider-Man, plunged about 30 feet into a stage pit, despite a safety harness that should have prevented the fall.
Tierney had back surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.
Three other actors have suffered injuries: a concussion and two broken wrists.
Actors are put in harnesses to go up in the air 38 times in the show.
The show’s producers agreed to a requirement that a second person ensure that the harnesses used by performers have been put on properly.
OSHA and New York’s Department of Labor had been investigating.
Two shows were canceled during the week before Christmas after Tierney’s fall.
Injuries during theater performances aren’t uncommon. Between 1997 and 2007, OSHA investigated 35 incidents in live shows, with 25 involving stagehands and technicians.