Cal/OSHA has fined Disney $36,000 in connection with the death of Juan “Spike” Osorio, a lighting technician who fell through a faulty catwalk on the Studio City set of a Marvel TV series.
The workplace safety agency issued the citations several months after Osorio plummeted 41 feet to his death behind the scenes of “Wonder Man” at Radford Studio Center, a spokesperson for Hollywood crew members union IATSE confirmed to The Times. Variety was first to report the news.
Cal/OSHA also fined Radford Studio Center $45,000. Representatives for Disney and Radford Studio Center did not immediately respond Friday to requests for comment.
According to Cal/OSHA’s investigation summary, Osorio and other crew members were handling lighting cable equipment that was hanging from suspended wooden platforms when a section of a catwalk collapsed underneath him. The report notes that a ledger supporting the catwalk was improperly installed, deteriorated and weakened “likely due to age, environmental conditions and repeated stress loads over many decades.”
Osorio “forcefully impacted” the ground below and was pronounced dead by emergency responders shortly after the accident. The cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma to the head, neck and legs.
“The loss of Spike was and is needless as everyone should go home safely after a day’s work,” IATSE Local 728, the lighting technicians guild, said in a statement.
“While we recognize and appreciate the work that all the major studios have done in retrofitting their soundstages since this tragedy, there are many non-Union facilities that lack the resources and oversight to make this possible. We remain steadfast in our commitment to the safety of our members, and holding our employers to their federally mandated duty of a workplace that is safe and free from hazards.”
In May, Osorio’s wife, Joanne Osorio-Wu, and mother, Zoila Osorio, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Los Angeles against Radford Studio Center, alleging that the production facility “carelessly, negligently, and recklessly failed to construct, maintain, inspect, place, repair, design, modify and supervise work on the [catwalk] to ensure it was in a reasonably safe condition so as not to expose persons … to an unreasonable risk of injury or death.”
The family is seeking a jury trial, as well as damages to cover “past and future loss of love,” medical fees, funeral and burial costs and other expenses.
“The OSHA investigation corroborates that Radford Studio Center failed to properly maintain, repair and inspect its premises,” Erika Contreras, attorney for the Osorio family, said in a statement.
“The citations issued against Radford Studio Center reflect that Mr. Osorio’s death was a preventable tragedy. Unfortunately, Mr. Osorio’s wife and mother paid a very heavy price for Radford Studio Center’s failures.”
Radford’s lawyers have disputed the claims and said the accident could have been caused by negligence on the part of Osorio or others.