New York – A Broadway show actor was injured at work when his leg was trapped in a piece of stage equipment. The trap door machine mechanism closed on the victim’s foot prematurely and caused the accident. The injured man was rescued from the device when workers cut through the stage set and called for an ambulance. Reports from the ambulance crew show that the accident victim suffered a severe leg injury including broken bones. He was rushed to a nearby trauma center in midtown New York City for evaluation and treatment of his injuries. Co-workers and bystanders expressed concern regarding the safety of the equipment and machines being used on the show. Some pointed out several previous accidents with injuries on the same set since they began work on the show. Previous accidents on the set have included one worker suffering rib fractures, another man sustaining herniated discs and other spinal injuries, a woman who suffered a head injury with concussion and yet another actress who fractured bones in both wrists. The management who run the show insist that human error caused this most recent accident but others believe that equipment malfunction is to blame. Work safety advocates and union members have asked for further investigation into this accident since they believe that more safety precautions need to be set in place. They worry that more accidents and injuries or even deaths are just around the corner if safe practices are not demanded of the employer producer of the show. Proper inspections and maintenance is necessary to keep the machinery in proper working order and to prevent malfunctions. Workplace safety activists warn that this specific show has been the scene of too many accidents and it has come time for the bosses in charge to take safety more seriously. While some may not think of this type of work setting as being a place with dangers and injuries, advocates say that the hazards are real and need to be addressed. More about the injuries and problems with this show can be found here.

Photo by Youngking11 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons