THIS JUST IN: Miami Seaquarium statement re: OSHAs serious violation/citation: Statement Regarding OSHA’s Investigation “Miami Seaquarium has been cooperating with a recent OSHA investigation (i.e., the federal government’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration, which is charged with enforcing employee safety issues) about the safety of our trainers working in our Whale & Dolphin Stadium. This investigation was sparked not by an employee complaint, nor by any safety incident, but rather by a complaint from an animal rights activists group who have other priorities and objectives besides employee safety. In nearly 44 years of working with our orca, Lolita, no animal trainer has suffered an injury. Despite this stellar track record of safety, OSHA conducted a thorough investigation over a 6 month time period. They interviewed every trainer that has worked with Lolita over the last 5 years, both current and former employees. They observed Lolita during shows and in private interactions with her trainers. OSHA did not find any evidence of aggressive behavior by Lolita, zero evidence of any trainer injuries involving Lolita, and zero complaints from any animal trainers past or present, regarding their safety while working with Lolita. Safety is our #1 priority at Miami Seaquarium, and we work hard to maintain such a remarkable safety record. It is precisely because of our high level of attention and detail to every aspect of safety and training regarding our employees that we are confident in their continued ability to work with Lolita in and out of the water. We respect OSHA and their attention to employee safety, including the cooperative nature of their investigation and their genuine interest in learning about our operations. That said, we feel wrongly targeted, given our extraordinary track record of keeping our employees safe. As we work with OSHA regarding the allegations, through their own appeals process, it will remain business as usual at the park with no changes to the show where we will continue to work safely with Lolita to educate and entertain guests as we have with her for the last 44 years.” -Andrew Hertz Miami Seaquarium
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 19:34:50 +0000
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