# Electrician falls in West Palm Beach Florida



## gafftaper

This just in from the PLSN news:
<table class="contentdesc"> </table>

> *Lighting Tech Killed in Fall from Catwalk*
> WEST PALM BEACH — Fenton "Andy" Hollingsworth, 27, a lighting technician at the 300-seat Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. Playhouse, part of the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, was killed Dec. 3 after falling from a 30-foot-high catwalk.
> 
> Hollingsworth was working with lighting gear mounted on truss at the time of the accident, about 2 p.m. Others at the playhouse saw and heard Hollingsworth fall and rushed to his aid, but he was not breathing when police officials arrived.
> 
> Hollingsworth was pronounced dead at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach. He had worked at the Kravis Center since April 2007.
> 
> A spokesman for the Kravis Center said the next scheduled production at the Rinker Playhouse, _Our Finest Dreams_, will open Friday as planned. Other Kravis Center productions, including the Dec. 3 opening for Billy Crystal’s _700 Sundays_, were also expected to proceed as planned.


Judging from the fact they have a show opening Friday, he was apparently doing some late changes to the lighting as the show completes it's dress rehearsals. Something we've all done 100 times. 

As always, the thoughts and prayers of CB's community go out to the friends and family of our lost brothers.


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## Van

My heart goes out for this young mans family and freinds. but please take notice fellow members..........he was 27 ! Twenty Seven ! Kids remember, You are not Immortal or invunerable. Wear your fall arrest gear! and he was on scaffold which is safer than crawling around on truss, or on a ladder usually.


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## headcrab

Oh gosh. That's sad. Is it known how he was able to fall from a scaffold? I am assuming that the railings were properly mounted etc.


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## Footer

Van said:


> Wear your fall arrest gear! and he was on scaffold which is safer than crawling around on truss, or on a ladder usually.



I have yet to find what he actually fell from. Some reports are saying he was on a truss, others say catwalk. Where did you find the scafold thing?


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## gafftaper

A couple stories from the local Florida News. I only see the word Catwalk, not Scaffold. 

Worker falls
Funeral Services Set With a short video montage of him and his wife. They were getting ready to celebrate their 1st wedding anniversary.

This one strikes me as extra sad and I really feel like doing something about it. Does anyone feel like chipping in a few bucks to send flowers or something? Send me a PM.


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## derekleffew

More information, particularly about the venue, at Theatre Safety Blog.


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## dcollins

such sad news...my thoughts go to his workmates and family...


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## What Rigger?

Always wear fall protection, gang. And make sure you've got the right gear AND training. One without the other is useless.

It's too early to speculate on this. However, a buddy of mine in FL seems to have known the guy in question. If I learn anything credible/pertinent, I'll share.

What seems saddest to me is the comment about his shoes. They don't prevent or arrest a fall. Along that line, I've also always believed in educating my spouse/friends/family about what I do and the risks, safety measures, and risk management involved. Yes, there are hazards. No, a job is not worth your life. And no-no-no the show does NOT _have_ to go on. That's no comfort to his wife and family.


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## gafftapegreenia

It's so hard trying to discern details of this accident since news reporters have no idea concerning proper theatre terminology.


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## gafftaper

Anybody else feel like contributing to send flowers to the funeral on Thursday? Let me know ASAP via PM. I haven't figured out how to send the money yet. I'm working on that.


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## Footer

About Me blearyeyedme.com
Thats his Blog....

Man killed in Kravis fall loved the theater
Another story, this one has a bit more info. It at least clears up the shoe thing. 

Overall, this looks like it could have gone two ways, either he was up on a truss and not tied off or the railings on the catwalk were not properly constructed. Either way, it should not have happened.


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## Van

Sorry about the confusion earlier. I think one of the stories I read was using the term Scaffolding and Catwalk as interchangable. Going back and re-reading has provided no insight into this at all.


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## gafftaper

Okay here's the deal on sending flowers. Send me a PM telling me how much you would like to donate. If we have enough people that we can send something decent I will tell dvsDave what you want to donate. He will then send you a bill via Paypal for the amount you told me you want to give. When the donations are all in we will purchase something using the CB credit card. The funeral is Thursday so there's not enough time to pull this off, but we know where the theater is so I'm sure we won't have a problem sending something. I'm also going to contact someone at the theater to see if there is any sort of a memorial fund we could donate to instead of flowers.


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## ptero

Hi all. I haven't seen any indication of a desired donation target yet. I decided to send a card and contribution to his wife c/o the church where the funeral is being held. fwiw: 

Shannon Hollingsworth 
c/o Community United Methodist Church
401 Southwest 1st Street
Belle Glade, FL 33430-3486

mods: Is it ok to post the address in the clear? If not, feel free to delete it and I'll respond to pm requests.


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## Footer

gafftaper said:


> Okay here's the deal on sending flowers. Send me a PM telling me how much you would like to donate. If we have enough people that we can send something decent I will tell dvsDave what you want to donate. He will then send you a bill via Paypal for the amount you told me you want to give. When the donations are all in we will purchase something using the CB credit card. The funeral is Thursday so there's not enough time to pull this off, but we know where the theater is so I'm sure we won't have a problem sending something. I'm also going to contact someone at the theater to see if there is any sort of a memorial fund we could donate to instead of flowers.



What about giving a donation to Behind the Scenes on behalf of?


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## gafftaper

Yeah I was thinking about Behind The Scenes as an alternative to flowers. 

I was also thinking that we should make this a regular thing. I would like to develop a plan of what we do when we loose one of our brothers or sisters. While analyzing the coverage of the accident in the news is interesting I always feel a bit of a connection and wish I could do something. 

If you are interested in helping me develop "CB Cares" or if you don't have the time but you think it's a good idea and you would be willing to chip in a few bucks to support it in the future, please send me a PM. If there is enough interest I'll move ahead with it.


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## dvsDave

I'm not sure if this tech's family qualifies for the BTS fund.

If not, I would prefer not to make a donation to the BTS fund, and instead find a way to give directly to the widow.


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## Footer

dvsDave said:


> I'm not sure if this tech's family qualifies for the BTS fund.
> 
> If not, I would prefer not to make a donation to the BTS fund, and instead find a way to give directly to the widow.



They do, ESTA Foundation - Behind the Scenes - About Behind the Scenes, News, Apply for a Grant, Make a Contribution


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## derekleffew

New developments. From Local News: West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Martin & St. Lucie Counties | The Palm Beach Post

> "We've seen several examples of employers in the entertainment industry that have not provided precautions adequate to protect workers. And we've seen fatalities as a result of that," Assistant Labor Secretary and OSHA Director David Michaels said Thursday during a conference call with reporters, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
> 
> "There's a tremendous amount of risky work in these facilities and safety is often not considered the highest priority in these cases," Michaels said.


See also Kravis fined $4,900 for not having guardrail to prevent fatal Dec. 3 fall from where this photo was linked.


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## ruinexplorer

> When Fenton "Andy" Hollingsworth lost his balance on a lighting truss 25 feet above a Kravis Center stage, he might have, in the last seconds of his life, reached for a guardrail .
> 
> But there was none.



This opening annoyed me. As anyone who has taken a fall safety class, this is the number one mistake people make when at risk of falls. The guardrail would have prevented him from getting into a fall hazard, but since the article states that he was working on the lights at that moment, he would have likely been reaching beyond the rail in the first place. I don't know how often I have heard people complain about the railings getting in the way of their work. I have more than once seen people clearly going beyond the protection of a guardrail so that they can focus a light, add a gobo or gel, or many other common tasks we do so often. 

When I was a TD, I made sure that anyone working at height had the proper training for the risks involved. Sure, I had many people complain that they have "always" done it their way and never been hurt. I'm sure this guy felt the same way.

Don't be lulled into "safe" practices that seem to flow freely in our industry. Make sure that you are properly trained in the hazards of our industry. Your employer may be negligent and not provide you with the training, but your life is in your hands. Be safe!


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## gafftaper

Well this story ought to be enough to make everyone mad. There was a similar death in Vegas back in May of 2009 at the MGM. A stagehand fell off a platform with no hand rails. As you read above in this thread, in Florida an Electrician fell off a platform with no hand rails too. 
-In Vegas the Venue paid a fine of $19,800. 
-In Florida the venue paid a fine of $3675. 
Are lives less valuable in Florida? 

$19,800.... REALLY? The MGM was originally fined $38,700 but it was reduced to $19,800. $19,800... They give away that much on free cocktails every few hours. They have rooms that cost more than that per night! They'll loose a lot more than that on one hand of black jack in the high roller room. $19,800... I hope MGM can survive the fine. 

The fine for the outside staging company was lowered because of the size of the company? A GUY DIED! It doesn't matter how big or small your business is. If you get an employee killed you need to seriously rethink your procedures. $4,000... You College students could pick up a nice late 90's used Honda Civic for that, makes a great college car. 

A friend in Vegas tells me that the guy who fell violated a direct order to not go up on that catwalk. That isn't mentioned anywhere in the story. Maybe that's part of the reason the fines were reduced, but it still doesn't make any sense. There was mention of him wearing a harness incorrectly. I don't think the guy in Florida was wearing a harness at all. While this may seem inconsistent with the rest of my rant, remember *you *need to be properly trained and *use *your harness. While the employer needs to provide a safe working environment, we are all responsible for making choices that are safe on the job. 

Finally what's up with this statement in the article:

> ...the entertainment industry, which has grown more sophisticated with technologies that present new workplace hazards.


Technologies present new hazards? Gravity pretty much always works the same way. If anything our industry has gotten safer as fall protection has spread throughout the industry. 20 years ago there were a lot more falls due to the rare use of harnesses. The addition of moving heads, LED's, and more video projection haven't made falling from catwalks without handrails any more dangerous.


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## jwl868

And how about the preceding portion of that quote:

Coffield [Steve Coffield, head of Nevada OSHA] said it is legally difficult to apply Nevada's safety regulations -- which are geared more to construction sites -- to the entertainment industry..


Nevada Law: CHAPTER 618 - OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

"NRS 618.015 Purpose of chapter.
1. It is the purpose of this chapter to provide safe and healthful working conditions for every employee by:
(a) Establishing regulations;
(b) Effectively enforcing such regulations;
(c) Educating and training employees; and
(d) Establishing reporting procedures for job-related accidents and illnesses.
2. The Legislature finds that such safety and health in employment is a matter greatly affecting the public interest of this State."


OSHA at the federal level (and I assume the state level) is notoriously underfunded; I could understand a regulator claiming that there is a lack of funding for enforcement. But to say it is “legally difficult” to apply a law with such broad coverage [“..every employee..”]? I’m hoping that it’s just lousy reporting.



Joe


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## derekleffew

Posts discussing scissor lifts have been moved to the thread: Scissor lifts and fall protection?.


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## gafftaper

We now have a "conclusion" but we don't exactly have closure in the 2009 death of Vincente Rodriguez at MGM in 2009. How sad, the whole thing stinks. 

Read on.


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## TheFentonFoundation

gafftaper said:


> This just in from the PLSN news:
> <table class="contentdesc"> </table> Judging from the fact they have a show opening Friday, he was apparently doing some late changes to the lighting as the show completes it's dress rehearsals. Something we've all done 100 times.
> 
> As always, the thoughts and prayers of CB's community go out to the friends and family of our lost brothers.


 Nearly 5 years later, I find this and just want to say thank you for all the kind words and thoughts. 

We've been working for the past 4 years to keep Andy's legacy alive through education, scholarship funds at his alma maters, FAU and PBSC. It's become increasingly difficult to fund and market fundraising concerts and events, and so an online campaign was founded at: http://www.gofundme.com/RememberFenton

We're only asking for people to get the word out...about this amazing young man gone too soon and the legacy we're trying to continue through education. More info can even be found here: http://thefentonfoundation.wix.com/info. Though getting the word out is key, donations are even more amazing. Ideally we just want the world to know and remember Fenton "Andy" Holingsworth for generations to come.

Again, thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and time.

The Hollingsworth family


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## gafftaper

TheFentonFoundation said:


> Nearly 5 years later, I find this and just want to say thank you for all the kind words and thoughts.
> We've been working for the past 4 years to keep Andy's legacy alive through education, scholarship funds at his alma maters, FAU and PBSC. It's become increasingly difficult to fund and market fundraising concerts and events, and so an online campaign was founded at: http://www.gofundme.com/RememberFenton
> We're only asking for people to get the word out...about this amazing young man gone too soon and the legacy we're trying to continue through education. More info can even be found here: http://thefentonfoundation.wix.com/info. Though getting the word out is key, donations are even more amazing. Ideally we just want the world to know and remember Fenton "Andy" Holingsworth for generations to come.
> Again, thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and time.
> The Hollingsworth family



Welcome, we are glad that you found us at last. We work hard to try to keep people safe around here and it's tragic what your family and friends have been through. It's my hope that reading about Andy's tragedy has caused the rest of us in the industry to stop and think a few seconds about our own safety. 

There are two groups I would like you to know about. Perhaps there is a way you can support them, in their messages or perhaps they can support you. First of all there is Behind the Scenes. BTS is an organization dedicated to providing grants to stage technicians or their loved ones to pay for everything from medical bills to funeral expenses. It's a wonderful group of people helping our brothers and sisters out when they get injured. Secondly there is The Event Safety Alliance. The ESA is a fairly new organization focused on improving the safety of Technicians, Performers, and the Audience in all types of performance settings. They have a strong message of breaking through the old "the show must go on code" to think about the safety before anything else. 

God bless you and your foundation.


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