The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death of a stagehand who suffered a fatal accident at Camping World Stadium last month during setup for the three-day Electric Daisy Carnival, held in Orlando.

Despite the fatal workplace incident, the festival itself continued on, attracting thousands of attendees over the course of the weekend. An OSHA spokesperson confirmed to Orlando Weekly that the regulatory agency is investigating the tragic accident, which was first reported to the Orlando Police Department the afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 30. Identifying information for the victim has not been released or confirmed by authorities, although the employee has been identified as a stagehand employed by James Thomas Productions, a California-based events company.

“Our thoughts continue to be with the family during this difficult time,” an unnamed spokesperson for James Thomas Productions shared with Orlando Weekly over email. “However, this matter is an active investigation, and we are unable to comment further at this time.”

Investigative authorities have not publicly shared or confirmed the name of the employee who lost their life on the job, but others in the festival production industry online have identified the worker as Misael Aguirre, a stagehand from Texas.

“I am not really sure what to say yet. But I want to honor the life of Misael Aguirre right now,” wrote Rebekah Joy, an event production crew member from Atlanta, Georgia, in a Nov. 1 Facebook post. “He was killed during the load in of EDC Orlando. We don’t know a lot, but we do know that his death was unnecessary and preventable. We know that. So many of my work friends are dealing with ptsd [post-traumatic stress disorder] and are in mourning, as this happened on the job.”

James Thomas Productions, which also provides production labor for events like Coachella and Lollapalooza, declined to confirm the deceased worker’s name when reached for follow-up. Neither OSHA nor Orlando police have released the stagehand’s name, either. The festival’s organizer, Insomniac, wrote in a statement on Oct. 31, “We honor their contributions to our team and are committed to supporting everyone through this difficult time. Safety remains our highest priority, and we are working closely with authorities during their investigation. We grieve alongside our festival family and are dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of all our team members.”

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Florida was the site of more than 300 fatal workplace injuries in 2022, the latest year for which the agency  has workplace fatality data available. Nationwide, over 5,400 workers lost their lives on the job. The private construction industry accounted for the highest number of workplace fatalities in Florida, followed by the transportation and private warehousing industries. One-quarter of workers who died of workplace injuries were between the ages of 55 and 64, according to the BLS, with common causes of death including transportation incidents, falls, slips and trips on the job.

Federal OSHA, an agency tasked with overseeing approximately 7 million worksites across the U.S., investigated 826 worker deaths this past fiscal year, according to a recent news release. OSHA’s investigations into workplace fatalities can take months for the agency to complete. The Orlando Police Department also confirmed to Orlando Weekly that police are conducting their own death investigation into the fatal incident ahead of EDC as well, but declined to provide further details.

James Thomas Productions has been fined by OSHA in the past for workplace health and safety violations on at least two separate occasions. The company was cited $10,715 for exposing employees to fall hazards on a worksite in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2023, and was cited $5,950 in 2015 after a diabetic employee with low blood sugar lost consciousness on the job and fell 35 feet to his death. The employee was working with a crew as a rigger, installing a temporary stage structure for the Super Bowl Game in Glendale, Arizona. The young man was transported to a hospital after the fall, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

[Orlando Weekly – original article]

[Photo – Orlando Weekly/Matt Keller Lehman]