The Miami Herald reported that Homicide detective, Ed Avila told them: "Wally Thomas and two other workers - who were looking after stage spotlights - were all wearing full body harnesses. However, the speculation is that Thomas was not clipped into the safety line when he fell to his death.
According to colleague and stage hand Chris Ryan - who has worked with Thomas since 1978 - he was stunned to hear he was on a truss spot to begin with as he did not usually work at height, following a near-fatal fall 15 years ago, and secondly that he was very upset that he was allowed to get on the ladder without his fall arrest.
It is the employer's responsibility to ensure that local crew follow health and safety rules to the extent that they are supposed to stand at the bottom of the ladder and not let anyone climb without the proper equipment and training.
Light & Sound Design/Fourth Phase supplied the lighting for the Bowie tour and Bob Manners, the company's VP of business affairs, apparently said that the firm was still investigating to check if Thomas was using LSD equipment.
Local head of the International Alliance of Theatre and Stage Employees (IATSE) told The Miami Herald: "I don't know why he wasn't attached, I was standing there when one of the guys on the road crew helped them get into their harnesses. I heard the guy talk to them about how they were supposed to use it. And I heard him tell all the guys to make sure to clip off. This was a tragedy, Wally was more that well-liked around here, and we want to know as much as anyone what happened, there is no way he could have fallen if he was using that fall arrest."
Detective Avila added that the other two workers told him that they didn't clip in because the stage was too dark to locate the line. However Coll disputed this and said that Thomas had enough experience to have found the safety line blindfolded. He also pointed out that at the time of the accident, the Stereophonics had just finished their set, and therefore the crew were on the stage which would have been well-lit.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident which will include the metal wire and rod ladder used on stage. It seems that OSHA's Luis Santiago said he had never seen such a ladder, although the stage workers said they are standard items used in concert rigging.
Lighting&Sound International magazine will report on any further developments in the next issue.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
