SeaWorld Orlando Fined $75,000 By OSHA For Workplace Safety Violations

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently announced that it has cited SeaWorld for 3 workplace safety violations, and fined SeaWorld a total of $75,000 as a result of these violations. Following this announcement, SeaWorld issued a statement that it would contest these citations, adding, “OSHA’s allegations in this citation are unsupported by any evidence or precedent and reflect a fundamental lack of understanding of the safety requirements associated with marine mammal care.”

The investigation into SeaWorld was triggered by an incident that occurred earlier this year, in which a veteran marine mammal trainer, Dawn Brancheau, was killed by an Orca following a show at SeaWorld Orlando. The 5-ton Orca involved in this incident is known as Tilikum, and has also been previously involved in two other incidents that resulted in a human fatality.

One of the three citations against SeaWorld has been classified by OSHA as a willful violation, which is defined by the agency as a violation committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health. OSHA justified this classification in a statement, saying its investigations also “revealed that SeaWorld trainers had an extensive history of unexpected and potentially dangerous incidents involving killer whales at its various facilities, including its location in Orlando. Despite this record, management failed to make meaningful changes to improve the safety of the work environment for its employees.”