'Human Error' Blamed for Spider-Man Accident

The accident that caused injury to Spider-Man stuntman Christopher W. Tierney was caused by “human error,” according to a statement released by Actors’ Equity.

“Actors' Equity Association worked today with the Department of Labor, OSHA and the production to determine that the cause of the accident at last night's performance of Spider-Man was, in fact, human error,” read the statement released by the union. “Further protocols are now being implemented, including redundancies recommended by Equity, the DOL and OSHA, to address this situation as well as other elements of the production. Equity continues to vigilantly monitor the production for the safety of its members.”

The new musical canceled performances due to the December 20 incident, in which Tierney fell several feet without a harness. Performances are expected to resume at 8pm on December 22. Tierney is being treated at Bellevue Hospital.

Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark, directed by Tony winner Julie Taymor and featuring a book by Taymor and Glen Berger and music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge, is scheduled to open officially on February 7, 2011 at Broadway’s Foxwoods Theatre.