“The Royal Opera House has lost its appeal over the life-changing hearing damage caused to a viola player at a rehearsal of Wagner’s Die Walkure,” reads an unsigned Wednesday (4/17) BBC News article (U.K.). “The Court of Appeal ruled unanimously that the ROH failed to take reasonable steps to protect Christopher Goldscheider during the 2012 rehearsal. It also failed to act on dangerous noise levels until after Mr. Goldscheider’s injury, the court ruled…. Mr. Goldscheider won a landmark High Court case last year, which was challenged by the ROH. In that case, Mr. Goldscheider sued the London opera house, claiming damages for acoustic shock—a condition with symptoms including tinnitus, hyperacusis and dizziness—after being exposed to noise levels exceeding 130 decibels. It was the first time acoustic shock had been recognized as a condition which could be compensated by a court…. Employers and organizers will now have to put processes in place to assess noise and anticipate sudden rises in noise levels. They will then have to take all reasonably practical steps to prevent injury.… Alex Beard, chief executive of the ROH, said … the ROH would work with its legal team to consider its next move.”
Posted April 19, 2019
