Notre Dame fined $77,500 for lift death

[BAMAPHIN 22]

The University of Notre Dame has been fined $77,500 for ignoring industry standards that could have prevented the death of Declan Sullivan, a football team videographer who died last year after the hydraulic lift he was using toppled over amid strong winds, the Indiana Occupational Health and Safety Administration will announce this morning.

The fine marks the end of a near five-month investigation conducted by the state agency, which has classified the accident as a preventable workplace fatality.

The agency found Notre Dame had six violations, each of which came with a fine. The biggest fine was $55,000 for "knowingly exposing its employees to unsafe conditions by directing its untrained student videographers to use the scissor lift during a period of time when the National Weather Service issued an active wind advisory with sustained winds and guests in excess of the manufactured specifications and warnings."

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2011/03/notre-dame-fined-77500-for-hydraulic-lift-death.html

 

[cyoung]

It took them 5 months to investigate this? Wow. They had to issue a 77k fine to pay the investigator's salary. I'm all for making them pay the price, but how does the state have any right to 77k? I understand how the system works, I just think it's stupid. The state should, in no way, profit from this accident. It should go directly to the family of the man in the accident, on top of whatever settlement they come up with.