Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2011 04:26:51 +0000
Reply-To: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: Alan Rossner - arossner <rossner**At_Symbol_Here**CLARKSON.EDU>
Subject: Re: Nature News Article: Fatality adds further momentum to calls
for a shake-up in academic safety culture.
In-Reply-To: <C3478A98C5307640A57449D92D02CC5401F78788**At_Symbol_Here**osha-dc-ex01.osha.dir.labor.gov>

nk=blue>

The article’s =A0title & #8220;No one to Blame” or should it be no one held accountable?=A0 =A0Look at the wind speeds on Oct 27, 2010, an absence of a program to asse ss the use of equipment in adverse weather is not a “no one to Blame& #8221; situation.=A0 The Athletic Director of Notre Dame was quoted =A0In an Oct . 28 media briefing, University Athletics Director Jack Swarbrick described the weather conditi ons as normal at the time he crossed the field just moments before the inci dent. He said that “practice was normal” and “play s were being conducted with no difficulty.”=A0 Yet when I looked at the wi nd velocity from September to December (Football Season) the winds never we re as high as on Oct 27, 2010 ( sustained or gusts).=A0 This article sugges ts that accidents just happen and =A0thus are not preventable.=A0 While OSH A fined them $77,000, there is =A0no one to blame?=A0 =A0=A0Perhaps, high p rofile accidents at UCLA, Notre Dame, Yale suggests that instead of looking for someone to blame, identifying the root causes during an investigations should lead to EHS accountability in academia.

Oct 27, 2010

Time (EDT)

Temp.

Dew Point

Humidity

Sea Level Pressure

Visibility

Wind Dir

Wind Speed

Gust Speed

Pr ecip

Events

Conditions

< td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'>

29.60 in

21.9  mph

9:54 AM

55.0 =B0F < /o:p>

35.1 =B0F

47%

29.63 in

10.0 miles

SW

21.9< /b> mph

31.1 mph< /span>

N/A

 

Clear

10:54 AM

57.0  =B0F

36.0 =B0F

45%

29.64 in

10.0 miles

< /td>

SSW

18.4 mph

26. 5 mph

N/A

 

Partly Cloudy

11:54 AM

57.0 =B0F

35.1 =B0F

44%

< /td>

29.65  in

10.0 miles

< p class="MsoNormal">SSW

23.0 mph

34.5 mph < /o:p>

N/A

 

Partly Cloudy

12:54 PM

61.0 =B0F

35.1 =B0F

38%

29.65 in

< /td>

10.0< /span> miles

SW< /p>

2 3.0 mph

28.8 mph

N/A

 

Clear

1:54 PM

63.0 =B0F

35.1 =B0F

35%

29.62 in

10.0 miles

SSW

23.0 mph

< span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#33333 3'>29.9 mph

N/A

 

Clear

2:54 PM

64.0 =B0F

33.1< /b> =B0F

31%

10.0 miles< span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#33333 3'>

SW

28.8 mph< span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#33333 3'>

38.0 mph

N/A

 

Partly Cloudy

3:54 PM

64.9 =B0F

28.9 =B0F

26%

29.60 in

10.0 miles

SW

43.7 m ph

N/A

 

Partly Cloudy

4:54 PM

64.9 =B0F

25.0 =B0F

22%

29.61 in

10.0 miles

WSW

33.4 mph

< span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#33333 3'>50.6 mph

N/A

 

Partly Cloudy

5:54 PM

63.0 =B0F

27.0 =B0F

26%

29.6 4 in

10.0 miles

SW

26.5 mph

42.6 mph < /o:p>

N/A

 

Clear

Weather data from: weatherun derground.com

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/nat ional/notre-dame-to-disclose-investigation-into-student-videographers-death /2011/04/18/AF5DW3yD_story.html

 

Alan Rossner,Ph.D.,CIH,CSP
Clarkson University

Associate Director, Institute for a Sustai nable Environment
8 Clarkson Ave
Box 5715

Potsdam, NY 13699
Ph   315-268-6470
F ax  315-268-4291


***Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

F rom: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Lillquist, Dean - OSHA
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2011 11:40 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Nat ure News Article: Fatality adds further momentum to calls for a shake-up in academic safety culture.

http://www.washingtonpos t.com/national/notre-dame-to-disclose-investigation-into-student-videograph ers-death/2011/04/18/AF5DW3yD_story.html

Read yest erday’s article regarding the student death at Notre Dame and ask you rself about top administration commitment to safety, academic safety cultur e (or lack thereof), and if this is issue is only present in laboratories.

< em>Dean R. Lillquist PhD, CIH


From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:D CHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Mary Ellen A Scott
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2011 8:26 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
S ubject: [DCHAS-L] Nature News Article: Fatality adds further momentum t o calls for a shake-up in academic safety culture.

http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110418/full/472270a.html

--
Mary Ellen Scott, PhD.
Safety Specialist II< br>Case Western Reserve University
EHS - Environmental Health and Safety
2220 Circle Dr.
Cleveland, OH 44106-7227
216-368-6077
216-368 -2236 (F)
maryellen.scott**At_Symbol_Here**case.edu

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