Scissor Lift Death In Indiana

Use of lift in high wind likely safety violation - IOSHA investigating accident at Notre Dame. SOUTH BEND: The accident that claimed the life of a 20-year-old student at the University of Notre Dame on Wednesday could result in safety citations for the university. An investigator from the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration arrived at the university Thursday to begin looking into the accident. Declan Sullivan (pictured) of Long Grove, Ill., died Wednesday night after the scissor lift from which he was reportedly videotaping Notre Dame's football practice toppled over amid wind gusts that reached in excess of 50 mph.

According to government safety regulations, "work on or from scaffolds is prohibited during storms or high winds unless a competent person has determined that it is safe for employees to be on the scaffold and those employees are protected by a personal fall arrest system or wind screens. Wind screens shall not be used unless the scaffold is secured against the anticipated wind forces imposed." The scissor lift used by Sullivan would be included in the regulation. Marc Lotter, a spokesman for the Indiana Department of Labor, said Notre Dame hasn't had a major safety violation in his search of records going back 10 years.

Because each investigation is different, Lotter couldn't hazard a guess on how long it might take to issue a report. If IOSHA finds that regulations or safety protocols were not followed, it could attach fines that exceed $100,000, depending on "the severity and the nature of the violations," he said. Though it was initially reported that the scissor lift was leased from United Rentals, a company spokesman said Thursday that the lift does not belong to the company. A sticker attached to the lift might indicate that United Rentals has serviced the device in the past, said Fred Bratman, a spokesman for the company.

"We were saddened to learn of this tragic accident," said Bratman. "We are continuing to investigate the matter, but have determined that the unit was neither owned nor rented by our company." Scissor lifts are often plastered with safety stickers and built with various safety devices. Bill Fish, owner of Fish Window Cleaning of Granger, said he has used scissor lifts quite a bit to reach inside windows. He said the lifts he has used won't go up unless they're on a firm level surface, a warning beeper sounds if there is too much movement in the bucket and the person inside is supposed to be wearing a safety harness. When asked whether he would operate inside a scissor lift in high winds, Fish said, "That would be really scary."

Lotter said worker deaths in Indiana hit a historic low of 123 in 2009. Improved workplace safety as well as fewer jobs because of the recession were likely the reasons for the reduction, he said. Falls, including those from scissor lifts, are the No. 2 cause of workplace deaths in Indiana, said Lotter. From 2003 to 2009, eight workers in Indiana have been killed by falling from a fork lift, scissor lift or bucket truck.

According to government safety regulations, "work on or from scaffolds is prohibited during storms or high winds unless a competent person has determined that it is safe for employees to be on the scaffold and those employees are protected by a personal fall arrest system or wind screens. Wind screens shall not be used unless the scaffold is secured against the anticipated wind forces imposed." The scissor lift used by Sullivan would be included in the regulation.