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Alex Rossetto and Luke Parkin, students studying sports science at Northumbria University, participated in an experiment that was aimed to figure out if caffeine affects the body’s performance during exercise.
A calculation error, however, sent the two students to extreme nausea and physical breakdown. They were supposed to be given a caffeine dosage of 0.3g, which is equivalent to a regular cup of coffee.
Rossetto and Parkin instead accidentally took 30g of caffeine. Both of them were immediately taken to an intensive care unit and received dialysis, Metro reports.
According to prosecutor Adam Farrer, the caffeine powder was supposed to be mixed with water and orange juice.
He said, “The failures to follow basic health and safety requirements were cumulative, persistent, long-standing and systemic. The university failed in its duty to ensure the safety of its students.”
Farrer also argued, “The staff were not experienced or competent enough and they had never done it on their own before. The university took no steps to make sure the staff knew how to do it.”
Rossetto lost 26.5 lbs in weight and had to stay in the hospital for six days, while Parkin only had to be hospitalized for two days but lost 22 lbs.
Judge Edward Bindloss said, “It was known excess caffeine was potentially fatal, it should have had high priority, risk assessments should have been carried out and appropriate checks put into place and appropriate training given.”
He added, “I am fully satisfied they have acted appropriately and have shown genuine remorse for this incident. Both were sportsmen and fit young men. Luckily for them and for everyone they were in the sort of shape that was able to deal with this large amount of caffeine.”
The vice-chancellor, Andrew Wathey, and other staff members served as the representative of the school for the court hearing.
Peter Smith, the school’s attorney, said that the school expresses their deepest apologies and hopes that their actions to mend the grave mistake could demonstrate the school’s sincere concern for the students’ welfare.
Northumbria University was fined for a little more than $500,000 to compensate the medical expenses of Rossetto and Parkin.
