The safety of university students, faculty and staff should be the number one priority for the Ohio State administration. When students come to OSU, they expect to be safe in each building. This is not an unreasonable expectation.
The death of Andrew Polakowski Friday night was a terrible tragedy. Not only was this an unpredictable accident, but 23 other people watched him die; all those students watched as he struggled while being pinned between the third floor and the elevator.
No student should ever have to experience such a terrible event. The administration at OSU needs to make sure an event like this does not happen again.
As a result of this accident, five other elevators in other residence halls were shut down after failed brake tests. The elevator that killed Polakowski also failed the brake test. The last time that particular elevator received a test of that kind was in August 2003. The Lantern reported today an on-going investigation into what happened to the elevator since the last brake check.
It is also important, however, that students learn from this tragedy and play it safe when it comes to elevators and mechanical equipment on campus. If there is a weight limit posted in the elevator, students, faculty and staff should make sure to adhere to the limit. This disaster proves bad things can happen when least expected.
With all the money OSU has spent on tearing down and building new research facilities, a new recreation center and eventually a new library and new student union, we believe some of that money should have been spent on ensuring accidents like this do not take place. It should not have taken a student’s death to check the elevators in the high-rise residence halls around campus.
After the discovery of five other elevators that needed to be shut down and repaired, we believe all the elevators around campus should be inspected and fixed accordingly. Students, faculty and staff at OSU deserve buildings that are safe.
The Lantern believes the administration at OSU needs to take a close look on how elevator inspections are run, and determine how safe the high-rise buildings around campus really are. Ensuring elevator safety is essential when you consider the residence halls are some of the oldest buildings on campus. If more inspections, tests and repairs need to be made, OSU needs to fix them as quickly as possible. If the university can afford several new research buildings within the same year, building safety in older buildings should not be questionable.
