The University of Northumbria has apologised for an experiment on caffeine that went horribly wrong, after they were found to have given two students the equivalent of 300 cups of coffee each.
A fine of £400,000 was slapped on the university for the “life-threatening” effects caused by the experiment blunder, the BBC reported.
Alex Rossetta and Luke Parkin, both sports science students, had volunteered to participate in a test to measure the effect of caffeine on on exercise. When the lab miscalculated their dosage, they ended up taking the equivalent of 300 cups of coffee.
They were hospitalised and placed in intensive care for dialysis after the glitch led to violent side-effects.
The university pleaded guilty to the health and safety breach at a hearing last month.
At the Newcastle Crown Court, prosecutor Adam Farrer argued that such a dose “could easily have been fatal”.
In their defence, the university’s lawyer said the university wished to “emphasise that they take the welfare of their students and staff seriously”.
The university also told the court that it was “deeply, genuinely sorry” as it was fined £400,000.
