The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health released a report on Monday fining UCLA more than $31,000 for laboratory-safety violations.
The report was written in response to a laboratory accident on Dec. 29 in which Sheharbano Sangji, a UCLA research assistant, died from her injuries.
Among its findings, the report stated Sangji was not wearing a laboratory coat when the barrel of the syringe she was working with became undone, exposing her to the highly flammable compound t-butyl lithium.
The compound ignited after spilling on Sangji’s hands, clothing and torso. Sangji sustained second- and third-degree burns to over 40 percent of her body, and died from these injuries 18 days later, according to Bruin archives.
The report cited insufficient training and a lack of proper safety equipment as the primary reasons the accident occurred.
“During the course of the investigation, it was determined that employees interviewed … did not receive training and information pursuant to what is required,” the report stated.
Chancellor Gene Block reacted to the report’s findings in a university statement.
“In the wake of (Sangji’s) tragic accident, I communicated to the UCLA community plans for a comprehensive review of our laboratory inspection programs and implementation of revised procedures to ensure the safety of our researchers,” Block said in the statement.
A campus-wide health and safety committee has been formed to identify potential risks to researchers and specify necessary safety equipment, said Phil Hampton, a university spokesman.
The committee will release its findings on laboratory safety next month, Hampton said.
Flame-resistant lab coats have also been purchased, and the university has updated its standard operating procedures for working with dangerous chemical compounds, according to the university statement.
“We will continue to thoroughly monitor and assess our lab training and safety protocols as an integral component of our daily operations,” Block said in the statement. “The Cal/OSHA report will provide critical assistance with these ongoing efforts.”
UCLA will not appeal the $31,875 fine issued by Cal/OSHA, according to the statement.
Patrick Harran, a UCLA professor of chemistry and the director of the laboratory in which Sangji worked, released a statement in which he clarified his dedication to laboratory safety.
“(Sangji) was an experienced chemist and published researcher who exuded confidence and had performed this experiment before in my lab,” Harran said in the statement. “However, it seems evident, based on mistakes investigators tell us were made that day, I underestimated her understanding of the care necessary when working with such materials.”
Harran went on to express his sympathy toward Sangji’s family. He said the incident has moved him to take a leading role in adopting the new safety protocols that Block has called for.
“I am haunted by memories of this tragedy and wish that nothing like it happens again ““ in my lab or any other. In continuing our research, I go forward with a heavy heart in remembrance of (Sangji) and with a rededication to safety,” Harran said in the statement.