A tragic incident in the famous Rensselaer Polytechnic Institutelocated in upstate New York, led to irreparable loss of more than 20 years of scientific research. It all happened due to the accidental shutdown of the freezer, which had disastrous consequences for the university. Information provided by CNN USA.

The agency decided to sue Daigle Cleaning Systems, the company responsible for the cleaning services, which hired a cleaner to work on the site. Surprisingly, the university will not prosecute the janitor in question, believing that the fault lies with the contractor.

The lab’s freezer held more than two decades of research, including extremely valuable cell cultures and samples, according to faculty members. The freezer must be maintained at -80°C to properly store these sensitive materials. Any deviation of just three degrees could result in catastrophic damage, and that is exactly what happened.

The lawsuit, filed by the Rensselaer Institute, shows that the university is not holding the janitor responsible, but the contractor for failing to provide proper training and proper supervision of the worker.

The university, located in Troy, New York, is seeking more than $1 million in damages plus attorneys’ fees from Daigle Cleaning Systems for permanent damages caused by this unfortunate incident.

But in the end, why did the freezer alarm go off?

According to the process, cell cultures and samples contained in the freezer must be stored at a stable temperature of -80°C. Any fluctuation above or below this critical threshold will trigger an alarm.

On September 14, 2020, the freezer worked when the temperature reached -78ºC. At this point, the Rensselaer Institute team assessed that the samples were temporarily safe until emergency repairs could be made.

While awaiting technical assistance from the experts, the laboratory staff took steps to ensure proper communication. A safety lock was installed on the freezer, and a notice was placed instructing users not to move or turn off the unit, and to use the alarm silence button for a short period of time if they wish to reduce the noise.

However, on September 17, the janitor, annoyed by the sound of the “annoying alarm”, turned off the switches that supply power to the freezer in an attempt to help. Unfortunately, its unintended action resulted in a complete shutdown of the equipment.

The next day, when the research students discovered the deactivated freezer, they were desperate to save decades of scientific work. Unfortunately, most of the cell cultures have been compromised, destroyed and declared beyond recovery, a devastating loss of more than twenty years of knowledge.

In the face of this scientific tragedy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is fighting for justice by demanding financial compensation from the cleaning company responsible for hiring the janitor. The neglect of staff training and supervision has done irreparable damage to the academic community, highlighting the importance of a careful approach to preserving and protecting valuable scientific research.

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Source: CNN

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