A Cal/OSHA criminal investigation found Sheri Sangji, a UCLA staff research assistant who was fatally burned in a 2008 lab fire, was not properly trained to handle the chemicals that led to her death, the Los Angeles Times reported today.
The probe, conducted in 2009 but not previously made public, follows felony charges filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney last month against UCLA chemistry Professor Patrick Harran and the UC Board of Regents.
The report, obtained by the LA Times, states that Sangji’s death could have been prevented if Harran, Sangji’s supervisor, had trained her properly and ensured she wore protective clothing.
“Dr. Harran simply disregarded the open and obvious dangers presented in this case and permitted Victim Sangji to work in a manner that knowingly caused her to be exposed to a serious and foreseeable risk of serious injury or death,” senior special investigator Brian Baudendistel wrote, the LA TImes reported.
It also states UCLA had “wholly neglected its legal obligations” to provide safety in campus labs by repeatedly failing to fix prior safety issues.
The report goes against the findings of an earlier Cal/OSHA investigation into the lab fire, which resulted in nearly $32,000 in fines for UCLA but did not conclude there were any intentional safety violations by the university, according to Daily Bruin archives.
Kevin Reed, UCLA vice chancellor for legal affairs, told the LA Times he disagreed with the findings. Sangji was well-trained, had performed the experiment safetly in the past and chose not to wear protective clothing, he said.
If convicted of all charges, Harran could face a maximum of 4 1/2 years in prison, and UCLA could be fined up to $4.5 million. Harran is set to hear a formal reading of his charges at an arraignment on Feb. 2 at the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse.
Compiled by Kylie Reynolds, Bruin senior staff.