Janitor Stops 'Annoying Alarm' On University Freezer, Ruins Decades Of Research
A janitor mistakenly destroyed more than 20 years of scientific research worth $1 million at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, according to a lawsuit filed against his employer.
Joseph Herrington told staff he was cleaning a lab on Sept. 17, 2020, when he heard “annoying alarms” that he thought signaled power was off for a freezer that stored scientific samples at minus 80 degrees Celsius, according to the suit, first reported by the Times Union of Albany.
The alarm, according to the suit, actually signaled a harmless fluctuation of 3 degrees. Herrington flipped the circuit breakers, shutting off power and allowing the freezer temperature to rise to a catastrophic minus 32 degrees.
“Unfortunately, they wiped out 25 years of research,” Michael Ginsberg, Rensselaer’s attorney, told the Times Union. Ginsberg said it will take about $1 million to re-create the research, which explored photosynthesis and could have implications for solar panel development.
The lawsuit accuses Daigle Cleaning Systems, Herrington’s employer, of “reckless supervision” and inadequate training. The suit characterizes Herrington as “a person with special needs.”
The disaster was discovered the next day by graduate staff working for chemical biology professor K.V. Lakshmi.
“A majority of the specimens were compromised, destroyed, and rendered unsalvageable,” the suit says.
The lab freezer, such as the one pictured, contained invaluable cell samples and cultures.
“We don’t believe there was any nefarious conduct (on the) part of the cleaning company,” Ginsberg told CNN. “This was a result of human error. The core of the case, however, is that the cleaning company failed to adequately train their personnel.”
“A cleaner should be trained to not attempt to remedy an electrical issue,” he continued.
The freezer had shown signs of malfunctioning days earlier, according to the suit. Repairs, however, were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The professor posted a note on the unit in the meantime, the suit says:
“THIS FREEZER IS BEEPING AS IT IS UNDER REPAIR. PLEASE DO NOT MOVE OR UNPLUG IT. NO CLEANING REQUIRED IN THIS AREA. YOU CAN PRESS THE ALARM/TEST MUTE BUTTON FOR 5-10 SECONDS IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MUTE THE SOUND.”
