Science Concentrates LAB SAFETY
Civil suit filed for Hawaii lab explosion An injured postdoctoral researcher and her spouse have filed a civil suit against the University of Hawaii (UH) and others involved for a 2016 explosion in which the researcher lost one of her arms. At the time of the incident, postdoc Thea Ekins-Coward was preparing a gas mixture of 55% hydrogen, 38% oxygen, and 7% carbon dioxide to feed to bacteria to produce biofuels, according to a report issued by the University of California Center for Laboratory Safety (UCCLS). The center was hired by UH to investigate the incident. The gases were combined in an ungrounded 49-L steel tank designed for compressed air, not for hazardous gases. UCCLS concluded that a static discharge most likely caused the explosion.
Debris littered a lab bench standards and regulations in labEkins-Coward lost after the explosion in oratory safety, by directing Thea her right lower arm and March 2016. Ekins-Coward to undertake exelbow and suffered corperiments that were inherently neal abrasions, facial burns, and loss of high and unnecessarily unsafe, by failing to make frequency hearing from nerve damage to reasonable inspection of the equipment, and her ears, according to a civil complaint filed by failing to warn of any inadequacy of the with a Hawaii court on Jan. 9. equipment or the possible dangerous condiEkins-Coward worked for the Hawaii tion,” the complaint says. Natural Energy Institute. The defendants The complaint does not specify the named in the suit are UH; Jian Yu, the amount of compensation that Ekins-Cowprincipal investigator of the lab in which ard and her spouse are seeking. Ekins-Coward worked; and Richard E. RoUH has not yet been served with the cheleau, director of the institute. complaint and typically does not comThe defendants “negligently, grossly negment on pending litigation, university ligently, carelessly and recklessly breached spokesperson Dan Meisenzahl says. After their duty by providing unsafe and improper the defendants have been served with the equipment, by failing to provide adequate complaint, they will have 20 days to file a training, by failing to follow safety codes, response.—JYLLIAN KEMSLEY
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C&EN | CEN.ACS.ORG | JANUARY 23, 2017
CREDIT: HONOLULU FIRE DEPARTMENT
Injured researcher and spouse allege negligence and emotional distress
