Posted for Rex Dalton

The University of California at Los Angeles was fined $23,900 last week for a 2007 accidental lab fire allegedly not reported to state officials.The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) citation says ethanol ignited in a lab in November 2007, burning a student’s hands and chest.

This incident occurred about a year before another fire in a chemistry lab at the university which led to the death of researcher Sheharbano Sangji. UCLA was hit last year with a $31,000 fine in relation to her death.

In February this year, Cal/OSHA fined UCLA $67,700 for alleged violations since that December 2008 fatal burning.

UCLA officials are investigating the 2007 incident, and are appealing the earlier citations. They say major safety improvements have been instituted at research labs.

“We believe many of Cal/OSHA’s citations relate to previous compliance issues and do not reflect current operations and procedures, especially as they pertain to training,” says Kevin Reed, UCLA vice chancellor for legal affairs (statement). “We intend to vigorously fight these citations.”

UCLA also says that information about the 2007 incidence was based on its own records, which were provided to Cal/OSHA.

See also

Serious lab accident at UCLA in 2007 was not reported – LA Times