25 years of research was destroyed in the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York when a cleaner turned off the freezer containing important research material. The cleaner who was on duty turned off a lab freezer containing 25 years of key samples, because it was producing annoying sounds. The research institute has incurred $1 million in damages, the lawyer said.
25 Years of Research Wiped Out
While most of the research material inside the freezer was destroyed, Prof KV Lakshmi said some of the materials were still preserved. Prof KV Lakshmi, who headed the research, said the study of samples could have been groundbreaking in the development of solar panels. A report filed by the Institute’s safety staff said the cleaner thought he was just flipping the breaker but he actually turned it off, increasing the temperature from -80C to about -30C.
Lab Sued The Employer
The institute has filed a lawsuit against the Daigle Cleaning Services, with whom the former had signed a $1.4m contract to clean the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy. The lab lawsuit said the employer didn’t provide proper training as a result the institute lost 25 years of important research.
