Janitor destroyed million dollar research project...

[Missourian]

An outside contracted cleaning service employee shut down -80 C freezer containing 20 year research cultures due to "annoying alarms".

The university believed they had their bases covered, locking out the on/off switch AND electrical outlet plug. They also hung a sign explaining the alarm was a known issue, how to temporarily silence it, and that no cleaning was necessary in that area.

The janitor proceeded to switch off the breaker to silence the alarm, reporting his actions to no one.

By the time the deactivated freezer unit was discovered, the temperature has reached -32 C and the research cultures were ruined.

I can't even imagine...

Janitor heard ‘annoying alarms’ and turned off freezer, ruining 20 years of school research worth $1 million, lawsuit says - East Idaho News

(CNN) — A university janitor who turned off a freezer after hearing multiple “annoying alarms,” ruined more than 20 years of research, according to a lawsuit filed against his employer by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in upstate New York. The janitor, who is not being sued in the lawsuit, was...

www.eastidahonews.com

 

[deannalw]

Oooo... I hate when that happens!

 

[JGalt]

Well, I don't guess we'll be getting that next pandemic any time soon.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

negative 80 up to negative 30 Celsius??

That's 112F to 22F BELOW ZERO............what the fork needs that kinda cold??????

 

[BackAgain]

They’re gonna have to garnishee his wages for a motherfuckin’ loooong time.

 

[BackAgain]

negative 80 up to negative 30 Celsius??

That's 112F to 22F BELOW ZERO............what the fork needs that kinda cold??????

Soylent green.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Soylent green.

 

[Mikeoxenormous]

An outside contracted cleaning service employee shut down -80 C freezer containing 20 year research cultures due to "annoying alarms".

The university believed they had their bases covered, locking out the on/off switch AND electrical outlet plug. They also hung a sign explaining the alarm was a known issue, how to temporarily silence it, and that no cleaning was necessary in that area.

The janitor proceeded to switch off the breaker to silence the alarm, reporting his actions to no one.

By the time the deactivated freezer unit was discovered, the temperature has reached -32 C and the research cultures were ruined.

I can't even imagine...

Janitor heard ‘annoying alarms’ and turned off freezer, ruining 20 years of school research worth $1 million, lawsuit says - East Idaho News

(CNN) — A university janitor who turned off a freezer after hearing multiple “annoying alarms,” ruined more than 20 years of research, according to a lawsuit filed against his employer by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in upstate New York. The janitor, who is not being sued in the lawsuit, was...

www.eastidahonews.com

Was it one of the employees that no other US citizen would do the job?

 

[Missourian]

Was it one of the employees that no other US citizen would do the job?

I wondered that myself.

It would explain the janitor not reading the sign.

The university wasn't diverse or inclusive enough to translate the sign into 200 languages?

 

[whitehall]

About 20 years would seem to be enough time to collect data from a freaking project unless you were cultivating a deadly virus that nobody wanted to go near.

 

[1srelluc]

I saw that movie.

 

[toobfreak]

An outside contracted cleaning service employee shut down -80 C freezer containing 20 year research cultures due to "annoying alarms".

I really blame the institution.

1. Their -125° freezer was malfunctioning.
2. They left people in the area anyway.
3. They left the freezer in an alarm mode.
4. They had no one on staff able to repair the freezer.
5. They left a stupid sign on the thing telling people that if the alarm bothered them, they could silence it, then left the power off button available to shut it off anyway.
6. They failed to provide ample warning and training to all people who would have access to the area.

 

[Missourian]

About 20 years would seem to be enough time to collect data from a freaking project unless you were cultivating a deadly virus that nobody wanted to go near.

A different article elaborated that the research related to photosynthesis and possible crossover to increased efficiency of solar panels.

 

[Woodznutz]

The alarm and refrigeration unit should have been on separate circuits. Fail-safe redundancy should also have been employed for temperatures that were so critical.

 

[BackAgain]

YEP

 

[RoshawnMarkwees]

Starring Lon Chaney, Jr as the janitor…

 

[Woodznutz]

I saw that movie.

WATCH THE SKIES!

 

[JustAnotherNut]

YEP

If that's true, then I'm glad the project is a bust

 

[fncceo]

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

Oooo... I hate when that happens!

Same With Football's Draw Play, Which Stalin Used to Destroy Naziism

Something similar led to the discovery of penicillin.