From: Beth Shepard <Beth.Shepard**At_Symbol_Here**SIAL.COM>
To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Sent: Wed, Aug 28, 2013 9:29 am
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Judge denies three Harran defense motions
The C&EN article indicated that
the court ruling was that the PI was considered the employer, because he
was the hiring/firing authority for this position.
The woman who died was an employee,
not a student.
Industry has also had to develop systems
for standardized training & records documenting that training. One
of the major areas covered under the ISO standards are operating procedures
(OPs) & records documenting the training of employees on those OPs
relevant to their position. As ISO certification has become more of a customer
expectation, the training systems have become more robust. There must be
an independent audit every year to maintain an ISO certification.
In this case, in my opinion, there should
have been general lab safety training (locations of the emergency equipment
& how to use them), OPs on handling pyrophoric materials, fire/emergency
procedures, PPE, exposure procedures, etc., rather than on the specific
experiment being performed.
Depending on your preferences, you could
use a 4-stage training form (trainer & trainee sign & date the
stage; procedure explained, demonstrated, performed with supervision, able
to perform procedure without supervision). or you could have a training
session (verbal, on-line, outside produced), then have a written test or
a practical test. In this case, you'd have the the training documents,
the training attendance form & the test to document the training that
had been done.
Based upon my perspective as someone
trained in industry culture, rather than academia, no one should be working
in a lab alone. While I accept the reality stated by others on this list,
I really feel that when high hazard materials are being handled (pyrophoric,
highly toxic, explosive, etc.) there should be someone else in the room.
In this particular case, if help had been in the room, rather than next
door or down the hall, the end result may have been different.
Beth
Sigma-Aldrich
Beth Shepard /
Technical Compliance Specialist
From:
Beth Welmaker <bwelmaker**At_Symbol_Here**VGTIFL.ORG>
To:
DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**med.cornell.edu
Date:
08/28/2013 07:38 AM
Subject:
Re: [DCHAS-L]
Judge denies three Harran defense motions
Sent by:
DCHAS-L Discussion
List <dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**med.cornell.edu>
I too am concerned about the documentation of training
and it was pointed out to me that the student has documentation in her
lab notebook of doing this experiment before. I realize this is not
the documentation lawyers are looking for but it does cause me to reflect
on how would my institute be able to document training on every protocol
and procedure? And would one if my PIs feel a researcher in his lab
required documented training on an experiment previously performed?
I feel the bigger issue is the flame retardant lab coat but I don't know
if the university required them and the PI ignored the requirement? That
could be deemed willful.
I think this is a terrible accident and the whole situation saddens me.
Beth Welmaker
On Aug 28, 2013, at 7:56 AM, "James Keating" <jameskeating1944**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>
wrote:
> RE:
> Employer vs. Supervisor according to 29 U.S.C.
>
> In as much as California is an agreement state, the Federal OSH Act.
29 U.S.C. authorizes the State of California to pass additional legislation
that at least meets all the criteria established in the Federal statute
and permits to add more restrictive requirements and more severe penalties.
>
> In this case the defendant will be prosecuted under state law and
the California Criminal Code will apply.
>
> Even absent the statutory authority of 29 U.S.C. - the U. S. Constitution
specifies that each state has internal sovereignty. Therefore, California
may pass laws that define criminality within their state as long as the
law does not violate the individuals rights under the U.S. Constitution.
>
> My assumption is that the State of California considers a manager
or supervisor to be the same as the employer, from a legal stand point.
>
> Jim Keating
> EHS Manager/Radiation Safety Officer
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU]
On Behalf Of Dave Einolf
> Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 7:54 PM
> To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
> Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Judge denies three Harran defense motions
>
> Yes. The University settled and the State didn't press charges, after
their agreement.
>
> Dave
>
> On Aug 27, 2013, at 3:47 PM, Russell Vernon <russell.vernon**At_Symbol_Here**UCR.EDU>
wrote:
>
>> The statute you cite seems to hold the employer criminally responsible
- not the supervisor. Do I read that accurately?
>>
>> Russell Vernon, Ph.D.
>> Director
>> Environmental Health & Safety
>> University of California, Riverside
>> 900 University Ave
>> Riverside, CA 92521
>> www.ehs.ucr.edu
>> russell.vernon**At_Symbol_Here**ucr.edu
>> Direct (951) 827-5119
>> Admin (951) 827-5528
>> Fax (951) 827-5122
>>
>> Taking a trip overseas?
>> Access Location Intelligence: https://ermsp.ucop..edu/uctrip
and enter your UC Net ID
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU]
On Behalf Of Dave Einolf
>> Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 2:18 PM
>> To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL..EDU
>> Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Judge denies three Harran defense motions
>>
>> Russ:
>>
>> Criminal violations of OSHA requirements is part of the federal
statute.
>> Every state has criminal OSHA violations:
>>
>> Title 29 U.S.C. =A7 666(e) provides criminal penalties for any employer
who willfully violates a safety standard prescribed pursuant to the Occupational
Safety and Health Act, where that violation causes the death of any employee.
Four elements must be proved in order to establish a criminal violation
of 29 U.S.C. =A7 666(e). The government must prove that: (1) the defendant
is an employer engaged in a business affecting commerce; (2) the employer
violated a "standard, rule or order" promulgated pursuant to
29 U.S.C. =A7 665, or any regulation prescribed under the Act; (3) the violation
was willful, and (4) the violation caused the death of an employee.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Dave
>>
>> DAVE EINOLF
>> Managing Director
>> Endeavour EHS, LLC
>> 4207 SE Woodstock Blvd, Suite 321
>> Portland OR 97206-6267
>> www.endeavourehs.com
>>
>> 971.678.8111 (w)
>> 912.717.1533 (fax)
>> dave**At_Symbol_Here**endeavourehs.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU]
On Behalf Of Russell Vernon
>> Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 7:41 AM
>> To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL..EDU
>> Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Judge denies three Harran defense motions
>>
>> Assuming this case ends up with a conviction that stands on appeal,
I expect a large brain drain out of California...
>> We have the ONLY state of which I am aware with a law that criminalizes
failure to follow occupational health & safety code...
>>
>> -Russ
>>
>> Russell Vernon, Ph.D.
>> Director
>> Environmental Health & Safety
>> University of California, Riverside
>> 900 University Ave
>> Riverside, CA 92521
>> www.ehs.ucr.edu
>> russell.vernon**At_Symbol_Here**ucr.edu
>> Direct (951) 827-5119
>> Admin (951) 827-5528
>> Fax (951) 827-5122
>>
>> Taking a trip overseas?
>> Access Location Intelligence: https://ermsp.ucop..edu/uctrip
and enter your UC Net ID
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU]
On Behalf Of Ralph B. Stuart
>> Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 4:27 AM
>> To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL..EDU
>> Subject: [DCHAS-L] Judge denies three Harran defense motions
>>
>> http://cenblog.org/the-safety-zone/
>>
>> A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge today denied three defense
motions that could have dismissed a criminal case against University of
California, Los Angeles, chemistry professor Patrick Harran. With the rulings
going against the defense, the case moves closer to trial. The judge set
the next court date for Oct. 3. Harran could go to trial within 60 days
of that date.
>>
>> Harran faces four felony charges of violating the state labor
code. The charges stem from the death of research assistant Sheharbano
(Sheri) Sangji after a 2008 fire in Harran's lab. In November and December,
2012, Judge Lisa B. Lench heard testimony in a preliminary hearing on the
case. She ruled in April that there was sufficient evidence to send the
case to trial.
>> After the preliminary hearing, the case was sent to Judge George
G. Lomeli for trial.
>>
>> Before today's hearing, Harran's attorneys submitted three motions:
one asking the judge for a so-called Franks hearing, another called a demurrer,
and a third to dismiss the charges based on lack of probable cause. The
district attorney's office replied to each motion, and the defense then
responded in writing to those replies.
>>
>> More at the site above...
>>
>> - Ralph
>>
>> Ralph Stuart CIH
>> Chemical Hygiene Officer
>> Department of Environmental Health and Safety Cornell University
>>
>> rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**cornell.edu
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