Sheri Sangji 1985-2009: A tragic & preventable death

No research is worth a person's life.

On the 16th of January 2009, a 23 year old research assistant, Sheri Sangji, lost her life to severe burns suffered in a UCLA chemistry laboratory fire. Sheri went to work on the 29th of December. She suffered second and third degree burns over 40% of her body from exposure to tert-Butyllithium, a chemical that combusts on contact with air. Sheri spent the next 18 excruciating days in intensive care, fighting for her life. She never got the chance to come home.
This accident should not have happened. We want to know what events led up to the fire, how and why it happened, and we want to prevent it from happening again. Sign now to support our efforts.

Cal/OSHA classified the case as a 'serious violation'. However, Cal/OSHA's own definitions make clear that the UCLA laboratory committed a 'willful violation' of safety procedures and standards. Unless the violations are classified as 'willful', it is rare that the District Attorney will take up the case, and that UCLA and the Principal Investigator will be held fully accountable for this loss of life.


It is now up to us to bring this case to the District Attorney's office and get it the attention it deserves. Sign now to support our efforts.





Help us bring to light the circumstances, decisions, and regulatory failures that resulted in a loss of life:



* What were the events leading up to the fire?
* Why were people working in a lab that had not been approved by an internal safety check?
* Why was Sheri asked to come in and work when the campus was closed and UCLA was unable to respond to emergencies in full capacity?
* Why were UCLA employees allowed to work with dangerous chemicals in a lab without wearing appropriate protective gear, despite it being a legal requirement for UCLA to ensure that they were?
* Why were Harran lab members not trained in emergency protocol?


With this petition we state:

1. We are outraged at the death of this talented young woman.
2. We would like to see a full investigation into the issue by the District Attorney.
3. We would like to see all those involved to be held accountable for their actions or lack thereof.
4. We would like a review of the legislation to ensure it is a strong enough deterrent so that this does not happen again.

We want to make sure justice is served and that human life is given its proper value.

We want to make sure that this never happens again.

Please support our efforts by attaching your signature to the letter below. The letter will be sent to our California Senators, Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein, as well as our Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger and to the Cal/OSHA Standards Board.

Sign now.



To find out more about Sheri:

www.sherisangji.com

Other links with this story:

http://www.latimes.com/la-me-uclalab5-2009may05,0,7130412.story%20

http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2009_05_01/caredit.a0900054