>Only after the last investigator left did the full weight of reality set in. Our prized laboratory was now a useless, smelly, wet, burnt-out shell. We had lost equipment, ongoing and legacy samples, intermediates and written records such as laboratory books. It is one thing to think in terms of lost laboratory and research functionality, but we also suffered less tangible and quantifiable losses in creativity and innovation, competitive edge, funding potential and reputation due to delays in experimental work and publishing our research.”

I lived through a similar lab fire as an EHS support person a couple of decades ago. I agree that the biggest impact of emotional. The lab supervisor did a lot of work to support his grad students in continuing their work, but making up for the time lost to recreating the lab, sort of, was not entirely possible. I’m glad the article highlighted that point. That, in combination with the recent article about the economics of the unnoticeable impact of safety measures on lab productivity, suggest what many of us have been saying for a while has data to back it up now...

- Ralph

Ralph Stuart, CIH, CCHO
ralph**At_Symbol_Here**rstuartcih.org

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