On August 21st, a small fire occurred in a fume hood while heating a mixture of N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone (NMP) and cellulose powder in an oil bath on a hot plate. Part of the oil bath was covered with aluminum foil and overheated, causing the oil to overflow out of the bath and contacting an ignition source (the hot plate.) The postdoc and the GRA running the experiment did an excellent job reacting promptly and extinguishing the fire within 15 seconds of it occurring.

Two employees were working on an e-beam evaporator. While one of the employees was attempting to un-jam a rotating crucible holder at the rear of the machine, the employee experienced an electric shock. At the time, the e-beam source was stated to have been shut off and that the system was in 'process enable’ mode. The system was stated to have been pumped down and that the motor to rotate the holder was on attempting to rotate the holder. GTPD, EMS, and EH&S personnel were dispatched to the scene. The employee received third degree burns.

An eye exposure to pulsed 1064 nm laser radiation was reported on the evening of August 28, 2020. In-depth medical imaging of the person's eye confirmed the beam penetrated all the way through the retina to the choroid, resulting in permanent retinal damage. The estimated exposure was ~6100 times the maximum permissible exposure limit (MPE). The exposed person now has a blind spot in their central field of vision about the size of a baseball held at arm's length.