An adverse chemical reaction in the Chemistry Building Friday prompted an evacuation and the deployment of a hazardous materials team, according to the county fire department. During an experiment within the confines of a safety hood system designed to collect fumes, the experimenter mixed two unidentified acids together about 5:45 p.m., causing a reaction that resulted in broken flasks and some chemicals sprayed on the floor and counters, said Prince George's County Fire Department spokesman Mark Brady. University Police were contacted by the experimenter, whom they have not identified, and in turn contacted the fire department. Upon reaching the scene, firefighters and police evacuated wing five of the building and activated the alarm to give them the opportunity to work in isolation, something which they prefer. The experimenter was the only person evaluated by paramedics, and he was not transported to the hospital. There were no reported injuries or severe damage to property. Brady said the hood system did its job properly, thus the damage was minimal and only cosmetic. He also said the experimenter was following "all safety procedures properly." He said officials knew it was a small chemical reaction and that it wasn't extremely serious. "I hesitate to use the word explosion," Brady said adding the reaction could be more accurately described as a "percussion of containers." A hazardous materials team was deployed in order to neutralize the chemicals and determine the safety of the building. Donning protective body suits reminiscent of the government agents in E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, two team members entered the "hotzone," found the atmosphere to be "neutral" and concluded all the gasses had dissipated and the air was safe. They completed their evaluation about an hour after the initial reaction. They also scattered soda ash, which is basic, on the acid that had spilled outside of the safety hood to neutralize the chemical. "Our role is to mitigate emergency, neutralize product," Brady said. "We're slow and deliberate with hazardous materials." Brady said it's rare for incidents like this to occur and he couldn't remember the last time there was a serious chemical spill or accident on campus. Throughout Prince George's County, Brady estimated they receive about 75 calls per year about laboratory chemical incidents, and only about a handful are related to the campus. Brady said it was even rarer to be called in for what he called a "possible reason" rather than a specific reason. He said because the people conducting potentially dangerous experiments or using potentially dangerous chemicals are usually experts in their field, it is uncommon to be called in for an incident without knowing all the parameters and details upfront. The entire ordeal lasted about 90 minutes as the fire department and HazMat teams left after declaring the building safe. Campus officials are now responsible for the cleanup.
On Sabtu, 03 April 2010
0
komentar
An adverse chemical reaction in the Chemistry Building Friday prompted an evacuation and the deployment of a hazardous materials team, according to the county fire department. During an experiment within the confines of a safety hood system designed to collect fumes, the experimenter mixed two unidentified acids together about 5:45 p.m., causing a reaction that resulted in broken flasks and some chemicals sprayed on the floor and counters, said Prince George's County Fire Department spokesman Mark Brady. University Police were contacted by the experimenter, whom they have not identified, and in turn contacted the fire department. Upon reaching the scene, firefighters and police evacuated wing five of the building and activated the alarm to give them the opportunity to work in isolation, something which they prefer. The experimenter was the only person evaluated by paramedics, and he was not transported to the hospital. There were no reported injuries or severe damage to property. Brady said the hood system did its job properly, thus the damage was minimal and only cosmetic. He also said the experimenter was following "all safety procedures properly." He said officials knew it was a small chemical reaction and that it wasn't extremely serious. "I hesitate to use the word explosion," Brady said adding the reaction could be more accurately described as a "percussion of containers." A hazardous materials team was deployed in order to neutralize the chemicals and determine the safety of the building. Donning protective body suits reminiscent of the government agents in E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, two team members entered the "hotzone," found the atmosphere to be "neutral" and concluded all the gasses had dissipated and the air was safe. They completed their evaluation about an hour after the initial reaction. They also scattered soda ash, which is basic, on the acid that had spilled outside of the safety hood to neutralize the chemical. "Our role is to mitigate emergency, neutralize product," Brady said. "We're slow and deliberate with hazardous materials." Brady said it's rare for incidents like this to occur and he couldn't remember the last time there was a serious chemical spill or accident on campus. Throughout Prince George's County, Brady estimated they receive about 75 calls per year about laboratory chemical incidents, and only about a handful are related to the campus. Brady said it was even rarer to be called in for what he called a "possible reason" rather than a specific reason. He said because the people conducting potentially dangerous experiments or using potentially dangerous chemicals are usually experts in their field, it is uncommon to be called in for an incident without knowing all the parameters and details upfront. The entire ordeal lasted about 90 minutes as the fire department and HazMat teams left after declaring the building safe. Campus officials are now responsible for the cleanup.
Langganan:
Posting Komentar (Atom)
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar