Do accidents really happen?
On January 1, 2001, the Environmental Management Policy, Policy 91, was updated to include mandatory safety training for all persons in laboratories. In part, this change was brought about to recognize that accidents WILL happen in the laboratory environment, and that in order to minimize the impact of these accidents, knowledge of possible consequences is key to making the correct choices.
Personal Protective Equipment
The risk based signage outside all laboratories indicates three basic items of protective equipment: protective eyewear, lab coats and closed toe footwear. Depending on the hazards within, additional requirements are posted.
Eyewear
Occasionally, laboratory personnel have told us that they do not always wear eye protection because "I only use small amounts of concentrated acids/bases, and always correctly within the fumehood" Such was the thinking of this young lady who received
While not nearly as serious as the alkali burn in the photograph, some incidents have recently been documented whereby University of Ottawa staff or students have received splashes to their face or eyes. Some of the hazardous materials involved were sodium hypochlorite, ammonium hydroxide, gluteraldehyde, formaldehyde, acrylamide and sulfuric acid. Not a single individual suffered lasting effects, but ALL exposures would have been prevented if appropriate safety eyewear were worn at all times!
Lab coats
It's a hot day, why wear a lab coat, especially those heavy ones with snaps?
Accidents happen rapidly, and often without warning. Last summer, a student had a bad day, when his experiment reacted in a manner he had not foreseen. Luckily, he was wearing a proper lab coat, and was able to rapidly undo the snaps, and drop the lab coat when flaming solvent from the fumehood splashed out and landed on the bottom half of the lab coat.
What would his lower body have looked like, had he been wearing a pair of polyester shorts?
In a separate incident, a graduate student was working in a fume hood, pouring concentrated sulfuric acid, while wearing a T-shirt and shorts. He was splashed in the face and chest with the acid. Had he been wearing a proper lab coat over his T-shirt, the T-shirt would not look like swiss cheese, and his skin would not be bearing scars!
Fires
Fires can happen in an instant.
In the photograph at right, an alcohol burner was ignited by the bunsen burner. Due to the quick actions of the lab staff, the only evidence of the fire is the dry powder from the fire extinguisher used to put out the fire, after shutting off the gas feeding the flames. The building as a whole was completely unaware of the laboratory fire which occurred early in July.
This next photograph portrays a different ending.....
This used to be a chemistry laboratory at a prestigious U.S. university. (photo courtesy of LABSAFETY-L Listserv)
A further fire occurred at UC Irvin, July 23, 2001, in which 3 individuals were injured, years of research were lost, and over $10 million in damages reported. A graduate student was reportedly purifying benzene when the container broke and the contents exposed to oxygen.
January 2002 reminded us again of the horrific damage that fire can do. A fire January 11, at the University of California Santa Cruz resulted in at least 2 laboratories being completely lost, many others damaged from smoke and water, and research delayed for weeks, months or permanently lost. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Chemical Reactions
The following photograph was taken from a laboratory at the University, in December 2000. This was the result of a chemical reaction between two acids.
Dilute solutions of Hydrochloric Acid and Nitric Acid were discarded into a waste container for acids. Sometime during the night, the two acids reacted together, creating pressure from the gases generated.
The pressure was strong enough to destroy the 1 liter glass waste container stored in a corrosive storage cabinet under a fume hood. It also blew off the doors to the cabinet, and upset equipment above the cabinet. Fortunately, nobody was standing in front of the cabinet when the pressure release occurred.
Before mixing or discarding any chemicals into a common container, check for incompatibilities.
Mechanical Failures
University research frequently involves using various mechanical devices, such as centrifuges. Over the last 10-15 years, several well documented accidents have occurred due to older centrifuges which have been less than optimally maintained or serviced such that rotors which should have been retired continue to be used.
In October of 1999, a centrifuge failed at Carleton University, resulting in an implosion within the laboratory. Luckily, only minor injuries occurred.
Additionally, Cornell University experienced a similar accident, in December 1998, whereby a rotor failed due to mechanical stress. The subsequent explosion completely destroyed the centrifuge. The safety shielding did not contain all the metal fragments. Fragments which escaped ruined a nearby refrigerator and an ultra low freezer in addition to making holes in the walls and ceiling. Fortunately the room was not occupied at the time and there were no personal injuries. (photos at right, courtesy of Cornell University)
While no documented cases were identified at the University of Ottawa, it was reported that small scale centrifuge failures have occurred.
These are just a few examples to illustrate that accidents REALLY do happen. Only by recognizing that something can happen, are you able to plan on the correct action to take, the best choice to make.
See you at the next laboratory safety training session!