We received this from another listserve group. I thought it might be
interesting and/or helpfull to anyone with chemistry labs.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 07:39:56 -0700 (PDT)
From: Robert Dunnington <[log in to unmask]>
To: SHEA Staff <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
"Marc A. Gomez" <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]
Subject: Bakersfield Explosion Injures 23 (fwd)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 22:35:30 EDT
From: [log in to unmask]
Lab explosion at East High
School sends 23 to hospital
Filed: August 31, 1999
The Bakersfield Californian
An explosion inside an East Bakersfield High School
chemistry classroom Tuesday morning sent 22 students
and their teacher to local hospitals for treatment of minor
injuries, the Kern County Fire Department reported.
The 8:35 a.m. explosion happened after the unidentified
chemistry instructor poured a small amount of methanol
into a large flask, Capt. Tomas Patlan said.
"When the instructor poured the methanol into the bottle,
he closed the lid, asked some students some question and
then lifted the lid," Patlan said. "We believe a spark
ignited the vapors."
The resulting flash fire shattered the glass beaker,
spraying glass around the room, Patlan said.
"We believe it was static electricity that ignited it,
probably from the instructor moving around," he said.
All 34 students inside the classroom were examined in a
triage area set up outside the class, and a female student
and the teacher were immediately taken across the street
to Kern Medical Center. The girl complained of a glass
shard near the corner of her eye, and the teacher suffered
cuts, Patlan said.
Other students were treated for small cuts, and some
complained of nausea and headaches, probably caused by
the concussion of the explosion, Patlan said.
After initial treatment at the scene, 21 other students were
taken to local hospitals.
"Some students complained of a headache, some
complained of nausea," Patlan said. "As they did that we
just went ahead and decided it was a good idea to be seen
by a physician."
The fire department and the Kern High School District are
investigating the incident. Patlan said he didn't know what
the teacher was trying to show with the experiment.
Methanol is a highly volatile form of alcohol made from
wood, and is used as a motor fuel, solvent and anti-freeze.
"It's supposed to be an innocent experiment of some sort
that they're trying to use," Patlan said. "We're going to
look into that to see if that's something they shouldn't be
trying to do."
*****************************************************
James A. Kaufman, Director
The Laboratory Safety Workshop
Safety in Science Education
192 Worcester Road, Natick, MA 01760
508-647-1900 Fax: 508-647-0062 Cell: 508-574-6264
Email: [log in to unmask] Web Site: http://www.labsafety.org/
******************************************************
|
