Lessons Learned
Incidents at TTU
Exposure Occurs During Use of Inoperable Fume Hood - Sept 2023
Microwaved Media Bottle Becomes Projectile - Jan 2023
Proactive Monitoring in Research Lab Prevents Incident During Carbon Monoxide Leak - Sept 2022
Salvage Drum Delivered and Opened, Creating Chemical Exposure - June 2022
UTV Overturns During Routine Travel, Student Pinned and Concussed - Feb 2022
Rotary Evaporator Malfunction, Change of Routine Leads to Damaged Fume Hood - March 2021
Household Equipment in a Laboratory May Not Be the Best Choice - August 2020
Failure to Follow Spill Procedures Leads to Acute Chemical Exposure and Hospitalization - March 2018
Failure to Properly Clean Equipment Allows for Buildup of Energetic Materials Leading to Detonation - January 2018
Failure to Identify Underground Gas Line Causes Gas Leak and Near Miss Explosion - November 2016
Oversight In Transcription Of Written Procedures Causes Explosion– March 2016
Safety Issues of Hotplate HeatingControls - April 2015
Failure To Properly Label Laboratory Produced Nanomaterials Results In Spontaneous Combustion Fire- July 2014
Not Wearing Safety Glass Could Have Cost Student Her/His Sight– June 2012
Improper handling of nitric acid waste damages a cabinet and scatters glass shards throughout laboratory– October 2011
Incidents at Other Institutions
Condenser Failure Results in Fire - June 2022 - fire resulting from inappropriate condenser selection.
Vacuum Pump Explosion in Chemistry Building - August 2020 - build up of flammable vapors causes vacuum pump explosion
University of Hawaii researcher loses arm in lab explosion – March 2016 – explosion occurred while making cell growth media – cause still unknown
Employee killed in magnetic lab accident at Florida State University – October 2015 – Glenn Nix died while working on the MagLab magnet construction project
Employees injured in accident at Los Alamos National Labs – May 2015 – incident at electrical substation of neutron science center resulted in burn center treatment for one individual and shorter hospital treatment for several more
Glass Reactor Over-pressurization Causes Serious Injury to Grad Student Researcher– October 2011
Ethanol Fire Burns Researcher– July 2011 – likely because ethanol was used too close to a Bunsen burner
Chemical Safety Board Recommendations
Related Links for Lessons Learned at Other Institutions
- The Lab Safety Memorial Wall, The Laboratory Safety Institute: http://www.labsafety.org/memorial%20wall
- Events at broad range of institutions in which unforeseen outcomes have occurred – hosted at UC Davis: https://safetyservices.ucdavis.edu/categories/laboratory-safety
- Lab safety incidents and “lessons learned” identified by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA): https://www.aiha.org/get-involved/VolunteerGroups/LabHSCommittee/Pages/Lessons-Learned.aspx
- UC Berkeley: http://ehs.berkeley.edu/hs/327-lessons-learned.html
- UC Irvine: http://www.ehs.uci.edu/salerts/index.html
- Prudent Practices in the Laboratory:Handling and Management of Chemical Hazards, 2011, The National Academies Press: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12654
- Chemical Laboratory Safety and Security:A Guide to Prudent Chemical Management, 2010, The National Academies Press: http://dels.nas.edu/global/bcst/Chemical-Management
- People of the State of California v. The Regents of the University of California, and Patrick Harran – July 27, 2012
- University of California Reaches Agreement In Connection With Charges In Lab Researcher's Death – C&EN, July 27, 2012
Environmental Health & Safety
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Address
Texas Tech University, 407 Flint Ave, Lubbock, TX 79409 (Mail Stop 1090) -
Phone
806.742.3876 -
Email
safety@ttu.edu