Lessons Learned

Incidents at TTU

Autoclaving Media Mishap Leads to Student Injury - June 2024

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 Segregate Waste Streams Mixes Nitric Acid and Organic Solvent Causes Waste Bottle to Explode From Pressure Buildup;
Written Procedures Did Not Reflect Current Procedures- February 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

Failure to label a waste stream mixes sulfur and an oxidizer, sets fire to waste bucket; fire threatens other chemicals during cleanup– March 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. 

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.