Hi gang: From our intranet for your information. If you want copies of the photos, lemme know. BTW, I did have a potentially scary situation with HBr in lecture bottles - quite ancient stuff. It has a similar nasty habit of over-pressurizing over time. It was managed without incident, several $10K later. Ya'll be safe, Debbie >Priority: NORMAL >X-Mailer: Execmail for Win32 5.1.1 Build (10) >X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.49 on 169.237.104.156 >X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.51 on 128.111.125.200 >Date: Fri, 8 Jul 2005 13:55:39 -0700 >Reply-To: UCIH Program Management Group>Sender: UCIH Program Management Group >From: Kevin Kaboli >Subject: recent lab explosion >To: SBUCIH-L**At_Symbol_Here**LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU > >Hi Folks, >FYI-Here is the report of the explosion by Dave Vandenberg: > >Best >Kevin > > > >UC EH&Sers: Below is a note describing an accident that occured recently >on our campus. You may already be aware of this potential safety issue >with hydrogen fluroride cylinders. If not, would recommend that you >identify and dispose of old cylinders of this material. We were fortunate >that no one was injured in this accident. Feel free to contact me with any >questions about this incident, but I will be away next week. > >- Dave Vandenberg, UCSB Laboratory Safety Manager > > > >This past Sunday evening (7/3/05) an old gas lecture bottle cylinder of >anhydrous hydrogen fluoride spontaneously exploded within a gas cabinet on >the first floor of the Chemistry building. Thankfully, no one was injured >because no one was in the room, or adjoining spaces. However, given the >extensive damage to the lab, it is likely that anyone present would have >been seriously injured from flying debris and/or HF exposure. The >explosion also resulted in the building being locked down for about 12 >hours by the Fire Department. > >Attached are pictures showing the remains of the lecture bottle and a shelf >about 10 feet away where the heavy-duty window from the gas cabinet can be >seen after it was hurled. > >Anhydrous hydrogen fluoride in carbon steel cylinders may react slowly over >years with the iron in the steel to form iron fluoride and hydrogen. The >hydrogen pressure can ultimately build to the point where it ruptures the >cylinder. This is discussed more fully on the bottom of pg. 5 of this MSDS >from Air Products: > >http://www.airproducts.com/MSDS/searchresults.asp > >Given this potentially serious hazard, WE ASK THAT EACH RESEARCH GROUP >VERIFY WHETHER THEY HAVE ANY GASEOUS HYDROGEN FLUORIDE IN STOCK. If some >is on hand, please do not move it, but inform EH&S at x-4899 (after Friday >call x-3293). Each cylinder will be evaluated individually as to it's >condition and ultimate fate. > >Thanks for your cooperation. > > > >---------------------- >David Vandenberg >Laboratory Safety Specialist >UCSB Env. Health & Safety >(805) 893-4899 >David.Vandenberg**At_Symbol_Here**ehs.ucsb.edu >--- End Forwarded Message --- > > >---------------------- >Kevin Kaboli, MA, MS, CIH >Industrial Hygiene Program Manager >University of California >Santa Barbara, CA 93106 >Kevin.Kaboli**At_Symbol_Here**ehs.ucsb.edu >(805)893-8787 >(805)893-8659 FAX > > >
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