Dear members, I like to ask any idea from the group about what to do in the aftermath of a fire. Do you have a certain set of protocols you make all personnel go through before the lab or space can be cleared for reoccupation? Do you ask for a thorough clean up by the department? How about air and surface samples? Recently one of our biology labs had a fire from an oven which overheated to 500 F with some plastic which was left in with the glassware. The fire which resulted blew out black soot throughout the lab and into adjoining bathrooms though the vent system. Our group responded with the local fire department who put out the fire and went in to investigate the fire without any respiration protection. The researcher and her group were in the lab cleaning out all the sooty glassware with only dust masks given to them by the custodial staff who refused to go in. They were not too happy when we made them clear the lab for a few days whereby a contractor was brought in at the PI expense to hepa-vacuum the area( including the adjoining bathrooms).Another consultant was also brought in for wipe samples and air samples for VOCs and particulates. We let the group occupy the lab as soon as surface samples were taken as they can open the windows but not the small interior office where all graduate students congregated. The lab was then cleared for reoccupying after I have a verbal confirmation from the lab that all samples have below detection level. It took about a week for the lab to be reoccupied. My questions: 1. Is this overkill? 2. What do other institutions do in the aftermath of fires? Spills of hazardous materials? 3. How about your fire response group? do they have a procedure to reenter the area with respiration protection? Any thoughts or comments you all may have would be helpful to rewrite our fire and spills responses procedures. Thanks in advance. Have a fantastic (and safe) Holiday season! Yung Morgan, MsPH Chemical Safety Industrial Hygiene Services Environmental Health and Safety 117 Draper hall UMASS,Amherst MA 01003 phone (413) 545-2682 Fax (413) 545-2600 email : pmorgan**At_Symbol_Here**ehs.umass.edu
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