It would be wonderful if UMaryland is able to share some of the details, such as ID of the acids, quantity, and anything that might be helpful to the safety community. One of my Geology colleagues is stunned that the Chemical community, particularly in academia, does not collect information on accidents in any formalized kind of way. He said that if he wanted to see whether any students were involved in car accidents while performing field work, or how many faculty had (unintentionally) walked off a cliff, those statistics are reported and accessible by the Geology community. I understand if the attorneys are reluctant but in this age of the twitter, the blog and facebook, it's hard to imagine being able to keep details of published events secret, and I think safety personnel should do their utmost to persuade administrators that safety information should be shared. The above is my personal opinion only, not legal or business advice, and may not reflect the opinion of my employer or any group to which I belong. Margaret >>> List Moderator3/4/2009 2:00 PM >>> March 3, DiamondBack Online * (Maryland) Chemical spill forces evacuation of building. An adverse chemical reaction at the University of Maryland*s chemistry building on February 27 prompted an evacuation and the deployment of a hazardous materials team, according to the Prince George*s County Fire Department. During an experiment within the confines of a safety hood system designed to collect fumes, the experimenter mixed two unidentified acids together causing a reaction that resulted in broken flasks and some chemicals sprayed on the floor and counters, said a Prince George*s County Fire Department spokesman. Upon reaching the scene, firefighters and police evacuated wing five of the building. The experimenter was the only person evaluated by paramedics, and he was not transported to the hospital. Source: http://tinyurl.com/d73wwb . March 1, Idaho Statesman * (Idaho) Chemical spill injures Boise State lab manager in Boise. A Boise State University lab instructor was wounded at about 2 p.m. on February 28 when 500 ml of nitric acid spilled onto his wrist, forearm, thigh, and knee, according to a police spokeswoman. When firefighters arrived at the third-floor chemistry lab in the multipurpose classroom building on the west side of campus, the instructor had already begun using sodium bicarbonate to neutralize the chemical. He was taken to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center for burn treatment. About 60 people, including two uninjured lab students, were evacuated as the building was checked and the spill cleaned up. The incident did not affect classes or other activities on campus. Source: http://www.idahostatesman.com/boise/story/683419.html
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