THE STORY. Several practices at Doernbecher Children's Hospital, an Oregon University Health and Science facility in Portland, combined to cause a serious accident. First, the hospital installed hand sanitizers in accordance with industry standards. Then they began using olive oil to remove tape residues from the skin of patients who were allergic to the solvents in commercial gel removers.
THE VICTIM. Ireland Lane, who turned 12 on February 21, 2013, was in Doernbecher Hospital on February 2nd for evaluation after hitting her head at school and losing consciousness. Olive oil was used to remove the glue that held electrodes to her scalp for an Electroencephalography exam (EEG). The oil was combed through her hair and the girl was seen running her hands through her hair and wiping them on her shirt. According to an investigative report which The Oregonian newspaper obtained under the Oregon Public Records Law, the girl's T-shirt was "saturated" with the oil and sanitizer.
Shortly after this, the girl began playing with the bed clothes by scuffing her feet on the floor to generate static electricity and playing with the sparking effect this caused. The girl's shirt ignited causing second- and third-degree burns over 19% of her body. She has already had one skin graft. Fire investigator Daniel Jones wrote in the report: "The ignition source would not have been adequate to ignite the olive oil on the shirt without the presence of the hand sanitizer as well."
We do not need to fix the rainbow experiment. We need to educate chemists well enough to understand the potential for fire in ANY experiment at ANY time in the future.
-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Shane <space7051**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>
To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Sent: Mon, Jun 24, 2019 5:55 am
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Letter to the National PTA regarding the rainbow flame demo
I have done this as a microscale lab. I make the solutions before hand and never have the alcohol still in the lab. I use small candles and cotton swabs. It has worked safely but I can see where it can go wrong. I am going to try the method mentioned using long cotton swabs soaked in distilled water and dipped in the salts. If it gives the same results, I will switch to the new method and share with my colleagues. We have been told not to use methanol and I have only used it for this lab. I think the AP Chemistry teacher used it last year. I will be that teacher this next year and will look to see if methanol can be completely removed.
I agree with Peter.
What we do is soak cotton swabs (The long Q-tip type ones) in
distilled water for about an hour. Dip the end in the various salts
and get the same result when burning. Others use wooden stirrers /
popsicle type sticks and do the same and get the same result.
Perhaps we should be assisting those in the classroom with viable
alternatives for this and other activities.
Best Regards,
-Eric
On 6/22/19, pzavon**At_Symbol_Here**rochester.rr.com <pzavon**At_Symbol_Here**rochester.rr.com> wrote:
> One thing I notice about this letter and many other comments about
> this demonstration directed to educators is the frequent absence of
> guidance on how to perform it more safely, or on alternative, less
> hazardous, demonstrations that would illustrate the same principles.
> In my experience, it is usually more effective to provide alternatives
> than to simply say "don't do that."
> Decades ago, my then boss at Princeton University used to say to
> faculty members something along the lines of "I am not telling you
> that you can't to that; I am telling you that you can't do it in the
> way you have been accustomed to doing it."
> Peter Zavon, CIHPenfield, NY(on location in Cincinnati, OH)
>
> -----------------------------------------From: "davivid"
> To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
> Cc:
> Sent: Friday June 21 2019 6:36:30PM
> Subject: [DCHAS-L] Letter to the National PTA regarding the rainbow
> flame demo
>
> Here is a letter I just emailed to the National PTA. Let's hope this
> helps get some progress on the issue.
>
> Dave Lane
> Principal
> Clavis Technology Development
>
> -------- Forwarded Message --------
> Subject: Dangerous classroom demonstration
> Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:31:09 -0700
> From: davivid
> To: info**At_Symbol_Here**pta.org
>
> Dear PTA Gatekeeper
>
> I write to call your attention to a common classroom demonstration
> that
> injures students in several incidents every year. I hope that the PTA
>
> can help end this practice by informing parents and schools of the
> danger.
>
> The demonstration is typically called the "Rainbow Flame" or similar.
> It
> involves solutions of various metal salts dissolved in alcohol that
> are
> set on fire. The different metal salts give various colored flames,
> hence "rainbow flame". If alcohol is poured near flame or other
> ignition
> source the alcohol can suddenly erupt from the bottle in a phenomenon
>
> called "flame jetting". The jet of flaming alcohol can severely burn
> anyone in the path of the flames even as far as ten feet away.
>
> Here are some links describing flame jetting.
>
> Dangerous =E2=80=98Flame Jetting' Phenomenon Kills Hundreds Every Year
>
> Here are links to some recent instances of flame jetting that have
> injured students
>
>
>
> Links:
> ------
> [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkBFG1mTSBk
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkBFG1mTSBk
> /> A Safer
>
>
> ---
> For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional
> membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
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>
--
Best Regards,
-Eric
Eric W. Goff
Chemistry Educator
---
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