[Che-student-staff-list] Safety Communication: WSU Incident

[Zvinevich, Yury]

Have you heard anything about this incident:


WSU STUDENT RECEIVES SEVERE BURN IN CHEMICAL FIRE http://dnews.com/breaking_news/article_789dceb0-6cd8-11e2-95dc-0019bb30f31a.html

Tags: us_WA, laboratory, fire, injury, hexane



A Washington State University student was hospitalized with severe burns Friday afternoon following a chemical fire at Fulmer Hall at Washington State University.

Firefighters from Pullman and Whitman County Rural District 12 were called just before 2:30 p.m. to respond to a report of a fire and injured people on the fifth floor of the chemistry building, according to a Pullman Fire Department media release.

Witnesses reportedly told WSU Police and firefighters that they had been conducting an experiment with hexane, a hydrocarbon, during most of the day.

"As the experiment progressed, they doubled the chemical and the amount of electricity used in the experiment," the media release states.

Students reportedly tried using a fire extinguisher and closing a vent hood but were unable to put out the fire by themselves. Firefighters extinguished the blaze upon arrival.
According to Pullman Fire Capt. James Turpin, one male student was transported to Pullman Regional Hospital with third-degree burns on his left leg. Another student, a pregnant woman, fell backward out of her chair when the fire erupted but did not appear to have any physical injuries. She told authorities she intended to take her own vehicle to seek medical attention


Yury Zvinevich
School of Chemical Engineering
Purdue University
Forney Hall of Chemical Engineering, Room G111A
480 Stadium Mall Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2100
Tel.: (765) 494-9368
Fax: (765) 494-0805
E-mail: yuryzv at purdue.edu<mailto:yuryzv at purdue.edu>
https://engineering.purdue.edu/ChE/Directory/Staff/yuryzv.html

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