A small explosion in a Chemistry Building laboratory Monday morning injured one UW Staff member when a distillation apparatus shattered, sending out shrapnel and starting a fire.
UW-Police responded to a 911 call following the explosion around 9:30 a.m., which occurred in a sixth floor laboratory where the postdoctoral researcher was working
The researcher, who wishes to remain anonymous, was adjacent to the site of the explosion, and while he was hit with some of scattered shrapnel, adherence to safety procedures prevented any serious damage.
"Luckily, my lab mates did exactly like we're trained to do: one student immediately called for rescue services to take care of me, while another came in, put out the fire, and helped me stop the bleeding," he said in an email. "Because I was wearing proper eye protection and nonflammable clothing, I managed to come through the incident without any serious injuries beyond a bunch of cuts and stitches."
The scientist was initially taken to a local hospital for treatment, and was released later on Monday.
While the lab itself was closed following the explosion, the rest of the Chemistry Building remained opened.
Monday's incident was the second chemical accident on campus facilities in the past few months. A December spill of a highly flammable solvent in a campus biochemistry building injured one graduate student.
This recent spell of accidents, according to Rob McClain, who leads the Chemistry Department's Safety Committee, should be considered "atypical," though potential mishap is always probable with the nature of chemical research.
"All researchers on campus who go and work with chemicals have to pay attention to these things," McClain said. "There are hazards associated to the work we do, and those risks...have showed up in terms of [the recent] incidents."
Lauren Michael contributed to this report.
