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Jan 07, 2009

Lab fire prompts campuswide review of safety protocols

A laboratory accident that left a research assistant seriously burned has prompted UCLA administrators to embark on a thorough review of campuswide safety measures to better prevent such accidents.

lab beakersOn Dec. 29 shortly before 3 p.m., a 22-year-old staff research assistant suffered second- and third-degree burns over 40 percent of her body during a fire in a lab in the Molecular Sciences Building. James Gibson, director of UCLA Environment, Health & Safety, said an investigation showed that the researcher was working with T-Butyl lithium, a highly flammable pyrophoric compound. She was extracting the compound with a syringe when the stopper on the syringe came undone and exposed the chemical to air, causing it to burst into flames.

A colleague in the lab put out the fire and helped the victim, who was rushed to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. She was later transferred to the Grossman Burn Center in Sherman Oaks where she continues to be treated.

While “this kind of accident is very rare,” Gibson said, “whenever something like this happens, it makes us evaluate how we might be more effective in preventing these sorts of accidents.”

Another laboratory accident, also in Molecular Sciences, occurred just a week before. In that incident, a graduate student suffered minor injuries – lacerations and blistering to an arm – as a result of a small chemical explosion.

Gibson said that his team is conducting a top-to-bottom inspection of some 60 laboratories in Molecular Sciences as well as all laboratories in the Department of Chemistry.

“We’re also looking at radiation and biosafety, while all our divisions are looking at best practices,” including lab housekeeping practices and protocols for working with flammable substances.

For greater hands-on safety, additional training may be necessary, Gibson said. “In particular, we will look at increased training in good housekeeping procedures in the lab, proper use of equipment, and proper use of personal protective equipment such as eye protection such as safety glasses, goggles and face shields, as well as chemical aprons and other protective gear.”

Gibson said he and his team are also reviewing “the whole laboratory inspection program – from how the inspection results are communicated to how deficiencies are corrected.” His department is in the process of transitioning from a paper-based to an electronic-based inspection system, for greater efficiency and to better convey findings and recommendations for corrective actions.
 
Learn more about Environment, Health and Safety at the department's website.