Emory University

Incident Narrative

A graduate assistant teacher was preparing to run a column chromatograph7 purification wearing a flame retardant lab coat and safety glasses, as well as gloves, long pants and closed toed shoes. A second graduate assistant teacher was sitting at his desk in the same lab at the time. The first teacher struck the bottom of a 4L glass bottle of hexanes on the edge of the bench, while attempting to put the bottle down. The bottom of the bottle sheared off on contact with the bench and the contents spilled onto the ground. Some of the hexane spilled onto the teacher's lab coat, long pants (left leg) and shoe (left foot). After an initial assessment of the spill, the teacher collected absorbent towels and paper towels to begin to contain and clean up the spill. He was assisted by the second teacher who heard the breakage while sitting at his desk. Shortly after the teachers began to contain the spill, it ignited explosively causing a flash fire. Both teachers were burned and admitted to the hospital.