Learning from accident and damage events in laboratories
In this section we would like to describe accident and damage events that can also be used as examples during training courses. The events occurred in the last few years both inside Germany and in the international area.
Detonation caused by the compression of hydrogen and oxygen
The objective was to build up pressure in a laboratory apparatus by forcing in a mixture consisting of 66% hydrogen and 34% oxygen. The mixture detonated at a pressure of 125 bar. :: read on
Explosion at a vacuum pump
Vacuum pumps are frequently installed in floor cupboards or other enclosures. The present case involves a vacuum pump that exploded in a floor cupboard. :: read on
Explosion accident with safety cabinet
Flammable liquids – and therefore the majority of solvents – must not be left to stand unprotected in laboratories. :: read on
Injury caused by agitator in laboratory
Hair pulled out by laboratory stirrer
A laboratory employee came within a hair's breadth of decapitation in an application-oriented laboratory dealing with varnishes and inks. :: read on
Dangers caused by alkali metal stocks
Beware of old stocks
Several explosion incidents leading to injuries and a fatality point to the dangers of alkali metals. :: read on
Accidents caused by peroxide-forming substances
Laboratory accidents caused by peroxide-forming substances
In the past, a frequent cause of accidents and occasionally serious injury was the concentration of liquid phases in organic solvents, causing them to detonate. :: read on
Dimethylmercury poisoning
Fatal poisoning with Hg(CH3)2
A professor used dimethylmercury as standard for 199Hg NMR spectroscopy. :: read on
Burning accident when working with metalorganic compounds
Fatal accident in the laboratory
A fatal burning accident occurred when an employee was working with metalorganic compounds in the laboratory. :: read on
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