1. Hazard Alert: Fire inside a fume hood
Intended audience: Laboratory Principal Investigators and personnel
Incident Summary
A fire occurred in a fume hood that was being used to store hazardous materials, including waste. The materials included solid pyrophoric material and flammable solvents. While the exact source of ignition was not identified, the materials in the fume hood provided a significant amount of fuel for the fire.
Investigation Findings
Liquid waste containers containing flammable solvents were stored in a fume hood without caps and adjacent to a potential source of ignition
Pyrophoric waste was stored in a cardboard box
Actions Taken
Lab-specific procedures were reviewed with lab group
Hazardous materials were segregated and flammable waste stored in flammables storage cabinet
Clarification of university requirements for chemical waste storage distributed to all labs
Key Takeaways
Lab-specific procedures must be followed at all times
Cap chemical and chemical waste containers
Segregate incompatible waste
Flammable waste to be stored in a flammable storage cabinet
Additional Resources:
Lab Safety Program
Chemical Storage Guidelines (Supplemental Information)