NEWS
Chemical spill at Fred Hall
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by Derek Montgomery
Thursday, October 31, 2002
The Madison Fire Department responded to a hazardous materials spill at Fred Hall Wednesday around noon. Nearly three gallons of hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, and possibly perchloric acid spilled onto the floor of a first-floor room.
The bacteriology building was subsequently evacuated, with the MFD dispatching its Hazardous Materials Unit. The spill was cleaned and ventilated by two fire fighters entering the building in Level A suits. A positive pressure fan was used to pull fresh air into the building, and windows were opened to assist in the ventilation process.
There were no injuries, but a 51-year old male working for campus services was taken to the hospital feeling dizzy, weak and faint.
Lisa Hickman, a student attending class in another Fred Hall classroom, didn’t see the spill, but was forced to evacuate the building after it happened. She said the scene was calm when students filled out of the building after the alarm sounded.
Hickman said at first most of the students believed it was only a fire drill, so some students were upset when they discovered they couldn’t go back inside the building to retrieve their belongings.
“My professor walked over and told us that we couldn’t go back inside because there was an acid spill,” she said. “Lecture was cancelled, and pretty much everyone left after that.”
