Casandra “Clover” Moisanu 🍀

August 21^st, 2024

The Importance of Fire Extinguisher Training Among Graduate Student Laboratory Teaching Assistants: A General Chemistry Laboratory Fire Incident

Fire Incidents in Laboratories Pose a Major Threat to Researcher Safety

2

​

• 10 – 40 laboratory fires are reported annually in the United States, though this number is likely an underestimate

​

​

• Fires in chemistry labs pose a particularly dangerous risk due to the chemicals stored in the lab (flammable compounds, explosives, corrosives, and oxidizers)

​

​

• There are safety mechanisms in place to deal with fires (ex: sprinkler systems) but if the fire is small enough, those systems might not get triggered immediately

​

ACS Chem. Health. Saf. 2023, 30, 124–128.

Fire Loss in the United States During 2021, 2022 (accessed 2022 October 31)

ACS Chem. Health Saf. 2022, 29 (1), 1 –26.

ACS Meeting Fall 2024

Figure made by Brayley Gattis

• Researchers should be trained on how to use a portable fire extinguisher

Northwestern | Chemistry

Challenges Surrounding Portable Fire Extinguisher Training Using Live Fires

3

• Time and Trainer Availability
• At the University level, it is not feasible to train every student who will ever perform research in a laboratory

​

• Resources Availability
• Re-filling fire extinguishers after each training is expensive and time-consuming
• Powder extinguishers cause a mess that needs to be cleaned up

​

• Safety Considerations
• Using gasoline to light real fires, even in a “controlled” setting, still poses a threat

​

• Inaccurate Simulation of Laboratory Fire
• Putting out a gasoline fire outside is a different experience from putting out a chemical fire on the benchtop in a laboratory setting

J. Chem. Educ. 1978, 55 (11), A405.

ACS Meeting Fall 2024

A chemistry graduate student using a CO₂ fire extinguisher to put out a gasoline fire, overseen by a member of the Evanston Fire Department.

Northwestern | Chemistry

Bullseye Digital Fire Extinguisher Training System is an Alternative to Live Fires

4

Bullseye Digital Fire Extinguisher Training System, 2018

(Note: We are not affiliated with Lion Bullseye)

ACS Meeting Fall 2024

• LED screen glows like a real fire

​

• Imitation fire extinguishers have the same size and weight as a large wall-mounted ABC extinguisher

​

• Imitation fire extinguishers simulate the sounds of an extinguisher being discharged and the “sputter” that occurs when the unit is almost empty (lasts about 40 seconds)

​

• Trainees still need to pull the pin out of the extinguisher after breaking the plastic seal to activate it

A photo of the BullEx Bullseye laser training system

Northwestern | Chemistry

Virtual Fire Extinguisher Training During TA Orientation is a Suitable Alternative

5

Bullseye Digital Fire Extinguisher Training System, 2018

ACS Meeting Fall 2024

• Time and Trainer Availability
• Members of RSSI (Research Safety Student Initiative) get trained in one session
• RSSI members then train groups of new graduate students during TA Orientation in the fall

​

• Resources Availability
• The LED fire extinguisher systems can be reused dozens of times between charges
• Only the plastic seal that holds the pin in place needs to be replaced between each trainee

​

• Safety Considerations
• The virtual fire poses no threat to the safety of participants

​

• Simulation of Laboratory Fire Response
• The LED screen can be placed on the benchtop or in a hood, the most likely spots for a laboratory fire to occur
• By doing the training in a laboratory setting, trainees can practice locating the fire extinguisher and positioning themselves with their back go an unobstructed exit to fight the fire

Northwestern | Chemistry

Training Session Outline

6

ACS Meeting Fall 2024

• Review of criteria for when it is appropriate to use a fire extinguisher
• Emphasis is placed on the fact that graduate students are *never* expected/required to use a fire extinguisher; they should only do it if they feel comfortable and all other criteria are met

​

• Go over types of fires and extinguishers

​

• Overview of how the Bullseye fire extinguisher system works

​

• Put out 2 fires- one chemical, one electrical
• Trainees must announce that they have unplugged the electrical device before they can put out the fire

​

​

Cindi Mason

Northwestern | Chemistry

Which one of these exemplifies the PASS technique?

7

ACS Meeting Fall 2024

A

C

B

D

Northwestern | Chemistry

The PASS Technique

8

ACS Meeting Fall 2024

https://farmingtonfd.net/news/f/how-to-use-a-fire-extinguisher

*for us non-professional firefighters, stand at least 10 feet away from the blaze

Northwestern | Chemistry

General Chemistry II Laboratory Fires: Immediate Response

9

ACS Meeting Fall 2024

• Absorbent sheets caught on fire in a hood upon contact with a 30% hydrogen peroxide solution – a strong oxidizer

​

• A student notified the teaching assistant (TA)

​

• The fire was put out with a dry chemical class ABC fire extinguisher

​

• The TA informed the laboratory professor, laboratory manager, and the Office of Research Safety (ORS)

​

Fume hood in which the fire took place. Light yellow powder from the dry chemical fire extinguisher is visible. Caution tape was put up by ORS.

Northwestern | Chemistry

General Chemistry II Laboratory Fires: Assessment of Response

10

ACS Meeting Fall 2024

How the Response Was Handled Appropriately:

​

1. Students acted quickly and in a responsible manner.

​

• The TA involved had received fire extinguisher training and was able to operate the fire extinguisher correctly and swiftly.

​

• The lab professor and lab manager both took steps to reassure the students and TA that they acted properly.

​

• The ORS investigation focused on determining the cause of the fire instead of assigning blame for it.

​

How the Response Could Have Been Improved:

​

1. The fire alarm should have been pulled either by the TA or a student in case the fire became uncontainable.

​

• The TA should have told the students to evacuate the lab space.

​

• The TA should have found a way to notify the instructor sooner (either sending a student or by pulling the fire alarm).

Northwestern | Chemistry

Conclusions

11

ACS Meeting Fall 2024

• A general chemistry lab fire occurred, and a student notified their TA who was able to extinguish the fire

​

• The incident was handled well, though pulling a fire alarm in case the fire could not be contained would have been an important step.

​

• Students, the TA, teaching professors, and the Office of Research Safety all followed up after the fire to ensure physical and mental well-being without assigning blame

​

• Incidents like this prove the importance in training graduate students for both teaching laboratories and their own research laboratories

​

Northwestern | Chemistry

Acknowledgements

12

ACS Meeting Fall 2024

Prof. Katie Gesmundo*

Gen Chem Lab Professor

Loren Yeager

Lab Manager

Brayley Gattis*

RSSI

Dr. Anna Bay

RSSI

​

Katie Yamashiroya�ORS

Cindi Mason

ORS

Dr. Michael Blayney*

ORS

Dr. Benjamin Williams*

ORS

Prof. Will Dichtel

Advisor

Northwestern | Chemistry

Thank you for listening! Any questions?

13

ACS Meeting Fall 2024

Northwestern | Chemistry