Chemical Spill at SMU Results in Small Fire, Minor Injuries
Did you catch the big scramble of firetrucks, police, and road blocks this afternoon on Daniel Avenue, near SMU’s law and science buildings? The commotion came of a sodium hydride spill around 3:20 p.m. in the Fondren Science Building, says Steve Mace with the University Park Police Department — and all in all, everything’s OK.
“Interestingly, it was a student trying to dilute the product with ice water so that it could be disposed of,” Mace said. The student splashed a bit of the chemical on her pant leg, he added, suffering minor burns on her ankle, and sought treatment at the campus health center. A resulting flash fire, which was brief, got doused with sand as students and teachers evacuated the building.
And about an hour ago, when photographer Christina Barany and I happened on the scene above, we got some perspective from other lab-goers down the hall: It was no big deal. Really.
