• Question: what happens if something goes badly wrong in the lab do you have to evacuate or put breathing gear on or what?? ;D

    Asked by ryanmccabe to Amy, Drew, Julia, Kimberley, Sara on 14 Jun 2011. This question was also asked by princesspenguin, iluvskittles.
    • Photo: Amy MacQueen

      Amy MacQueen answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      Well, a couple months ago we had to get evacuated from our building because this room that was supposed to be at 4oC (like a fridge) was hotter than the rest of the building – something had got spilt and caused a dangerous build up of gas and stuff and the coolers couldn’t cope with it.

      Well yeah the fumes were pretty noxious and the person who walked in and found it almost fainted and they had to get an ambulance… and then all these firemen came to sort it all out. Security secured all the entrances so we weren’t allowed in and then only let us in one at a time to retrieve our stuff with a number so they could count us in and out – I was the first back in with my mate Fab. It was pretty exciting really!

      🙂

    • Photo: Julia Griffen

      Julia Griffen answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      RUN!!!!

      Well firstly hopefully nothing bad will ever happen, fingers toes and everything crossed.

      But if it did, say example an explosion or fire, we would all have to leave the building as quickly as possible, and just basically get out as quickly as possible. and leave the proffesionals (firemen) deal with it! In a chemistry lab where I work there are gas cylinders and lots of flamable solvents and chemicals. So we have lots of safety procedures to follow!

    • Photo: Kimberley Bryon

      Kimberley Bryon answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      It depends on what happens. I have never managed to do something so bad that I needed to evacuate. My fiance managed to blow up a £10,000 amplifier for the magnet that he uses for his experiment. The room filled with toxic smoke and there was an explosion. He had to call the fire brigade out, get everyone evacuated and go to hospital.

      I have spilled very nasty chemicals over my trousers and had to take them off and go home in someone’s swim shorts and a lab coat. That was pretty embarrassing but everyone else found it hilarious.

      We have really strict safety procedures to help prevent any accidents so hopefully as long as I am careful nothing bad will happen.

      Good question ryanmccabe

    • Photo: Drew Rae

      Drew Rae answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      My laboratory is the real world – if something goes badly wrong, run for cover because there’s a nuclear meltdown or an aircraft crash on the way.

      Of course, I don’t actually do big experiments in my lab. Mostly I’m at a computer and the worst thing is forgetting to press the save button.

    • Photo: Sara Imari Walker

      Sara Imari Walker answered on 14 Jun 2011:

      I work in a secure building (with a retina scan like on star trek and everything!). We had to take a safety training course which basically says if something goes wrong “Get out of the building!”. That seems to be the number one rule. Not working in a lab I haven’t had any mishaps yet – keeping my fingers crossed!

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