From: Kristi Ohr <kohr**At_Symbol_Here**UMASS.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Vacuum Pump Explosion at UPenn
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2020 11:27:18 +0000
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: 165B4ED3-7826-4A80-AF12-4F5982258BA6**At_Symbol_Here**umass.edu
In-Reply-To <5F4232403BCDD64B98455076E6A3F4A294D446B3**At_Symbol_Here**INHEXMB15.eu.boehringer.com>


Trying to rotovap ether with a rotary vane pump is incredible.  Even the ethyl acetate and hexanes would produce a ridiculous amount of bumping with a properly functioning pump of that power.  They must have just stood there venting pressure on the rotovap constantly to even get that to work.  Hopefully there is some training and mentoring that will be occurring as well.  It would be interesting to know how often the oil was being changed in that unit and how often it seized up.  That's generally a good indicator of improper use and abuse.  Sounds like there was also no trap, although that would have surely clogged up in no time under these conditions.

Sent from my iPad

On Sep 10, 2020, at 7:02 AM, bill.galdenzi**At_Symbol_Here**BOEHRINGER-INGELHEIM.COM <bill.galdenzi**At_Symbol_Here**boehringer-ingelheim.com> wrote:

?

It's not uncommon for these pumps to inadvertently "suck" solvent (liquid) which may explain a higher concentration of ether even with the port venting into the fume hood.   

 

From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU> On Behalf Of Brown, Kimberly Jean
Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2020 6:17 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Vacuum Pump Explosion at UPenn

 

CAUTION!  Boehringer Ingelheim User, this email is from an External Sender (outside of our organization), please do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender. 

 

Eugene:

 

Apparently, yes.  The cabinet has a port to allow the exhaust to be routed into the fume hood plenum, but there is no evidence that this was being used.  Our analysis is that the pump was exhausting directly into the cabinet.  When asked, the researcher was not certain whether there was an exhaust tube connected, but there was no evidence of one after the event.  The fire department had removed the pump from the cabinet before we arrived on the scene.

 

Kimi Brown, ARM, NRCC-CHO, CSP

(she, her, hers)

Sr. Lab Safety Specialist/Chemical Hygiene Officer

215-746-6549 (Office)

215-651-0557 (Mobile/text)

 

EHRS is continuing to provide essential services with limited on-campus staff.  Those of us who are not on campus are working remotely to continue much of our normal operations.

Environmental Health and Radiation Safety

University of Pennsylvania

3160 Chestnut St., Suite 400

Philadelphia, PA 19104-6287

 


From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU> on behalf of Eugene Ngai <eugene_ngai**At_Symbol_Here**COMCAST.NET>
Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2020 5:23 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Vacuum Pump Explosion at UPenn

 

Was this actually venting directly into the cabinet?

 

From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU> On Behalf Of Debra M Decker
Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2020 1:33 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Vacuum Pump Explosion at UPenn

 

Very nice write up by my buddy Kimi Bush

 

https://ehrs.upenn.edu/health-safety/lab-safety/safety-alerts-and-faqs/vacuum-pump-explosion-chemistry-building

 

Y'all stay safe out there. 

 

Debbie

 

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