From:
Alan Hall <oldeddoc**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>
Subject:
Re: [DCHAS-L] School Incident with Dry Ice
Date:
Mar 2, 2024 08:55 UTC
Reply-To:
ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID:
<CALDugaZ6xc-NhvRtpSM0ickYRh3P5ORKdSS6mSJHD1dLOqJSXw**At_Symbol_Here**mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:
<1600631404.1638863.1709308750118**At_Symbol_Here**mail.yahoo.com>
Monona,
Kudos! Great assessment.
We had a similar incident in an Air Force airlift plane carrying frozen foodstuffs packed in "dry ice", freezer seals not fully intact, remained overnight for crew rest en route in a closed-up aircraft. and voila.
As well as a smile asphyxiant, CO2 also has vasodilating properties which can lead to orthostatic hypotension and syncopy at sufficient airborne concentrations.
Great job.
Proves that nothing is harmless under the wrong conditions.
Alan H. Hall, M.D.
Medical Toxicologist
USAFR, Major, MC, FS (Hon. Ret.)
E finito. Never will you get another fact that would provide any insight into why this happened, not out of that school or anyone involved. So if it was bad ventilation the school will not be called to account. If the demonstrator used too much dry ice too fast, the demonstrator will not have to answer. Or even if everyone just decided to fake it in order to shorten their day, we're done here.
What was it we learned in safety training? Wasn't there something about investigating accidents and using the lessons learned to improve protocols? Doesn't that sound a little like "education?" And aren't we talking about a school?
No one cares about safety or education when part or all of the lesson involves revealing their own shortcomings.
Monona
I do not have any additional details. Although I do suggest anyone working with hazardous materials with groups (or otherwise) to do a risk assessment and have appropriate controls in place as well as plans for any incidents that could occur.
-- Jeff Lewin
Director of Chemical Laboratory Operations
Research Integrity Office
Laboratory Operations
205 Lakeshore Center
Michigan Technological University
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