On September 19th, a student accidentally dropped some hydrochloric acid in room S220 during a biology class. No injuries resulted from the chemical spill. Dr. Liane Cochran-Stafira and Dr. David Elmendorf were the two professors who were present during the chemical spill.
“It was through [Dr. Cochran-Stafira’s and Dr. Elmendorf’s] quick thinking and great, heroic efforts that no injuries occurred,” Dr. Tatiana Parker.
Dr. Cochran-Stafira was in her office when she heard a crash. “I thought somebody dropped a whole bin of glassware, so I came out and came into the room. As soon as I got around the corner, I could smell the acid and I knew what happened right away,” recalled Dr. Cochran-Stafira.
The student was taking a bottle back to the chemical safety cabinet, however, it accidentally fell and broke. The chemical landed over her shoes. Dr. Elmendorf helped the student take her shoes and socks off to wash them in the sink. Her legs and feet were also rinsed to make sure that there were no burns.
Dr. Cochran-Stafira called SXU’s Public Safety Dispatch Center. The area was evacuated and ventilated following protocol. Public Safety notified the City of Chicago Office of Emergency Management (911) and Chicago Fire Department (CFD). A Hazardous Material Unit from the CFD neutralized the chemical and licensed professionals cleaned the area.
“It should be noted that faculty, staff, and students followed emergency protocol, and, as a result, the accidental spill was contained,” said Jack Touhy, Chief of Police and Public Safety Director.
In labs, students are required to follow safety rules that faculty members put in place. “Like in my microbiology labs, I require that they wear safety glasses, have their hair tied back so it doesn’t catch on fire, and to not bring any food or drink in. They are not allowed to bring any flip flops or sandals or open toed or heeled shoes . . . We [the faculty] are there to make sure that if anything does happen, we can prevent any injury or minimize the possibility,” said Dr. Elmendorf.
“It was just an accident. The student was not the blame, it could have happened to anybody. There is nothing to worry about and the faculty knows what to do if something like this happens. This is the first time that has happened since I’ve been here and this is my 18th year here,” said Dr. Cochran-Stafira.
All SXU students received a text message and an email informing them about the incident. The incident also attracted media attention from local channels including ABC7 Chicago, Chicago Tribune and Beverly Patch.
Dr. Anthony Campbell, Vice President of Student Affairs, agreed this incident was handled properly, “the safety of our students was the first, and most urgent, consideration. Upon learning of the spill, the faculty member immediately attended to the student and evacuated the area. As a result of his quick action, the work of the Chicago Fire Department’s Hazardous Material Response Team and our Public Safety officers, no one was injured.”
Miryam Villarreal
Senior News Editor