An explosion in Gavett Hall, the cause of which is still under investigation, sent a graduate student working in a lab on Monday afternoon to the hospital with non–life-threatening injuries.
The student, whose name has not been released by the University, experienced injuries after a rogue chemical reaction and subsequent explosion, which reportedly shattered glass in the lab, according to Public Safety Commander Dana Perrin. The student was treated at Strong Memorial Hospital for minor cuts to his hands and was released shortly after. No other injuries were reported.
According to a statement provided by University Spokesperson Sara Miller, the Department of Environmental Health and the Safety Department cleaned up the lab on Monday, soon after the 12:40 explosion. The lab was reopened later that day.
Five chemistry and chemical engineering students, all of whom interviewed by the Campus Times indicated that the explosion and subsequent response did not affect their schedule—in fact, all except one of them had not even heard that the incident occurred.
This is not the first time an explosion has occurred in a UR chemistry lab. In October of 2014, three students were injured due to a similar explosion in Hutchison Hall. Due to the frequency of such incidents, policy changes are currently under consideration, according to Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering Mitchell Anthamatten. The details of the incident are being compiled into a report, which has yet to be released.
