Source: Steve Galitzer, 785-532-5856, galitz@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Greg Tammen, 785-532-4486, gtammen@k-state.edu
Monday, April 2, 2012
Public safety team cleans up chemical vapor in Weber Hall
MANHATTAN -- Kansas State University's public safety team and the Manhattan Fire Department cleaned up an acid vapor in Weber Hall around 8:30 a.m. this morning. Three student employees were affected and were taken to the hospital, as is the university's standard procedure.
Steve Galitzer, the university's director for public safety, said an acid vapor was created after a student worker improperly mixed together two cleaning chemicals in the meats lab in Weber Hall. The mixture caused an acid vapor that irritates the eyes and mucus membrane of the lungs. The student, along with two other students -- one who walked through the room and one who smelled the mixture in an adjacent room -- were all taken to the hospital for examination. Weber Hall was evacuated for cleanup and large fans were used to clear the odors out of the building. The building was approved for re-entry around 11:15 a.m.
All three of the student employees were seen by a physician and later released without injuries.
A text message was sent to the campus community using the university's alert system. The system also posted the message on Twitter and Facebook.
Weber Hall houses the department of animal sciences and industry.
