CIRC Results   Incident Title Hydrogen Buildup in University Lab Leads to Small Explosion, Fire but No Injuries    Location Date of Incident Newark, NJ, United States 9/18/2000- 6:00 PM CSB Incident Number NRC Report Number Board Ref. Number 2000-4961 None Reported None Reported Current Status Date of Report Update No CSB Action 9/20/2000 - 11:44 AM Incident Types Location Types - Explosion - Fire Fixed Facility Evacuations Injuries Fatalities Yes - Number Unknown None None Chemicals Involved - Hydrogen Description or Latest Development ----- Information Added: Wednesday, September 20, 2000 - 11:43 AM ----- Boyden Hall at Rutger's University Newark campus was evacuated after an explosion and fire in a laboratory in the classroom building. No one was reported injured following the incident. The university said initial reports that the blast was caused by a student science experiment gone awry were incorrect, noting that the lab was not in use at the time. An investigation by Newark and Rutgers officials said a buildup of hydrogen in an inert atmosphere glove box caused the blast.  The box is used in biology experiments that require a controlled gas environment, such as those that work with certain types of bacteria. The equipment had not been used since July, and not bacteria were present when the explosion occurred, the university said. A determination of what caused the gas leak could take several days. The explosion destroyed the glove box, blew out several windows, caused ceiling tiles to fall, and broke some glassware stored on shelves. Sources ( * indicates the original source) Source Details Media - Associated Press * 09/19/2000 1547EDT    New Search Top   Disclaimer: The Chemical Incident Reports Center (CIRC) is an information service provided by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB). Users of this service should note that the contents of the CIRC are not intended to be a comprehensive listing of all incidents that have occurred; many incidents go unreported or are not entered into the database. Therefore, it is not appropriate to use the CIRC database to perform statistical analysis that extends conclusions beyond the content of the CIRC. Also, although the CSB never knowingly posts inaccurate information, the CSB is unable to independently verify all information that it receives from its various sources, much of which is based on initial reports. CIRC users should also note that the CSB receives more comprehensive reports about incidents that occur in the U.S.; comparisons made between U.S. incidents and those in other nations should take this fact into consideration. Users of data from the CIRC are requested to attach this disclaimer to the data and cite http://www.chemsafety.gov/circ as the source.