Liters of leaked hydrochloric acid caused a big stir on the TUD campus last Friday. At least a hundred people were evacuated, the Kluyverweg was partly closed for several hours and a maintenance man suffered minor burns to his face.
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The incident occurred at 11 a.m. at the TU-owned “Delft Transport Center”, a business concern for transport knowledge companies. A plumber was working on a water pipe when he accidentally damaged another supply pipe. To his astonishment, out poured liters of hydrochloric acid. Firemen evacuated the building because of the smoke coming from the acid. The plumber escaped with minor injuries, thanks to his quick reactions: he put his coat over his head and immediately flushed his face with water. According to the fire brigade, as much as 60 liters of acid leaked out. TU Delft offers another estimate: 20 liters, at most.
The incident came as a complete surprise to all involved, as hydrochloric acid is one of the last substances you’d expect to stumble upon in an office building. But the complex used to house a laboratory school, and in those days the pipes were
used to pump HCl to a water demineralization installation. That installation was removed a long time ago, but, apparently, the acid pipe was somehow overlooked – as well as the remaining acid that was still inside it. According to the TU Facility Management department, the building is now completely safe. Ironically, the plumber was looking for ‘unsafe’ pipes that might contain legionella, the bacteria that can cause Legionnaires Disease. The pipe he did find was even more dangerous. (MK)
Liters of leaked hydrochloric acid caused a big stir on the TUD campus last Friday. At least a hundred people were evacuated, the Kluyverweg was partly closed for several hours and a maintenance man suffered minor burns to his face.
The incident occurred at 11 a.m. at the TU-owned “Delft Transport Center”, a business concern for transport knowledge companies. A plumber was working on a water pipe when he accidentally damaged another supply pipe. To his astonishment, out poured liters of hydrochloric acid. Firemen evacuated the building because of the smoke coming from the acid. The plumber escaped with minor injuries, thanks to his quick reactions: he put his coat over his head and immediately flushed his face with water. According to the fire brigade, as much as 60 liters of acid leaked out. TU Delft offers another estimate: 20 liters, at most.
The incident came as a complete surprise to all involved, as hydrochloric acid is one of the last substances you’d expect to stumble upon in an office building. But the complex used to house a laboratory school, and in those days the pipes were
used to pump HCl to a water demineralization installation. That installation was removed a long time ago, but, apparently, the acid pipe was somehow overlooked – as well as the remaining acid that was still inside it. According to the TU Facility Management department, the building is now completely safe. Ironically, the plumber was looking for ‘unsafe’ pipes that might contain legionella, the bacteria that can cause Legionnaires Disease. The pipe he did find was even more dangerous. (MK)
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