MHS Year 12 student's face burnt in freak chemistry accident???

[costargh]

Student burnt after science experiment backfires
May 6, 2009 - 2:03PM

A high-school student's face was burnt by acid when a chemistry experiment backfired at a prestigious Melbourne school this morning.

Paramedics treated the 18-year-old Melbourne High School student after the acid splashed in his face when it was dropped during the classroom experiment.

Advanced life support paramedic Dan Candy said the teen was taken to hospital after the accident happened about 11am.

"He was splashed in the face, suffering some minor burns to his forehead," Mr Candy said.

"Thankfully he was wearing safety glasses, and the acid didn't get into his eyes.

"We removed his clothing to ensure there was no further contamination."

The acid was washed away with water and the teen taken to hospital and given pain relief.

Melbourne High School assistant principal David Smyth said the student had been splashed by a ``couple of drops'' of the chemical.

Mr Smyth said the Metropolitan Fire Brigade attended the spill but were happy with the measures taken by the school and left shortly after.

He said he did not believe the chemical had been mixed and no odour or gas was released when it was dropped.

"We followed all protocol and he was doused in water continually until the ambulance arrived ...  the school nurse was on the scene straight away,'' Mr Smyth said.

Mr Smyth said such experiments were "critical for understanding''.

"You can't do chemistry without those laboratory experiments,'' he said.

"These things happen, I suppose.''

True?

[shinny]

Yep it is. However it's not as dramatic as The Age makes it out to be. Whilst it was actually 9M sulfuric acid apparently (so yes, that's some bloody strong acid), it was just squirted from a dropper so a few drops got onto his face, as the vice-principal did actually state. It wasn't the whole 'beaker-in-face' mental image I had initially so yeh.

[TrueLight]

lol big woops
i wonder what would of happened if a whole beaker fell on him ...... of say HCl would it burn through clothes?

[Edmund]

Why are the Year 12's dealing with 9M sulfuric acid anyway?

[Mao]

Why are the Year 12's dealing with 9M sulfuric acid anyway?

9M isn't THAT bad... We used to sometimes deal with conc (97~98% pure) sulfuric acid [though granted, it wasn't very often]

but poor kid, it'd still burn like hell. I know a guy who got a minor burn on his arm with 5M sulfuric acid... I think the scar is still there.

[mtwtfss]

Yeah its true, few more details and such, rather not disclose though for his sake.

[Gloamglozer]

I wonder if the experiment he was doing was the aspirin one.

[hard]

haha

[Glockmeister]

I wonder if the experiment he was doing was the aspirin one.

might've been. They didn't let us touch the concentrated stuff (the teacher did that)

[Over9000]

Would that hurt?

[kurrymuncher]

thats crap, I drink 9M for breakfast

[monokekie]

RIP Kurrymuncher...

[TrueTears]

thats crap, I drink 9M for breakfast

I feel for your health.

[excal]

Stop the necromancy.