Chemical Explosion in Mulhouse, France.

[gothchemist]

I am starting this thread as a place where people can leave their thoughts on the terrible explosion which occurred on the 24 March at the National College of Chemistry, Mulhouse, France.

My thoughts go out the friends and family of the dead Professor and the injured students and staff.

I also would like to pay my respects to the dead professor for his work in researching high risk procedures for the advancement of science. I think we all need to the remember the triumphs of science despite the risk over the years. It people like the professor that died that has enabled the human race as a whole to learn and advance. My salute to scientists in all areas, may your good work continue.

[RyanJ]

^ Second that.

 

People who risk their lives poshing the borders of human knowledge at the risk of their lives deserve recognition!

 

Pitty... messing with ethylene is a bad idea

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[akcapr]

what exactly happened? i havent heard about this

[RyanJ]

what exactly happened? i havent heard about this

 

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-03-24-france-explosion_x.htm

 

There is very little about the explosion its self yet.

 

Thats about the best description there is.

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[Forensicmad]

Holy moley!

He was blown through the ceiling! I suppose that is one of the risks faced when researching "high-risk chemical procedures".

Poor guy.

[Tartaglia]

An acquaintance of mine was killed when a leak in a phosphine delivery system sprayed him with flames. He took about two weeks to die. I have witnessed and come across some other horrendous accidents in my time, including a lad who loss half his intestines when a peroxide explosion impaled him on a retort stand, somebody who blew half his hand off in a perchlorate explosion and 4 solvent explosions mainly ether but one was thf. In one of these the person concerned suffered 40% body burns.

When I look at this forum I often wince. There are obviously a lot of incompetentents who are heading for serious accidents, but this is exacerbated by poor advice handed out by people whose descriptions rather overstate their expertise.

Often the dangers are not obvious, such as repeated exposure to toxins. My PhD supervisor's, supervisor's supervisor was the great boron chemist Leonard Stock who managed to poison about 30 of his students when they were developing the mercury diffusion pump

 

The reality of academic science is unfortnately not self sacrificing individuals trying to extend the extent of human knowledge but rather a lot of egotistical, self serving glory hunters, whose rewards are often not worth the risks their unsung students take

[woelen]

Tartaglia, isn't this expressed a little negatively ? Of course, sometimes accidents happen (sadly enough) and there also are people, who misuse other people (that happens everywhere, so it also happens in science). I, however, have worked for many years at a university and what you describe about "egoistic self serving glory hunters "I have never seen personally .

 

Also, I think you are too negative about this forum and people moving towards their own dooming. People, performing experiments at home, indeed impose a certain risk upon themselves, but isn't that true with many other activities in life?

[RyanJ]

Also, I think you are too negative about this forum and people moving towards their own dooming. People, performing experiments at home, indeed impose a certain risk upon themselves, but isn't that true with many other activities in life?

 

If you ask em people with common sence have more to worry about when waking down the street than doing experiments. In the end knowledge and preperation are the keys to everything - without those even the simplest of tasks could and probably would be fatal. Risk is a part of life, to what degree depends on the person

 

I agree 100% with what woelen said there...

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[raivo]

Man needs dangers to be happy. Chemistry may be rather dangerous but there are lot of fully respected acctions that are not less. Such as surfing in the sea or or climbing in montains or some kinds of wintertime fishing.

 

There are also lot of dangerous things that everyone does as this is required part of our lives. Walking in the streets is rather dangerous and driving a car is even more. And when living in big city we all are continously intoxicated with bensene and milions of other toxins. Smokers get even more of this.

 

And after all - governments who claim that theyr biggest concern is our safety have floated this world over with numerous kinds of bombs in so big amounts that everyone of us can be burnt or riped into pieces thousands of times.

 

What i want to say is that hobby chemistry is not something especially dangerous when compared to other dangerous parts of human life and it is probable that if all the dangers of our life are eliminated in some mystical way then amount of suicides will increase greatly because many would feel that theyr life is empty.