Office of Security, Safety and Risk Management
Emergency Response to Laboratory Fire
- Alert people in your laboratory or immediate area to
the fire. Evacuate the laboratory and have someone pull the handle on
the local fire alarm box.
- Have someone call Emergency (911 or 6777) from a safe place to give more details about the fire.
- Put
out the fire with the appropriate extinguisher if training or
experience or common sense tells you that you can. Fight the fire from
a position of escape. If the fire is very small, it may be extinguished
by smothering it with a nonflammable material such as an inverted
beaker or watch glass. Take no risk if the fumes from the burning
material are unknown to you.
- Contain the fire by closing hoods and doors when evacuating area.
- A
person with clothing on fire should be drenched under the safety shower
(located at exit of each lab). Afterward, wrap the person in a blanket
to protect against shock. Use a fire blanket (located in the red
containers in the main halls) only as a last resort, since it may trap
heat and increase the severity of a burn.
- Do not use elevators to leave the building. Leave the building by using the stairs. Keep the lights on in your laboratory.
