ChE Faculty, Staff and Graduate Students, There was a serious Near Miss Incident in late 2010 that I need to inform you about. A bottle of water was sealed and placed in a microwave oven in one of the Armstrong Hall kitchenettes. The timer was set for 5 minutes and the user went elsewhere during this time. When the user returned, he/she found the door of the microwave had been blown off by the exploding water bottle with enough force that it damaged the wall across from the oven. Pictures of the damage from boiling water are attached for your information. It could have been much worse. No one happened to be walking by or using the kitchenette at the time, so injury from the flying door and bottle and the steam and boiling water did not occur. Most people reading of this incident will be dismissive, but please think about the last time you or someone you know might have had a steam burn or failed to notice some metal trim on a container when using a microwave. A two page write-up on microwave operation and safety is attached for your information. The purpose of Near Miss reporting is to raise awareness and to prevent the next incident from happening. More to come on Near Miss reporting this summer. Linda Linda S. Davis Industrial Education Director Chair, ChE Safety Committee (https://engineering.purdue.edu/ChE/AboutUs/Safety.html) School of Chemical Engineering Purdue University 480 Stadium Mall Dr. West Lafayette, IN 47907-2100 Phone: (765)496-1710 lsdavis@purdue.edu
