Department inspects safety rules for AAU Chemistry Show

By Lea Laursen Pasgaard, AAU Communication and Public Affairs
Photo: Archive

The Department of Chemistry and Bioscience has decided to pause the AAU Chemistry Show in the coming months while the safety rules for all experiments in the chemistry show's repertoire are reviewed. This decision comes after an accident during a chemistry show in Tønder on 7 September when a bottle exploded on stage.

The accident required hospital treatment of two people: one of AAU's own students and chemistry show staff member who suffered injuries to their hands, and boy from Tønder who was hit on the shoulder by a glass fragment. Both have been discharged from the hospital and are doing well under the circumstances.

Wrong bottle was the cause

The accident was caused by an incorrect choice of bottle during an experiment, called 'Ånden i flasken' [The Spirit in the Bottle]. In this case, a bottle with a screw cap was used instead of the prescribed bottle with a cork stopper.

"An unfortunate precedent arose at some point of using bottles with screw caps during the experiment. When, how and why this change in the experiment protocol occurred is unknown, so there is no reason to blame current and former staff of the AAU Chemistry Show for the accident,” says Kim Lambertsen Larsen, Head of the Department of Chemistry and Bioscience.

He emphasizes that the responsibility for safety when carrying out experimental work, including demonstration experiments both on campus and outside the building, always lies with the head of department.

"Of course, we are deeply affected by what happened. We want to provide knowledge about science in an easily accessible way, but no one should be harmed when this happens, says Kim Lambertsen Larsen.

AAU Chemistry Show gets a reset

"We are now rebuilding the confidence of the team who do great job in our chemistry show, and there must be full confidence in the safety of the relevant, exciting chemistry show experiments we deal with. For the sake of both our students and the audience," he adds.

In addition to reassessing the requirements for safety measures in all experiments, the department will also focus on further training and continuing education of chemistry show staff. An important element will be to ensure that any inappropriate handling of experiments does not end up as a precedent for how to conduct the experiments.

Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication and Public Affairs.