Following a fatal accident involving hydrofluoric acid (HF), the city of Sapporo, Japan, has cited Hokkaido University for violations of Japan’s poisonous substances control act. One student died and two were injured in the Aug. 27 incident.
The city sent a violation letter after an Aug. 28 municipal inspection of the laboratory where the accident occurred. It identified four areas of noncompliance related to the management of hazardous substances.
Inspectors found that nontoxic reagents were stored in a cabinet designated exclusively for toxic substances. They also found that the ledger used to record the receipt and use of HF was unaccounted for and that the key to the toxic substance storage cabinet was not being properly checked in and out. Finally, they determined that containers into which HF and other substances were poured lacked required labeling to identify the contents as poisonous.
The city instructed Hokkaido University to promptly correct the deficiencies in laboratory practices, strengthen compliance management across the university, and report both the circumstances of the accident and the results of corrective actions.
Regarding the deficiencies in key control, Hokkaido University states in a Sept. 9 announcement that “in the laboratory concerned, students and others at the university were not allowed to freely handle the key, and the room in which the storage cabinet was installed was itself kept locked. Handling of the key was limited to students who belonged to the laboratory, had received safety training, and were authorized by the manager.
“However, this management method did not meet the level required by law and was therefore judged to be non‑compliant,” the university adds.
“We recognize this matter as extremely serious and take the guidance with utmost gravity,” the university states. “We will promptly implement necessary corrective measures in cooperation with relevant authorities, review management systems across the university, and ensure thorough prevention of recurrence and compliance with applicable laws.”
The accident occurred inside a building of the university’s Faculty of Science. A still-unidentified graduate student was splashed with HF and suffered severe injuries, later dying at a nearby hospital. Two students who attempted to assist were also exposed to HF and sustained minor injuries. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
In the case of HF exposure, calcium gluconate gel is typically applied as an emergency measure to bind fluoride ions. In response to an inquiry by C&EN, Hokkaido University’s public relations office writes in an email, “Each laboratory is required to implement risk‑reduction measures appropriate to the types of chemicals handled and their associated hazards. The laboratory concerned had calcium gluconate prepared.” The office adds, “Going forward, we will require laboratories that possess HF to prepare calcium gluconate and other advance measures, and we will distribute posters summarizing procedures for responding to chemical burns.”
