Date: December 26, 2018
Location: Beijing, Hebei Province, China
Address: Haidian District
Type: Dust Explosion
Fuel: Magnesium Dust
Industry: Higher Education
Equipment: Hopper
Company: Beijing Jiaotong University
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: Three Dead
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to its website, Beijing Jiaotong University was established in 1896, making it one of the oldest universities in mainland China. It consists of 22 research institutes and research centers, and 39 laboratories. As of 2017, there were 25,569 full-time students on the campus.
Incident Description:
On February 14, 2019, China Daily reported a laboratory explosion at Beijing Jiaotong University in Beijing, China.
On December 26, 2018, students from the urban planning and environmental engineering department were carrying out sewage treatment experiments when an explosion occurred, killing three of the students.
Multiple government departments carried out a joint investigation of the incident and found that university students had acquired dangerous chemicals and carried out high-risk experiments that violated school regulations. The investigators said that university personnel failed to properly oversee the safety of laboratories and scientific research projects.
They found that while the students were stirring phosphoric acid and magnesium powder in a mixer, a spark caused by metal friction ignited the hydrogen generated in the hopper, causing an explosion. This led to a magnesium dust explosion.
Public security authorities confirmed that the director of the research project and the manager of the laboratory will be investigated for criminal negligence. The Ministry of Education and Beijing Jiaotong University punished 12 officials from the university and authorities have ordered comprehensive safety inspections at every stage of the production, sale, transportation, and storage of dangerous chemicals.
All Beijing universities must now carry out safety inspections and take other corrective measures, such as improve laboratory safety management systems and improve personnel training.
Sources:
China Daily
SupChina
CGTN
