One building of the Y-12 facility in Oak Ridge was evacuated around 10:30 a.m. when alarms sounded after a chemical spill in the nuclear plant’s purification factory, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Fewer than 10 employees were present when the building was evacuated, National Nuclear Security Administration spokesman Steven Wyatt told the Knoxville News Sentinel.
The chemical, acetonitirile, is a flammable solvent and is toxic when inhaled. Due to how dangerous this chemical is, it’s usually advised that facilities keep it locked away securely if the chemical is being handled at the facility. This ensures that it is out of reach, keeping workers safe. For any buildings storing this chemical, it might be worth looking at purchasing a safety cabinet from somewhere similar to Storemasta. By using storage cabinets, it should keep these dangerous chemicals locked away safely, reducing the risk of an accident like this at your facility.
Thankfully, this building was evacuated shortly after the spill of the dangerous chemicals. Luckily, there were no fatalities, and no employees were injured.
According to a media release from infrastructure manager Andy Huff, the leak was small– less than a gallon–and is used in several thermonuclear processes at Oak Ridge’s facility. Huff did not specify why the chemical was in use this morning. This means that it is unknown why the accident may have occurred, burning the facility and potentially causing injuries.
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