Geneviève L. Picard
In a lab, a medical student accidentally sets down a piece of acrylic equipment on a hot plate. The toxic fumes spread through the lab and then throughout the other floors of the Roger Guindon Building.
This catastrophic scenario is not imaginary: this situation actually occurred in February 2006. Luckily, the University of Ottawa’s Hazardous Material (HazMat) Emergency Response Team was ready to intervene along with the University’s Protection Services and the City of Ottawa Fire Department.
Nancy Delcellier recalls what happened that day. “We evacuated the entire building for three hours and the laboratory surroundings until the next day, as a precautionary measure,” explains the Faculty of Medicine’s environmental health and safety agent and HazMat team leader at Roger Guindon. The team evaluated damages, activated the ventilation systems and performed air quality tests to ensure there was no longer any danger. “Without the emergency team, the entire building would have remained shut down until the next day.”
First line defence
The University’s HazMat emergency team was created in 1990 as the result of a spill in a storage area for chemical products. Currently, the University has two HazMat teams each composed of seven members — one at the main campus and one at Roger Guindon. Members include support staff and professors; all members are volunteers. They meet once a month to review potential incidents and prepare appropriate responses. They practice regularly with protection equipment similar to that used by fire fighters.
The emergency team steps into action approximately 15 times a year only when requested by Protection Services and based on established protocol.
Knowing the risks
“In each of the faculties of medicine and science, laboratories are evaluated by members of the faculty,” explains Christine Carrière, facilities manager for the Faculty of Engineering and emergency team leader for the main campus. The team has compiled a database of all potential dangers whether it is of a pathological, biological or radiological nature.
Buildings are also evaluated based on particular risk factors. For example, the sports complex uses chlorine in their pool and the rinks require the use of ammonia as part of the ice-making process. “As soon as we get a call, we can quickly verify the risks associated with the situation,” affirms Carrière.
She also points out the important role played by students, researchers and technicians in the event of an emergency. They are often the ones who can explain the causes of the incident and the possible solution.
“As more people on campus are trained” she says, “the less likelihood there is of small incidents becoming serious ones.”
