Disastrous Refrigerators

The old adage "out of sight, out of mind" is unfortuneately all to commonly applied to chemical storage refrigerators. The refrigerator is often the last storage unit that is inventoried or cleaned out. Many were the times during inspections that the lab would evacuate when the occupants saw we were about to open the refrigerator in the room. In another instance, a student came to me asking for a respirator because that was the only way they could safely open and clean their refrigerator. Following are some examples, from various locations, of refrigerators that were particularly neglected or abused.

Scenario I - Overcrowded and Inappropriate Refrigerator

The first set of examples shows what happens when a refrigerator is never inventoried and old materials are not removed. As you might expect from experiences with your refrigerator at home, this can result in some pretty ugly containers of unidentifiable stuff!

This particular refrigerator has a primary label which indicates that it is not suitable for chemical storage (reason: this is a domestic refrigerator). A handprinted label has amended this label to indicate that no samples should be placed here -- only reagents.

Opening the refrigerator reveals the contents of the heavily overstocked refrigerator, the majority of which are flammable liquids. The other problem that is immediately obvious is the huge ice block that has formed above the top shelf of the refrigerator.

This refrigerator taught a valuable lesson -- the owner had taken a position at another campus and "donated" these materials to the department. This "gift" ended up costing several days of labor to clean up and dispose of the materials and refrigerator.

This close-up of the top shelf begins to show the problems that are buried in this ice block. The materials stored in the boxes in the back of the refrigerator are actually frozen within the ice. The only way that these materials could be removed was by first allowing the ice block to warm and thaw. Of course, this caused a new problem in that many of the materials were water sensitive/reactive and, by the time all was said and done, they were all sitting in puddles of water and soaking wet.

The presence of all these flammable liquids stored in a domestic refrigerator should cause the safety conscious investigator more than a slight shudder of anxiety. Those of you who have not witnessed the explosive force of a refrigerator detonated by the spark created by the compressor, have been truly blessed. Those of you who have survived such a disaster, will never again have to be reminded of the potential for danger represented by this situation.

Scenario II - Neglected/Abandoned Refrigerator

This is a situation were an investigator slowly started shutting down projects in preparation for retirement. As a project was completed, rather than removing the materials from the lab, they were left in the last place used. Materials that had been stored in the refrigerator, were left there. This went on for many years, with no one ever opening the fridge, since it contained only materials used in abandoned projects.

Then one year, annual inspections were started and refrigerators were included in the inspection process. When this refrigerator was opened the inspector was met with a very unpleasant surprise - the shelves had all collapsed, dumping all the materials together on top of each other in the bottom of the refrigerator. Only quick reaction by the inspector averted mixed chemical reactants from crashing to the floor.

Upon questioning of the laboratory personnel, it was also determined that this refrigerator had not worked for years. When the refrigerator quit working, it warmed to room temperature, causing the materials stored within to outgas. The vapors were corrosive to the containers and the refrigerator. Because of the terrible odor that escaped when the door was opened, the mess was never cleaned up. Instead, the refrigerator was taped shut and forgotten.

Soon, the integrity of containers and refrigerator was compromised, and over time, more and more chemicals were released and involved in the massive chemical reaction which consumed the interior of the refrigerator, as well as, the chemical containers. This was a particularly dangerous situation since the projects had involved synthesis of trimethylarsine complexes -- materials which are extremely toxic and noxious. The only solution was to have a emergency response hazardous materials company come in and clean up the situation, which was a very expensive proposition. Adding immensely to the expense of cleaning up this problem, was the large number of samples which had no label to indicate the identity of the material, thus forcing treatment as an "unknown". Also evident is the use of inappropriate containers for long-term storage. This included open flasks, flasks covered with foil, round bottom flasks leaning precariously against neighboring containers, etc. To have a bigger picture, click on the image.

Scenario III - Start of a Storage Problem

This photo shows an example of what might happen if you don't take proper care of your refrigerator. In this case the drain tube had become clogged with residue and caused the bottom of the refrigerator to fill with water. The chemicals that had been stored on the bottom shelf (including water reactives) were standing in water - obviously a less than optimal storage situation!