Chemicals Inventoried for Emergency Services

Even as construction crews finish tidying up loose ends, work is already under way in the Science Center. Chris Langille, a safety studies graduate assistant, is leading a project, under the direction of safety studies assistant professor Melinda Treadwell, to inventory the chemicals used in labs and classrooms throughout the College. As chemicals are unpacked and moved into their new locations, Chris and a team of safety studies and science interns label and enter the names of the chemicals into a database.

The project is designed to provide emergency services with information about the presence of chemicals and other potentially dangerous materials. According to Chris, emergency services will be provided with CDs of the database so that rescue teams know what to expect before they enter, for example, a fire in a lab. The CDs will be updated, he says, as the database is updated.

The project will eventually extend beyond Keene State, says Chris. The College is planning to help other institutions, including Plymouth State University, Dartmouth College, and possibly businesses, create their own versions of the database