Liquid nitrogen and other cryogenic liquids can be handled quite safely with proper precautions, but it’s important not to lose respect for what can go wrong. This page contains a number of links to incidents both at LBNL and at other institutions. The lessons from other institutions are provided for informational purposes only, and LBNL does not take responsibility for any root cause analysis or conclusions drawn from the incidents.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: Worker sustains severe cryo burns despite wearing appropriate PPE
A combination of a lack of knowledge about the limitations of cryo gloves and a change to a liquid nitrogen fill station resulted in a severe cryo burn to a student who was receiving on-the-job training.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: Reactive chemical incidents at the Molecular Foundry – cold trap explosion
During the scale-up of a customized chemical synthesis procedure, the liquid nitrogen trap on the Schlenk line exploded, sending shards of glass into the face of the researcher. Fortunately, the injuries were minor. The explosion was likely caused by the condensation of a fuel and an oxidizer into the cold trap.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: Liquid Nitrogen Can Absorb into Cloth and Cause Burns
A researcher suffered a cryogen burn while filling the liquid nitrogen trap on a Schlenk line. The researcher was following the standard protocol for their lab and wearing all appropriate PPE, but a small splash of liquid nitrogen soaked into scrunchie on their wrist, freezing it and causing a cryo burn.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: A cautionary tale from the past
To quote from the MIT news article:
Many of you may know that I was blinded in one eye during a lab accident in 1970, shortly after I arrived at MIT as an assistant professor. I always wore glasses whenever I was at my bench, and while I felt I conscientiously observed safety measures, my experience proves one can’t be too cautious about wearing safety glasses. – Dr. K. Barry Sharpless
This incident is reminiscent of Dr. Sharpless’s story. A student was working with 15mL Corning FalconTM tubes in storage in a liquid nitrogen Dewar. While handling some of the tubes, there was an explosion and a shard of the sample container was embedded in the student’s palm. It is common for containers such as vials and centrifuge tubes to pull liquid nitrogen inside as the gas inside cools and the pressure drops. Later, when the container is removed from the liquid nitrogen bath and warms up, the trapped liquid nitrogen boils and explodes the container.
UC Center for Laboratory Safety: Student sustains cold burns when touching liquid nitrogen
In this incident, a researcher’s cryo-gloved hand made contact with liquid nitrogen while inserting a sample storage rack into a Dewar. The fog produced by condensing water vapor near the surface of liquid nitrogen can make it difficult to see the level of liquid nitrogen inside a Dewar, and unfortunately, no gloves that we know of can protect against direct contact with cryogenic liquids. If a procedure puts your hands dangerously near the surface of a liquid nitrogen bath, it is recommended to find tools that can extend your reach or some other means of engineering the system so your hands can be further away. Contact the cryogenic liquids subject matter expert if you need help.
Chemical Safety Board: The Hazards of Nitrogen Asphyxiation (2003)
The Chemical Safety Board conducts in-depth investigations and case studies on chemical incidents and makes their reports available to the public. This informational presentation from 2003 discusses the hazards of inert gas asphyxiation in general, and also outlines some major case studies.
Post-Graduate student dies of asphyxiation while filling liquid nitrogen Dewar
A student filling a Dewar in a partially enclosed area died of asphyxiation from the boil-off and accumulation of liquid nitrogen.
