By Nam Hyun-woo
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) came under fire Sunday as it only evacuated faculty members after a chemical substance, which was assumed to be extremely toxic, leaked in a building at the school.
According to the school's graduate student body, a cleaner mistook a liquid in a white plastic bottle indicating it was hydrofluoric acid as a cleaning substance while she was cleaning the Electrical Engineering building at the school's Daejeon campus at 2:43 p.m. Friday.
The body said on Facebook that the cleaner mistook the substance for detergent and mixed it with existing bleach, and inhaled the gas produced by a chemical reaction.
She visited the school's infirmary about 30 minutes later and was then taken to a nearby hospital.
The acid is used in the manufacture of semiconductors and can cause immediate permanent lung damage and blindness.
Han Young-hun, the student body's president, said however, the school issued warnings saying "follow-up measures for safety are being taken, but it is advised to evacuate the building" only to professors through text messages.
However, students in the electrical engineering building received no messages until Saturday, while there were no announcements for visitors to the school.
This angered the students. "Though the school was aware of the accident, it only issued warnings to professors, while neglecting to take care of the cleaner. This seems like the school was attempting to hide and downplay it," a student surnamed Kim wrote.
"Whether the white plastic bottle contained hydrofluoric acid or not, people who work in the building and on the campus should be informed about any evacuation," Han wrote. "We urge the school to investigate the matter thoroughly and work to prevent any repetition."
The school responded that it sent warning text messages to electrical engineering professors and students studying in the professors' offices at 8:55 p.m., and then sent an e-mail to all people at KAIST.
The school added that the acid residue was not detected after it tested affected areas.
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) came under fire Sunday as it only evacuated faculty members after a chemical substance, which was assumed to be extremely toxic, leaked in a building at the school.
According to the school's graduate student body, a cleaner mistook a liquid in a white plastic bottle indicating it was hydrofluoric acid as a cleaning substance while she was cleaning the Electrical Engineering building at the school's Daejeon campus at 2:43 p.m. Friday.
The body said on Facebook that the cleaner mistook the substance for detergent and mixed it with existing bleach, and inhaled the gas produced by a chemical reaction.
She visited the school's infirmary about 30 minutes later and was then taken to a nearby hospital.
The acid is used in the manufacture of semiconductors and can cause immediate permanent lung damage and blindness.
Han Young-hun, the student body's president, said however, the school issued warnings saying "follow-up measures for safety are being taken, but it is advised to evacuate the building" only to professors through text messages.
However, students in the electrical engineering building received no messages until Saturday, while there were no announcements for visitors to the school.
This angered the students. "Though the school was aware of the accident, it only issued warnings to professors, while neglecting to take care of the cleaner. This seems like the school was attempting to hide and downplay it," a student surnamed Kim wrote.
"Whether the white plastic bottle contained hydrofluoric acid or not, people who work in the building and on the campus should be informed about any evacuation," Han wrote. "We urge the school to investigate the matter thoroughly and work to prevent any repetition."
The school responded that it sent warning text messages to electrical engineering professors and students studying in the professors' offices at 8:55 p.m., and then sent an e-mail to all people at KAIST.
The school added that the acid residue was not detected after it tested affected areas.
