Magnet Lab Closed Today After Electrical Fire, One Employee Injured
CONTACT: Amy Winters Mast, MagLab
(850) 644-1933; winters@magnet.fsu.edu
MAGNET LAB CLOSED TODAY AFTER ELECTRICAL FIRE, ONE EMPLOYEE INJURED
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — An employee of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University suffered serious burns after an electrical fire this morning. The MagLab will remain closed today.
The employee, who has worked as an engineering technician at the MagLab for 10 years, suffered second- and third-degree burns and was transported by LifeNet helicopter to Shands Hospital Burn Center in Gainesville, Fla., following initial on-scene treatment by Leon County Emergency Medical Services and the Tallahassee Fire Department. There were no other injuries.
The fire occurred about 9:15 a.m. during a routine maintenance procedure in theNuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) wing. Leon County EMS, TFD and the FSU Police Department responded immediately. The MagLab was immediately evacuated and the fire extinguished. The state fire marshal and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also were on the scene.
“Ourfocus is on our friend and colleague who was injured this morning, and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,” said Greg Boebinger, director of the MagLab. “We want to thank the first-responders for their quick response.”
Power is off to the NMR wing of the MagLab while a team of safety and technical experts investigate the cause of the fire. TFD and FSU Environmental Health and Safety personnel are ventilating the building and evaluating the indoor airquality in the remaining wings of the facility.
The only magnet lab of its kind in the United States, the MagLab is home to thelargest and most powerful magnets in the world. The lab was established by the National Science Foundation in 1990.
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