A controlled explosion has been carried out at Rhymney Comprehensive School as part of a national movement to ensure a lab chemical was stored safely.
Last week, advisory body Cleapss (the Consortium of Local Education Authorities for the Provision of Science Equipment) issued reminders to schools across the UK on how to correctly store 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine, known as 2,4-DNP.
The chemical is used in A-Level chemistry lessons and stored damp, usually inside another larger container holding water as a precaution. It can become hazardous if allowed to dry out.
2,4-DNP can pose a risk of explosion by shock, friction or fire if not stored correctly.
Cleapss claimed to have received a number of calls regarding the chemical, and a warning to teachers on its website added: “If there is no water in the outer container or the reagent bottle has not been placed inside an additional container you must assume that the material has dried out, meaning that an additional risk is present.”
Rhymney Comprehensive School contacted authorities on Wednesday November 2, and a bomb squad successfully detonated the chemical at around 1pm in the school’s playing fields.
No children were evacuated from the site during what was described as the “routine disposal.”
Several schools across the country, including two in Carmarthenshire, have also had controlled explosions take place this week following the issued guidance.