China grapples with lab safety following huge growth in student numbers

In 2016, an explosion involving hydrogen and oxygen at the University of Hawaii in Manoa shocked the scientific world after it led to a postdoc losing her arm and ultimately suing the university, her supervisor and others, arguing that she had been provided with equipment and materials that were inappropriate and unsafe.

But the Hawaii incident was not an isolated one. In mainland China alone, there have been 110 publicly reported accidents in laboratories located between 2000 and 2019, a new analysis has revealed. Data for the rest of the world remains scarce.

The authors of the new study sifted through media reports and government websites, searching for details about lab accidents that had occurred in China since 2000. According to the analysis, around 80% of the reported accidents, fatalities and injuries are caused by fires, explosions or exposure to toxic chemicals. The study authors say inadequate lab safety training for students is responsible but say the trend has improved, with fewer incidents in recent years.