Senior biochemistry student Brandon Cook was sitting Thursday between two mobile shelves storing about 1,200 kinds of substances used in lab experiments in Room 266 of the Engineering and Science Building.

Cook, a work-study student, said he was checking the Chemistry Department’s inventory of chemicals.

Red capital letters that read “Flammable; Keep Fire Away” are on a closed yellow cabinet in the corner of the room next to a blue cabinet storing acids and corrosives.

Chemistry Department Chair Lisa Bell-Loncella said two chemical storage rooms are in the department; one is in the Engineering and Science Building, and the other, Nursing and Health Sciences Building.

Other storage arrangements include limiting the compressed gas cylinders’ usage.

Bell-Loncella said the strict safety precaution was because, if the cylinders leak, they can become projectiles.

“If the cylinder is not tethered to the wall or some secure enclosure, it could shoot off like a rocket.”

A transparent tank is dedicated to leftover  chemicals that are labeled and picked up twice a year by professional workers who dispose of them, Bell-Loncella said.

The chemicals were stored in various containers of different materials, sizes and shapes. Some of them are more identifiable than others, such as sunflower oil and cereals in their original packages from retail stores.

Campus Grounds Supervisor David Finney said the Chemistry Department handles this inventory directly due to safety precautions.

Richland Township Department Fire Chief Bob Heffelfinger, said he was aware of these flammable chemicals’ storage.

“We may have (received formal notifications of this inventory), but it is (only) general knowledge of the facility for the Fire Department.”