BARRINGTON — The Brown Science Center on the campus of St. Andrew’s School in Barrington was evacuated on Wednesday after a small amount of mercury was spilled inside a classroom.
As of 2:45 p.m., crews from the Barrington and East Providence Fire Departments were still at the school assessing the situation. It was not entirely clear what exact time the spill took place.
According to St. Andrew’s School Headmaster John Martin, a substitute teacher was leading a science class on Wednesday when someone dropped a small vial that contained mercury. Everyone who was inside the science center at the time of the spill was immediately evacuated, Mr. Martin said.
“From what I’ve been told, it was a small amount,” said Mr. Martin.
The headmaster sent an e-mail to members of the St. Andrew’s School community after the spill. He said all individuals who were inside the building had been told to notify a health professional if there was any change in their condition.
“Students who were in the classroom today had their shoes checked for evidence of mercury, and two students and two faculty had to remove their shoes due to trace amounts of mercury,” Mr. Martin wrote. “Those shoes are now being stored until the amounts of mercury are acceptable.”
According to the headmaster, the school has hired a company to clean the Brown Science Center; he believed the building would not be reopened for at least another day. In the meantime, classes usually held in the Brown Science Center would be relocated.
“While we must take every precaution to be sure that our students, faculty and parents are safe, I want to assure the community that there is no immediate danger,” Mr. Martin wrote. “We are simply following the guidelines that we must follow after a mercury spill no matter how large or small.”
The Rhode Island Department of Health reported late on Wednesday that the DEM was conducting air sample testing to identify areas of potential contamination inside the building.
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