Gas leak fears in Royal College of Science building

The Chemistry Department’s Royal College of Science building was closed for a short time last week as a result of a suspected gas leak. On the evening of Monday, January 22 all Chemistry staff and students were sent an email saying that the building would be closed until next morning as a result of the leak. However, the building was tested overnight by EDF who determined that the scare was a false alarm. A spokesperson for Imperial College London said: “”Imperial received reports of a drop in pressure in the natural gas lines accompanied by a smell of gas in the Chemistry Building at approximately 18.00 yesterday. As a precaution, the building was evacuated and the gas supply shut off. Gas engineers were immediately notified and a full test of the building took place. The engineers found no trace of gas escaping from anywhere in the building. Having established its safety, the building reopened as normal this morning.” Chemistry students were warned “to be extra careful when using mercaptans or thiols, which can often lead to the gassy smells.”