Firing up for the new year

All freshmen and new employees in the Faculty of Science and Engineering (formerly known as the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences) receive their safety training in the first week of the new Academic Year. After an hour of theory, there is the practical instruction: under supervision of the Faculty safety officers, everyone has to put out several fires. There is also an instruction on handling liquid nitrogen.

What do you do when it's not the wastepaper basket that is on fire, but a fellow student? Make the victim lie down, and cover with a fire blanket. Never wrap the victim in a blanket while standing - the blanket acts as a chimney and fan the flames.

Who never wanted to do this: empty a fire extinguisher into real flames!

Filling a bucket with liquid nitrogen is not without risk. One drop in your eye can cause irreversible damage. And a drop on your bare hands will cause severe burns.