On Friday, Jan. 30, a chemical leak occurred at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, forcing classes there to be rescheduled. According to an email sent out to Heller faculty on the 30th by Associate Registrar for Course and Classroom Scheduling Kristina Law, the leak occurred in Heller G50. Law stated, “The leak includes both water and propylene glycol, which can cause respiratory irritation as well as eye irritation/tearing and nausea.”
According to the CDC’s website, propylene glycol is a water-absorbing liquid substance used in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. It is also used “to make artificial smoke and mists for fire safety training, theatrical performances, and rock concerts.” The CDC’s website also states that “frequent skin exposure to propylene glycol can sometimes irritate the skin.”
Law continued by stating: “While facilities works to repair the pipe and remove the carpet, we encourage all classes to be remote. I know some of you are already in class, please call us directly and we will move your class.”
In an interview with The Hoot, Cameron Sherman ’26, a teaching assistant for a class held in Heller G003, shared his experiences with the leak. When Sherman’s class began at 9:35 a.m., “our teacher briefly mentioned something going on with the air, like a weird smell, but I couldn’t smell anything because I was just recovering from a long cold.” Later on, Sherman was proctoring a test in a separate room, but reported feeling “lightheaded and faint.”
At around 10:30 a.m., a woman whom Sherman didn’t recognize entered the room and said “there’s been some kind of leak two doors down, and if you don’t feel comfortable you can leave.” This person also gave Sherman an email address to contact if he was feeling uncomfortable. Sherman told this to his professor, who responded by saying, “Yeah, I thought something was up.” Sherman emailed the email address stating that he felt nauseous, and “another person on the registrar emailed and gave alternative classrooms we could move to.” However, Sherman opted to remain in the building as he expected the test he was proctoring to finish quickly.
Sherman stated, “No one seemed scared; everyone seemed calm. A few students said they noticed something weird in the vents. Some students said it smelled bad.” Sherman got out of the building at around 11:15 a.m. and did not see the source of the leak. He also did not see any maintenance personnel, firefighters, or EMTs, and he “avoided Heller for the rest of the day.” In the afternoon, he checked in at the university health center, who told him that he was fine. The professor’s other class in the Heller building was cancelled for the day.
In a statement to The Hoot, Matthew Rushton, Associate Vice President of Campus Operations and Chief Safety Officer, stated, “On [Jan. 30], Facilities identified an issue within a building system that contained, possibly, propylene glycol, a chemical used in HVAC water systems. As a precaution, the affected area was immediately closed to occupants, and Facilities staff responded promptly to assess the situation.”
Rushton said that the leak was caused by “extended periods of extreme cold temperatures that placed unusual stress on heating systems across campus, including the one at Heller.” He went on to say, “These recent frigid conditions are not typical for our region and can strain mechanical components even when systems are properly maintained.”
According to Rushton, once the leak had been identified, “out of an abundance of caution, the building was ventilated, the affected carpeting was removed and replaced, and the system was inspected and corrected.” Following inspection from Brandeis Facilities, Heller reopened on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
