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FDNY Issues 8 Violations To UWS High School Following Lab Accident

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Fire Department of New York has issued eight violations to Beacon High School following a chemistry experiment accident that left two students with burn injuries.

Following two separate inspections, the FDNY said the school on West 61st Street was not properly storing chemicals. The FDNY also said the school did not have a proper plan for using its science labs, 1010 WINS reported.

Just last week a tenth-grade chemistry teacher was conducting an experiment with colored chemicals in bowls when the demonstration went awry and the chemicals exploded.

Two students were engulfed in the fireball and were taken to Weill Cornell Medical Center, one of them suffered serious injuries.

Students identified the seriously injured classmate as Alonzo Yanes, who suffered second-degree burns to the face, neck and arm. A 15-year-old girl suffered first-degree burns, CBS 2 previously reported.

Following the accident, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board urged schools to take proper precautions with laboratory chemicals.  The agency said the flash fire incident was all too similar to one that was highlighted in a recent safety message it had released.

The board called the incident "yet another example of a preventable incident and a reminder of the need for exacting safety measures to protect students and school property."

The FDNY said the high school has 10 days to address violations such as proper storage of chemicals. The school will have 30 days to correct other violations, including the installation of a hood that will ventilate the lab when smoky experiments are conducted.

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