A Form Four student sustained a minor hand injury after being exposed to a mercury spill during an incident in the chemistry laboratory at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Bukit Besi on Tuesday.
The Al Muktafi Billah Shah Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) received an emergency call at about 1.34pm, prompting six firefighters to be dispatched to the school.
Operations Commander Senior Fire Officer II Kama Suhaimi Abdullah said the student suffered only minor injuries and was taken to a nearby clinic for medical treatment.
Initial investigations indicate the incident occurred after a thermometer accidentally fell onto a laboratory table and shattered, causing mercury to spill across an area measuring approximately 0.6 square metres.
Kama praised the school’s swift response, saying staff immediately scattered sulphur powder over the affected area to contain the hazardous substance and reduce the risk of further mercury contamination before firefighters arrived.
Firefighters later carried out decontamination and clean-up operations to ensure the laboratory was safe for use. All hazardous mercury waste was successfully collected and will be handed over for proper disposal.
