Dangerous gas cylinder went missing from AU before Christmas and still hasn’t been found: "It's really frustrating"
The Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at AU has lost a gas cylinder filled with toxic contents and reported it to the police. The department is investigating the case as a misplacement since there are no signs of a break-in. The head of department has a theory about what might have happened.
Disclaimer: This text was translated using machine translation / AI and post-edited by Maria Nielsen Pedersen
Shortly before Christmas, on 19 December, the East Jutland Police received a report from Aarhus University. A cylinder containing the gas carbon monoxide, which can be fatal if inhaled, had gone missing from the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering between 5-10 December. After an internal investigation by the department, the cylinder had not been found, so to be safe, the department reported it to the police.
Carbon monoxide is both flammable and toxic. The odourless gas can be deadly if inhaled, and in a press release from 20 December, the East Jutland Police warned against opening the cylinder or inhaling the gas.
As of January, the cylinder has still not been found, according to Lars Ottosen, professor and head of department at the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at AU.
“The report is with the police, and we have promised to update them if we discover anything new. When everyone returns properly on Monday, we will resume the search. We have to go through everything again. Some people had already gone on holiday in early December, and we need to speak to them as well. We need to ask everyone who might have had anything to do with the cylinder,” says Lars Ottosen.
No signs of a break-in
When the department realised in December that the cylinder was missing, a major detective effort began.
“We looked in all conceivable places and all laboratories. There were several possible locations, as we have multiple sites, both here in Aarhus and at AU Viborg. A lot had to be checked. Had someone lent the cylinder to another department, for example? We had to check everything that could possibly have occurred,” says Lars Ottosen:
“In the end, we contacted the supplier of the cylinders. They denied that they could have accidentally taken it back during delivery when they also collect the used cylinders. And there were no signs of a break-in or anything like that,” says the head of department.
Only employees and students who have undergone safety training and are security cleared have access to the cylinders, and both a card and a key are required to access the cage where the gas cylinders are stored. The head of department estimates that 25-30 people have access to the cage. The carbon monoxide cylinders are used for research.
“Those who have access to them know what they are dealing with. And there has been no break-in. It’s a locked cage, so we don’t suspect any outsiders,” says Lars Ottosen.
Must contact the supplier again
Although the supplier of the gas cylinders denies having accidentally taken the filled gas cylinder back, this is still what Lars Ottosen considers most likely. The department is investigating the case as a misplacement or mix-up by the supplier.
“We must contact the supplier again. When they collect the cylinders, they scan a barcode on the cylinder, which then goes into a system. I could imagine that something fell through the cracks. But they deny that any error occurred on their part,” he says, explaining that you can't really tell if the cylinder is empty:
“You can’t tell whether there is gas in the cylinder or not. A cylinder filled with gas doesn’t weigh more than an empty cylinder, so you wouldn't notice if you accidentally took a cylinder that was still filled with gas. One of our staff might also have placed it with the empty cylinders,” says Lars Ottosen.
The department management team decided to report it
It took some time before the disappearance was reported to the police. But according to the head of department, there is nothing suspicious about the delay.
“There were no signs of theft, so we had to ask as many people as possible ourselves first. That took some time. Those who initially noticed the cylinder was missing didn't imagine it would become an issue. But we discussed it at management level and agreed to report it. We had checked everything we could, and thus felt obligated to contact the police. It's fine and by the book, but there's no clear guideline that says, 'if a gas cylinder goes missing, this is exactly what you should do,'” says Lars Ottosen.
In the police press release, there is a warning about the potential danger of the cylinder.
“If someone, for instance, gets hold of the cylinder intending to inhale it as a recreational drug, it carries a significant risk of sudden death,” the press release states, adding:
“Therefore, we are issuing this warning to prevent any potential harm to individuals who might unknowingly decide to open it.”
“That kind of thing shouldn’t go missing”
Lars Ottosen points out that a special regulator is needed to open the cylinder, which is why he isn't too worried that someone might mistake it for laughing gas or something similar. Additionally, he believes it's not the kind of gas cylinder one would typically choose if they were planning to cause trouble.
That said, the head of department emphasises that it is a dangerous gas.
“If you imagine a closed room and release the gas into that room, it could kill the people inside,” he says.
He emphasises that the department is not taking the matter lightly.
“That kind of thing shouldn’t go missing. It’s not harmless. But on the other hand, our cabinets are filled with such items. We are a relatively open workplace. So, if someone acts in bad faith, they can do it. But we have no suspicion of that,” says Lars Ottosen.
“But it's really frustrating that it has gone missing. Obviously, we want to find it. I'm not happy with it at all. We'll certainly try to get to the bottom of it,” he says.
No changes to procedures
If the cylinder is found, it will be easier to assess whether the department can do anything differently in terms of procedures in the future, the head of department believes. At the moment, the incident hasn't led to any changes.
“We have a fairly good grasp of our procedures. We can't imagine what we would need to change. But if it turns out that it went missing due to something we could change, we will certainly do it,” says Lars Ottosen.
The police: No updates
The East Jutland Police reported on January 3rd that there are no new developments in the case. Previously, the police have announced that several individuals have been questioned, and the investigation is ongoing.
“If you are offered to buy the cylinder or have information about its whereabouts, please contact the police on phone number 114. The cylinder is described as being grey with a yellow band at the top. It is about 50-60 cm tall and has several printed warnings on it, including a skull and crossbones, and the text 'GIFT' (‘POISION’, ed.,) the police inform.”
