A boiler explosion at a maintenance building near Esker Dining Hall at the University of Wisconsin’s Whitewater campus has prompted fears about airborne asbestos.

According to an account in the student newspaper, The Royal Purple, the boiler in the campus power plant exploded shortly after noon on Wednesday, April 16. Seven people were in the building when the explosion occurred and one suffered minor injuries.

Interim Chancellor Richard Telfer said there would be no heat or hot water in campus buildings until repairs were made, but he noted that the biggest concern was exposure to asbestos.

“Esker was evacuated and will be closed until further notice,” Telfer said. “Because of the windows being blown out and the wind, asbestos can become airborne.”

College officials were advising students to keep their windows closed, not only to preserve heat but also to avoid exposure to dangerous asbestos dust, which can cause a host of pulmonary diseases, including the asbestos cancer known as mesothelioma.

Facilities Manager Greg Swanson said that medical professionals immediately examined the workers, and they will continue to receive medical check-ups in the coming days. Only one slight abrasion was reported.

Sophomore Amy Chaffe witnessed the event.

“I was looking ahead and there was this ball of fire that came out of the stack … and smoke came out of it,” she said. “Then all of the windows exploded and a guy came running out [of the southeast corner of the building] to look to see what happened.”

Damages to the building are currently being assessed by crews and engineers, Swanson said, but the first effort was to close and contain the building to lessen the release of asbestos and other toxic materials.

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