A Lesson in Lab Safety: A Fiery Memory from Crafton Hills College

Publish Date: April 10, 2025

In 1993, Rosemarie M. Hansen was a pre-nursing student at Crafton Hills College, eagerly diving into the world of microbiology. Like any good lab student, she knew the safety rules—one of which was tying back long hair. But one fateful morning, she forgot her hair tie. Improvising, she braided her hair and carried on with the day’s lab work.

As she diligently sterilized her inoculating loop over a Bunsen burner, a classmate spoke to her. She instinctively turned her head—and in an instant, her spiral-permed, waist-length hair swept across the flame. The acrid smell of burning hair filled the room, and when she glanced back, an orange glow flickered against her lab coat. Panicked, she patted down the flames, losing a clump of curls in the process.

Her instructor, Lisa Shimeld, a long-time favorite at Crafton Hills College, rushed over, issued a stern warning, and made it clear—another lapse in safety would mean failing the class. Rosemarie took the lesson to heart and never had another incident. Ironically, years later, she would serve as co-chair of the campus safety committee at the very college where she had once lit herself on fire.

Lisa later invited Rosemarie to substitute in the lab, an opportunity that ultimately led to her full-time position at the college. 

Today, as a Laboratory Technician in Crafton Hills College’s anatomy and physiology department, Rosemarie still shares her story with students in the microbiology lab. She offers them hair ties and a simple piece of advice: “I lit myself on fire. Tie your hair back.” A humorous yet powerful reminder that accidents may happen—but they are often preventable.