Blood Pressure Device Closes School Tuesday for Keefe Tech

By Susan Petroni (Patch staff)

Students at Keefe Technical School received an unexpected day of no classes on Tuesday, when a blood pressure device broke.

Mercury spilled from the device forcing school leaders to call in a hazard mat team to oversee the clean-up.

The device broke late Monday afternoon.

The Framingham Board of Health and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is over seeing the clean up. Keefe Technical brought in Clean Harbors to do the work.

According to MassDEP “Depending on the type and amount, exposures to mercury can damage the nervous system, brain, kidneys, liver and immune system. ... Elemental mercury, the silvery liquid found in some thermometers and switches, is most dangerous when inhaled and must be handled with care.”

Keefe’s last day of class is Friday, June 26. The missed day is not required to be made up, as it happened after June 1. The state department of education makes exceptions for the 180-day of rule for unexpected days of no school after that date.