Duke Employee Killed in LSRC Accident
No other injuries as steam line rupture forces building evacuation
One of the most respected and honored Facilities Management Department (FMD) employees died Wednesday afternoon in an accident that occurred when a steam line ruptured in the basement of the Levine Science Research Center (LSRC).
Rayford Cofer, 63, a master steam fitter, was working in the basement when the accident occurred shortly before 3 p.m. in the building's mechanical room. A significant amount of water filled the LSRC basement, and all building systems were shut down. More than 100 Duke employees working in the LSRC were evacuated.
According to the University Secretary's office Thursday morning, university flags were ordered lowered on Duke's East and West campuses in Cofer's memory.
There were no other reports of injuries.
The LSRC is a 341,000-square-foot facility housing classrooms, laboratory space and offices shared by the Nicholas School of the Environment, Pratt School of Engineering, the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and the departments of computer science; pharmacology and cancer biology; and cell and molecular biology.
At a news conference Wednesday evening, Vice President for Campus Services Kemel Dawkins announced Cofer's death.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with [Cofer's] family at this time," Dawkins said.
Cofer, who began work with FMD in 2001, was a 2003 Meritorious Service Award winner, one of the top employee honors at Duke. (Corrected from original)
Cofer was known as one of the "go-to guys" in the department who overcame obstacles on difficult assignments, co-workers said. He was a key person in the annual Steam Plant shutdown, an intense evening of essential maintenance on the system which provides energy for much of the campus.
A Franklinton resident, Cofer won several FMD awards as well. In April 2006 his team was honored for maintenance work in the Allen Building. He also was on FMD's Team of the Quarter in October 2004 and April 2003 and was FMD Employee of Quarter in January 2004 and October 2002.
"Rayford is one of a key handful of FMD employees who keep this place running," a co-worker said of Cofer in 2004.
(An appreciation story will be forthcoming in Duke Today later this week.)
The accident forced officials to shut down all building systems, Dawkins said. The Nicholas School website was inaccessible and was redirected to the Duke Emergency webpage, which provided regular updates.
As of Wednesday evening, power had not been restored to the building, although Dawkins said employees were permitted to return to the building to retrieve their belongings. "The water will need to be tested and pumped out before power can be restarted in the building," he said.
(For information about the status of the LSRC, check the Duke emergency website here.)
Kemel Dawkins speaks at the news conference. Photo by Jared Lazarus
Dawkins said Duke officials were also investigating to determine if any research was lost or damaged in the incident. The building houses animals and scientific samples. "Initial assessments show that no animals were injured," Dawkins said.
Occupants of the building's second floor said they heard a loud noise that made the floors shudder, followed by a hissing noise. A significant amount of steam was seen venting from the building's north stacks for about a half-hour after the building was evacuated.
Members of one LSRC lab in the building's basement said they fled immediately after hearing the noise and saw a considerable amount of vapor in the corridor. Duke officials said evacuation of the building was orderly and calm.