From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (8 articles)
Date: October 19, 2012 8:03:18 AM EDT
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: <A7F4A57D-7187-414F-A487-ECF999084663**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org>

Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, October 19, 2012 8:03:04 AM

A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Connecting Chemistry and Safety at http://www.dchas.org
All article summaries and tags are archived at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas

Table of Contents (8 articles)

LOMA LINDA ER REOPENS AFTER HAZMAT SITUATION
Tags: us_CA, public, release, injury, adhesives

PHOSPHOROUS GRENADE INJURES 13 IN UK
Tags: Ireland, public, discovery, injury, bomb, phosphorus

CHEMICAL WORKER IN EAST PROVIDENCE INJURED IN EXPLOSION
Tags: us_RI, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

ALBERT GALLATIN TEACHER HOSPITALIZED AFTER ÔCHEMICAL SPILL'
Tags: us_PA, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical

CHEMICAL SPILL SENDS 20 TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_NC, public, release, injury, cleaners

SOMERSET CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, response, cleaners, flammables

NOVA SHUTS DOWN PROCESSING AFTER TANKS OVERHEAT
Tags: us_PA, industrial, discovery, response, polystyrene

CHEMICAL LEAK AT REFINERY PROMPTS ROAD CLOSURES
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, kerosene


---------------------------------------------

LOMA LINDA ER REOPENS AFTER HAZMAT SITUATION
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/inland_empire&id=8852082
Tags: us_CA, public, release, injury, adhesives

LOMA LINDA, Calif. (KABC) -- A hazmat situation cleared an emergency room and several floors of Loma Linda Medical Center on Thursday. Patients were evacuated, complaining of dizziness and headaches.

A hospital spokesman said a construction crew had been spraying adhesive roofing material on the building, and somehow, a small amount of it got into the fresh air intake.

As doctors set up a triage in front of the emergency room, many patients were taken by wheelchair off the property around lunch time. It was all a precaution, but for a while, many people didn't know where the smell was coming from.

It was enough for them to close down part of the emergency room, leaving some people who wanted to get into the hospital wondering what to do next.

---------------------------------------------

PHOSPHOROUS GRENADE INJURES 13 IN UK
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1019/breaking11.html
Tags: Ireland, public, discovery, injury, bomb, phosphorus

A grenade left over from the second World War left 13 people needing hospital treatment in England.

The casualties were exposed to toxic fumes after workmen disturbed the stockpile of phosphorous grenades left in the sealed-up cellar of a property in Bamber Bridge near Preston, Lancashire.

It is thought one of the grenades, issued to members of the Home Guard during the war, was dislodged and cracked, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said. The devices, glass bottles about eight inches long, were intended to release a highly flammable mixture of phosphorus and benzene after being thrown, self-igniting on exposure to air.

They were to be used by reservists against Nazi occupiers if Britain had fallen to German invasion, but had lain forgotten for almost 70 years in the sealed-off cellar of a former fire station, now used as a printing firm premises. A further six such devices were found in cellar space which had been bricked up for some years.

---------------------------------------------

CHEMICAL WORKER IN EAST PROVIDENCE INJURED IN EXPLOSION
http://news.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/2012/10/chemical-worker-in-east-providence-injured-when-glass-flask-explodes-ready.html
Tags: us_RI, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A worker in a chemistry lab at 46 Amaral St. was injured Thursday afternoon when a glass flask exploded in his hand, the fire marshal said.
Fire Marshal Capt. Oscar M. Elmasian said the worker suffered serious cuts on his left hand and cuts on his chest and head. He was taken to a hospital, Elmasian said.
The police were called to block off the area, and officials from the state fire marshal's office, the R.I. Department of Environmental Management and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration responded.
Elmasian said investigators are looking at the chemicals in the flask and the flask itself to determine the cause of the explosion.

---------------------------------------------

ALBERT GALLATIN TEACHER HOSPITALIZED AFTER ÔCHEMICAL SPILL'
http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/2799217-74/hospitalized-teacher-albert-bezjak-colebank-comment-district-gallatin-board-chemical#axzz29kF98AoK
Tags: us_PA, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical

A teacher at Albert Gallatin High School in Fayette County remains hospitalized since last week when she was burned in an accident in a chemistry lab.

Superintendent Carl Bezjak and high school Principal Jason Hutchinson confirmed that chemistry teacher Bethany Herman suffered burns to her hands in the Oct. 10 incident.

"We had a chemical spill in a chemistry room closet. No students were involved," Hutchinson said Thursday.

The chemical, which Hutchinson described as "acid-based," was recovered and contained.

Bezjak said the container apparently had a leak.

The incident happened shortly before 7 a.m., before classes started, Hutchinson said.

The spill was cleaned, the room was ventilated, and the chemical has been removed from the classroom, he said.

---------------------------------------------

CHEMICAL SPILL SENDS 20 TO HOSPITAL
http://www.theherald-nc.com/2012/10/17/24773/chemical-spill-sends-20-to-hospital.html
Tags: us_NC, public, release, injury, cleaners

A chemical spill last Wednesday night at Carolina House on Berkshire Road forced the assisted living center to evacuate its Alzheimer's unit. County EMS chief Josh Hollman said ambulances carried 20 people with respiratory problems to hospitals in Smithfield and Clayton.
Shortly before 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, a Carolina House employee called 911 to report respiratory problems and an odd smell.

"They said it smelled like (an) orange," said Smithfield Fire Chief Patrick Harris. "Several patients and employees were actually coughing." On Thursday, Holloman said those taken to hospitals were doing fine.

The culprit was Squeaky Cleaner, a hardwood-floor cleaner that had spilled earlier in the day, according to a fire department report. The spill, by a member of the maintenance staff, apparently occurred in early afternoon on a carpeted floor, and the smell grew stronger as the day went on.

"Once crews arrived on the scene, they found a lot of people were sick," Harris said. In addition to having difficulty breathing, residents and some employees reported nausea.

---------------------------------------------

SOMERSET CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE
http://wearecentralpa.com/fulltext-news?nxd_id=406332
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, response, cleaners, flammables

SOMERSET BOROUGH, SOMERSET COUNTY--- Emergency crews responded to a potentially explosive situation in Somerset County.

Crews were called to the Carbose Chemical Plant around ten Wednesday morning. By the time crews arrived heavy smoke was pouring from the building.

Firefighters ripped the duct work out because that's where the fire was spreading.

The company grinds up a products used in diapers and laundry detergent which is highly flammable.

"We had a quick knock down the company should be back up and running by Thursday," said Gary Thomas, Somerset Fire Department. "This product is extremely flammable."

---------------------------------------------

NOVA SHUTS DOWN PROCESSING AFTER TANKS OVERHEAT
http://www.timesonline.com/news/police_fire_courts/nova-shuts-down-processing-after-tanks-overheat/article_4b4f01c8-5154-5ade-a3ce-be1bd50790a0.html
Tags: us_PA, industrial, discovery, response, polystyrene

POTTER TWP. Ñ Emergency crews responded to Nova Chemicals Corp. in Potter Township Wednesday evening after several tanks used to produce moldable foam materials got too hot, officials said.
Plant Manager John Feraco said that about 7:30 p.m., the contents of one of the plant's polystyrene reactors overheated and became unstable. A reactor is a stainless steel tank used to create pellets that can be made into foam products such as coffee cups and shipping materials, Feraco explained.
Feraco said officials quickly became aware of similar problems inside two more of the plant's six tanks and shut down the process.
There was no fire and no injuries at the plant, Feraco said, but firefighters from Potter, Raccoon and Center townships and ambulances were called in as part of the company's emergency procedures.

---------------------------------------------

CHEMICAL LEAK AT REFINERY PROMPTS ROAD CLOSURES
http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/Chemical-leak-at-refinery-prompts-road-closures-174680181.html
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, kerosene

LAMONT, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) -- A chemical leak at the Kern Oil Refinery Wednesday afternoon caused traffic to be shut down briefly.

The leak put up a vapor cloud according to Kern County Fire Captain Eric Coughren.

E. Panama Lane was closed between Weedpatch Hwy. and S. Fairfax and Kam Ave. was also shut down off SR 184.

Coughren said the chemical was believed to be kerosene that was being used for cleaning at the refinery when the leak happened.

The incident was turned over to Environmental Health for investigation.

---------------------------------------------


Ralph Stuart
secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Secretary
Division of Chemical Health and Safety
American Chemical Society

Previous post   |  Top of Page   |   Next post



The content of this page reflects the personal opinion(s) of the author(s) only, not the American Chemical Society, ILPI, Safety Emporium, or any other party. Use of any information on this page is at the reader's own risk. Unauthorized reproduction of these materials is prohibited. Send questions/comments about the archive to secretary@dchas.org.
The maintenance and hosting of the DCHAS-L archive is provided through the generous support of Safety Emporium.