From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (14 articles)
Date: November 21, 2012 7:39:41 AM EST
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: <33742C00-A8C2-4897-B0FB-B5340CAEFFBC**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org>

Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 7:38:47 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 (14 articles)

KITCHEN FIRES
Tags: public, follow-up, response, grease

METH LAB EXPLOSION SENDS ONE TO THE HOSPITAL
Tags: us_LA, public, explosion, injury, meth_lab

OVERTURNED TRUCK, HAZMAT SITUATION SNARLS TRAFFIC ON I-85
Tags: us_NC, transportation, discovery, injury, explosives

TUCSON FIRE ASSISTS IN CLEARING HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL SPILL AT RAYTHEON
Tags: us_AZ, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical

CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE IN DOYLESTOWN
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, response, paints

HAZMAT CREWS TACKLE CONTAMINATED RUNOFF FROM CHEMICAL BLAZE
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, methanol, runoff

BLOUNT COUNTY FARMERS CO-OP BUILDING CATCHES FIRE
Tags: us_AL, public, explosion, response, ag_chems, propane

FIRE ERUPTS CHEMICAL FACTORY
Tags: Pakistan, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

MAN INJURED IN EXPLOSION
Tags: us_AL, public, explosion, injury, batteries

U.S. BOARD ISSUES SUBPOENA ON OFFSHORE PLATFORM BLAST
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, death, petroleum

EMPLOYEE'S FACE BURNED IN CHEMICAL SPILL IN FRESNO
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, injury, sodium_hydroxide

FS-WORLD.COM
Tags: us_AZ, public, fire, response, gasoline

CHANHASSEN CHLORINE LEAK SENDS FOUR TO THE HOSPITAL
Tags: us_MN, public, release, injury, chlorine

HUGE CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE LEADS TO EVACUATIONS
Tags: us_LA, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical


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

KITCHEN FIRES
http://fox2now.com/2012/11/20/fox-files-kitchen-fires/
Tags: public, follow-up, response, grease

(KTVI) - Firefighters in St. Louis respond to thousands of fires a year, and none more than fires that start in the kitchen. The numbers here mirror national figures, with about 42% of all fires starting with things like the pot left unattended on the stove, of the cardinal sin of fire, throwing water on burning grease. That is like having a time bomb in your home, and can change your life forever. Just ask Yolanda Johnson.
"I don't know what happened or how it happened. But my sleeve caught on fire."
Johnson was cooking steak and potatoes that night in 2005, when something happened and the pan caught fire. The burning sleeve was just the beginning, though. A friend in the kitchen with her though she was helping.
"My shirt caught on fire so I automatically took the shirt off, but then my friend was with me and she automatically threw the water on the skillet."
The sound that came next is unmistakable. It's that of a cup full of water expanding an already large fire by about 25 thousand times. It is a ball of flame that can engulf a room.
"It went everywhere. It went up and back," she remembers of the flames. "And all over me."


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

METH LAB EXPLOSION SENDS ONE TO THE HOSPITAL
http://www.wafb.com/story/19971152/meth-lab-explosion-sends-one-to-the-hospital
Tags: us_LA, public, explosion, injury, meth_lab

SLIDELL, LA (WAFB) -
One person was airlifted to a Baton Rouge burn center after a meth lab explosion at an apartment complex Wednesday evening.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office said the explosion happened at the Sandpiper Apartments in Slidell around 5 p.m.

The victim's name was not released.

There was no information given on the person's condition.

People living in the apartment complex were evacuated for several hours.

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

OVERTURNED TRUCK, HAZMAT SITUATION SNARLS TRAFFIC ON I-85
http://myfox8.com/2012/11/20/tractor-trailer-overturns-on-i-85-in-davidson-county/
Tags: us_NC, transportation, discovery, injury, explosives

DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. Ñ A tractor-trailer overturned Tuesday morning on I-85, resulting in a Hazardous Materials situation that temporarily shut down all northbound lanes of the interstate in Davidson County.
....
According to troopers, the rig was hauling blasting caps from Gold Hill to a quarry near Chapel Hill. The blasting caps have been separated from the truck and pose no threat.
While Trooper McHenry identified the cargo as "ammonia nitrate in powder form," an Orica USA spokesperson identified the materials simply as "an oxidizer."
"We are working with local authorities and HEPACO Ñ a hazardous material clean up company Ñ to mitigate the effects of the incident and we will cooperate fully with the investigation," the spokesperson said.

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

TUCSON FIRE ASSISTS IN CLEARING HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL SPILL AT RAYTHEON
http://www.kvoa.com/news/tucson-fire-assists-in-clearing-hazardous-chemical-spill-at-raytheon/
Tags: us_AZ, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical

TUCSON - Tucson Fire responded to a chemical spill inside a building at Raytheon this morning; the building was evacuated and the area was made safe within about 20 minutes.

At about 10 a.m. Tuesday morning, Tucson Fire received a call from Raytheon requesting assistance with mitigation of a known substance that was spilled inside a building on their property, according to a TFD news release.

"A unified command structure was set up and a plan was shared with crews to begin clean up," Tucson Fire Captain Jeff Langejans stated in the release. "A hazardous materials scene can be very complex and require lots of resources. An entry team must have a back up team ready for their own safety and then there other teams like decontamination, rehabilitation, safety, status, medical and others."

TFD's 12 units and 27 firefighters worked with the Raytheon Fire Department to render the scene safe within about 20 minutes. Due to proprietary Raytheon secrets, the chemical involved, the cause of the spill, and the extent of damages has not been made public.

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

CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE IN DOYLESTOWN
http://iradiophilly.com/conversation.php?idConversation=1677
Tags: us_PA, industrial, fire, response, paints

A three alarm fire erupted this morning around 5:30 a.m. at a chemical plant in Doylestown. The P&R Industries chemical plant is on the 3800 block of Old Easton Road near the Doylestown Airport. The 55,500-square-foot Arbonite Coating & Lining building is just northwest of the airport. Hazardous materials response teams were on the scene. The plant makes an industrial protective coating called Arbonite, used to line the insides of tankers that protect against corrosion. The fire was contained at 8:15 a.m.

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

HAZMAT CREWS TACKLE CONTAMINATED RUNOFF FROM CHEMICAL BLAZE
http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Hazmat-Crews-Tackle-Contaminated-Runoff-From-Chemical-Blaze-180245531.html
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, methanol, runoff

Investigators from all levels of government continue to investigate a massive chemical fire that erupted in Garland on Friday.

Hazardous materials experts have gone back to the area near the Nexeo Solutions Plant. Crews have been cleaning up and trying to contain the mess for days.

On Tuesday, hazmat teams tackled contaminated soil and water runoff in a nearby creek.

"The top priority is try to contain the contaminated runoff," said Jason Chessher, the city's deputy director of health. "In this case, it happens to be Duck Creek, which is a major watershed in Garland that ultimately goes into the Trinity River."

City officials said workers found small amounts of methanol and motor oil but not enough to pose a public threat. Crews have dammed off the creek to contain the runoff.

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

BLOUNT COUNTY FARMERS CO-OP BUILDING CATCHES FIRE
http://www.waff.com/story/20148370/blount-county-farmers-co-op-building-catches-fire
Tags: us_AL, public, explosion, response, ag_chems, propane

ONEONTA, AL (WBRC) -
A storage shed at the Blount County Farmers Co-Op in Oneonta caught on fire Tuesday morning. No one was injured in the blaze.

Officials were concerned about the fire involving chemicals, since pesticides and fertilizers were kept in the building that erupted into flames. The fire broke out in the storage shed behind the co-op. Some witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion before the fire.

"Well I heard 'pow, pow' like a stick of dynamite. I just got out of the shower. I looked out my back door seeing black smoke rolling and everything," Rodney Frazer said.

Officials say the explosions could have been propane tanks inside the shed.

"No reported injuries. Our firefighters worked the perimeter. There were some explosions but not major explosions," Oneonta City Manager Ed Lowe said.

A few businesses near the co-op, located at 810 Avenue East, were evacuated due to the fire. Residents of an elderly assisted living facility across the street from the fire were told to stay inside.

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

FIRE ERUPTS CHEMICAL FACTORY
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2012/11/21/city/lahore/fire-erupts-chemical-factory/
Tags: Pakistan, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

LAHORE - Fire erupted on Tuesday in a chemical factory near Shera Kot, Bund Road that caused heavy damages to the factory. However, no loss of life was reported.
Rescue 1122 and Fire Brigade sources said the fire erupted due to short circuiting and the blaze soon engulfed storage area of chemicals.
The blaze was brought under control after hectic efforts spanning more than one hour. Police, City District Administration officials reached at the spot and launched investigation into the incident.

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

MAN INJURED IN EXPLOSION
http://www.shelbycountyreporter.com/2012/11/20/man-injured-in-explosion/
Tags: us_AL, public, explosion, injury, batteries

COLUMBIANA - A Columbiana man was injured after a chemical reaction from a car battery explosion Nov. 19.

According to law enforcement officials, the man tried to use his car battery, jumper cables and metal plates to heat water. The combination caused a chemical reaction, which "appeared, on first reaction, (to be) a meth lab," said Shelby County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Russell Bedsole.

A 911 call was made about 12:40 p.m. The Shelby County Drug Task Force reported to the scene on Shelby County 30 in Columbiana. A local HAZMAT team also responded and blocked the road.

"The drug task force went out and discovered it was, at least in that form and function, was not a meth lab," Bedsole said.

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

U.S. BOARD ISSUES SUBPOENA ON OFFSHORE PLATFORM BLAST
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-11-19/news/sns-rt-us-offshore-subpoenabre8ai148-20121119_1_black-elk-platform-kristen-hays
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, death, petroleum

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A U.S. industrial accident investigative board served Black Elk Energy with a subpoena on Monday, seeking information about last week's offshore Gulf of Mexico oil platform explosion that left one worker dead and another missing.

Spokeswoman Hillary Cohen said the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, which investigates chemical spills, refinery explosions and other industrial accidents, will decide whether to launch a probe into Friday's blast once Houston-based Black Elk responds to the subpoena.
....
The U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), which regulates offshore oil and gas drilling and production, is investigating the blast.

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

EMPLOYEE'S FACE BURNED IN CHEMICAL SPILL IN FRESNO
http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/11/16/3069522/employee-injured-in-chemical-spill.html
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, injury, sodium_hydroxide

An employee sustained facial burns Friday evening after hazardous materials spilled at the Lyons Magnus plant No. 1 facility in southeast Fresno, the Fresno Fire Department said.

The employee was burned when a 5-gallon container of sodium hydroxide fell from a shelving unit and struck the floor. The incident occurred at 8:29 p.m. at the plant at 3158 E. Hamilton Ave.

The employee was taken to the Community Regional Medical Center, and the Hazardous Materials Response Team cleaned up the product, the fire department reported.

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

FS-WORLD.COM
http://www.fs-world.com/Show.asp?ID=13236&Form=1
Tags: us_AZ, public, fire, response, gasoline

A fire gutted an auto repair shop in Phoenix, AZ. The fire started when the shop owner was taking a gas tank out of a car and some fuel spilled out onto a work light. The light bulb shattered and the fuel ignited.


Jackson County Fire District No. 5 has a station less than a block away and arrived within moments to find flames leaping out of the building. Crews from District 5 and Medford Fire-Rescue had the fire beaten back in less than 10 minutes, but the building was gutted, fire officials said.

Firefighter kept the flames from spreading to nearby buildings. No one was injured in the blaze. The car being repaired was totally destroyed.

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

CHANHASSEN CHLORINE LEAK SENDS FOUR TO THE HOSPITAL
http://www.kstc45.com/article/stories/S2839122.shtml?cat=11512
Tags: us_MN, public, release, injury, chlorine

A small chlorine leak sent four people to the hospital and shut down a swimming pool Sunday afternoon in Chanhassen.

The Chanhassen Fire Department says a chlorine leak at the Foss Swim School was reported around 3 p.m. One adult and three kids were transported to the hospital with minor injuries as a precaution.

The pool is now back open.

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

HUGE CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE LEADS TO EVACUATIONS
http://www.wafb.com/story/20133212/huge-tanker-fire-leads-to-evacuations
Tags: us_LA, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical

SLAUGHTER, LA (WAFB) -
A fire at a chemical plant forced some people out of their homes early Monday morning.

The fire sparked at Monolyte Laboratory on LA 19 near Meadowood Drive in Slaughter a little before 1:30 a.m.
....
The cause of the fire has not been determined.

"The cleanup is going to be a major issue of the facility," Jackson explained. "It was a total loss, totally engulfed and protecting the property around it, the other properties, and I think there's going to be somewhat of an environmental impact. That'll be addressed and I'm sure DEQ will be on that."

Investigators with the state fire marshal's office are on the scene.

Jackson added no one was on site when the fire started and no injuries were reported.
....
The facility is a biochemical research center that deals with mostly environmentally friendly chemicals.

Monolyte employs 25 people and there are usually 15 to 20 people on site at any given time.

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


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

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