From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (13 articles)
Date: November 23, 2012 5:29:34 AM EST
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: <8471D0BE-B704-405C-BAD2-0AC2733CCA15**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org>

Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, November 23, 2012 5:28:05 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 (13 articles)

CHEMICAL CABINET SAVES SCHOOL FROM EXPLOSION
Tags: New_Zealand, laboratory, explosion, response, sodium

EXPERT WITNESS SAYS UCLA TECHNICIAN WAS INADEQUATELY TRAINED BEFORE FATAL LAB FIRE
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, death

CHEMICAL BLAST AT SIRROMET WINERY AT MOUNT COTTON
Tags: Australia, industrial, explosion, injury, nitric_acid

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


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CHEMICAL CABINET SAVES SCHOOL FROM EXPLOSION
http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/7988309/Chemical-cabinet-saves-school-from-explosion
Tags: New_Zealand, laboratory, explosion, response, sodium

Emergency services were called to their second potentially hazardous situation in as many days yesterday afternoon when smoke was spotted coming from the Kaikoura High School science laboratory.

Kaikoura fire chief Ian Walker said the callout happened just after 3pm, and it was fortunate students were just leaving for the day.

Potassium that had not been stored properly had come in contact with either air or water, causing an explosion in a chemical cupboard.

Once the brigade had established the likely cause of the explosion, two firefighters wearing chemical suits and breathing apparatus were sent into the building to open the cabinet. Quantities of calcium, lithium, sodium and potassium were removed from the building and made safe outside by submerging them in oil, Mr Walker said.

The potassium, which reacts violently with water and air, was fortunately contained when the heat of the explosion had caused the container lid to weld shut.

School head of science Jo Fissenden said the potassium, which was like a bomb, had been used earlier in the day.

It appeared that it had not been correctly stored again after it had been used.

"Potassium needs to be stored under oil," she said. "Either there was not enough oil or some air or water had got to it somehow."

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

EXPERT WITNESS SAYS UCLA TECHNICIAN WAS INADEQUATELY TRAINED BEFORE FATAL LAB FIRE
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/bd39293839764881b46564832b9d6d2f/CA--UCLA-Lab-Fire
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, death

LOS ANGELES Ñ A young chemist fatally burned in a UCLA laboratory was inadequately trained, lacked experience and was not given protective gear before handling highly flammable chemicals, an expert witness testified Tuesday.

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

CHEMICAL BLAST AT SIRROMET WINERY AT MOUNT COTTON
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/chemical-blast-at-sirromet-winery-at-mount-cotton/story-e6freoof-1226522020988
Tags: Australia, industrial, explosion, injury, nitric_acid

ONE person is believed to be injured after a chemical explosion at Sirromet Winery at Mt Cotton this morning.

Multiple emergency services crews, including the scientific hazardous unit, raced to the Mt Cotton Rd winery around 11.15am after reports of an explosion.

A Queensland Fire and Rescue spokesman said the substance is understood to be nitric acid but the amount is unknown.

The explosion prompted an evacuation from the warehouse; however there has been no report of fire at this stage.

A Community Safety spokeswoman said one man was believed to have been exposed to the chemical although his injuries are unknown.

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

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.

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

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