From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (11 articles)
Date: December 12, 2012 7:25:49 AM EST
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: <B5345779-4F04-4A21-95EC-AAE82F1735F9**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org>

Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, December 12, 2012 7:25:31 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 (11 articles)

NO CHEMICAL EXPOSURE IN NORTH CAPITOL HILL
Tags: us_CO, public, discovery, response, other_chemical

HAZMAT SPILL IN BUILDING 7
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, release, response, other_chemical

TWO WORKERS SUFFER MINOR BURNS IN OIL TANK BLAZE
Tags: us_WY, industrial, fire, injury, petroleum

CHLORINE LEAK FORCES EVACUATION AT URSINUS COLLEGE -SPRING-FORD REPORTER VALLEY ITEM
Tags: us_PA, education, release, response, chlorine

CEDARTOWN BUSINESS OWNER CRITICALLY INJURED IN PROPANE TANK EXPLOSION
Tags: us_GA, transportation, explosion, injury, propane

MAN DIES IN EXPLOSION IN OTTAWA COUNTY
Tags: us_OK, public, explosion, death, petroleum

TWO DANVERSPORT BUSINESSES BEING EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_MA, industrial, release, injury, nitric_acid

CREWS CLEAN UP AFTER HYDROCHLORIC ACID SPILL IN NORTHEAST EDMONTON
Tags: Canada, industrial, release, response, hydrochloric_acid

AMMONIA LEAK FORCES EVACUATIONS
Tags: us_CA, industrial, explosion, response, ammonia

CAMP MINDEN UPDATE
Tags: us_LA, industrial, follow-up, response, explosives

CHEMICAL SPILL INJURES WORKER
Tags: Canada, industrial, release, injury, sodium_hydroxide


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NO CHEMICAL EXPOSURE IN NORTH CAPITOL HILL
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_22168370/hazmat-team-looking-at-possible-chemical-exposure-capitol
Tags: us_CO, public, discovery, response, other_chemical

Police and firefighters blocked off the 1500 block of Pearl Street and side streets near downtown Denver on Tuesday morning as they investigated a report of a toxic substance.

At least two Denver police officers were sent to Denver Health Medical Center to be evaluated after possible exposure to mercury sulfate, police said.

The incident started at about 9 a.m. inside an apartment on the block and police took precautionary measures as part of the response, said Sonny Jackson, a Denver Police Department spokesman.

Mercury sulfate is a chemical compound that can be poisonous if ingested or exposed to the eyes or skin.

The hazmat team determined there was no exposure and investigators have deemed the apartment and the block safe. No one was injured.

Traffic was backed up in the area for about an hour.

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

HAZMAT SPILL IN BUILDING 7
http://www.theskylineview.com/showcase/2012/12/11/a-fire-alarm-went-off-in-building-7-of-skyline-college-early-morning-on-dec-11/
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, release, response, other_chemical

A hazmat spill during a surgical technology lecture on the second floor of Building 7 caused the whole department to evacuate on Dec. 11 by 9 a.m.
The chemical spill took place in Professor Erskine's Surgical Patient Care Concepts class. Today's lecture was on to deal with hazard during operations. When trying to remove a glass vile of chemical used usually for bone cement, the vile wasn't in its original container, it then fell over and broke on the ground, releasing vapor. Several students including Professor Erskine then proceeded to clean the spill into a bag while being protected with special mask, gloves and sponges. They then isolated the bag and evacuated the department beginning at 8:30a.m.
"This is a terrible way to teach people how to handle hazardous material." said Erskine.
The Fire Department Division Chief Ron Lavezzo stated that the San Mateo Health Department is to inspect the room and ventilate it before allowing students back into the building.
"This chemical cannot kill you but can give you symptoms of nausea." said Lavezzo "There is no real immediate danger."

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

TWO WORKERS SUFFER MINOR BURNS IN OIL TANK BLAZE
http://www.dailyranger.com/story.php?story_id=4767&headline=Two-workers-suffer-minor-burns-in-oil-tank-blaze
Tags: us_WY, industrial, fire, injury, petroleum

Two people suffered minor burns Wednesday afternoon when one or more oil tanks reportedly caught fire off of Muskrat Road east of Riverton.
County fire officials said the injured people were energy company employees who had been working near the storage tanks when the fire broke out just before 2 p.m. Wednesday.
"They did receive some very minor burn injuries, flash burn injuries," Fremont County Fire Protection District deputy chief Dan Oakley said Thursday, adding that the men were treated on scene by emergency medical personnel.
Oakley said about 500 barrels of oil burned in the blaze, which witnesses said could be seen from downtown Riverton. A fire that size is too big to be extinguished using local resources, so Oakley said his team monitored the flames to make sure the fire did not spread outside of the energy company's safety barriers.
"Those fires require a whole lot more water than we have available out there," Oakley said. "We watch until it burns the product enough that the company is comfortable with us leaving."

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

CHLORINE LEAK FORCES EVACUATION AT URSINUS COLLEGE -SPRING-FORD REPORTER VALLEY ITEM
http://www.montgomerynews.com/articles/2012/12/08/springford_reporter_valley_item/news/doc50c34da46ade4582949574.txt
Tags: us_PA, education, release, response, chlorine

A chlorine leak at the pool in the Ursinus College Athletic Center caused the evacuation of a field house there Friday afternoon.

An alert was issued on campus just before 3:45 p.m.

"There has been a mechanical issue with a pump in the pool area of the Athletic Center," the alert stated. "Air quality in that section of the building has been adversely affected. The Floy Lewis Bakes Field House has been evacuated until further notice. Emergency personnel are on the scene. Please stay away from the area until further notice."

A college spokeswoman oonfirmed Friday evening that the problem was a chlorine leak.

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

CEDARTOWN BUSINESS OWNER CRITICALLY INJURED IN PROPANE TANK EXPLOSION
http://www.examiner.com/article/cedartown-man-critically-injured-propane-tank-explosion?cid=rss
Tags: us_GA, transportation, explosion, injury, propane

Cedartown business owner Jimmy Lassetter of Lassetter Propane Company was critically injured and severely burned Wednesday following the explosion of a propane tank.

The accident occurred in Dawson County while three people were unloading a tractor trailer that had delivered approximately twenty 250-gallon tanks of propane to a propane refurbishment facility on Easy Street in Dawsonville.

One of the tanks fell off the truck, rupturing a valve, and somehow a fire was ignited, causing the explosion. Two people suffered second and third degree burns. Both were sent to Grady Memorial Hospital. Lassetter was transported to Grady by helicopter, the other by ground ambulance.

Crews contained the fire and Forsyth County HAZMAT was on scene Wednesday night as authorities continued to investigate.

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

MAN DIES IN EXPLOSION IN OTTAWA COUNTY
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=12&articleid 121210_12_0_MIAMIO672844
Tags: us_OK, public, explosion, death, petroleum

MIAMI, Okla. - A Quapaw man died Sunday after cutting into an empty 55-gallon barrel which ignited an explosion, said Ottawa County sheriff's detective Derek Derwin.

Troy Howard Thompson, 43, died at his residence around 10 a.m. from massive injuries to his head, he said.

Derwin said Thompson was using a plasma cutter to cut the barrel when the explosion occurred. A plasma cutter is similar to a cutting torch, Derwin said.

"The barrel was empty, but the lid was crimped down," Derwin said. "There was an oily substance on the rim of the lid and it ignited while he was using the plasma cutter."

Earlier in the morning, Thompson had successfully cut two other barrels, he said.

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

TWO DANVERSPORT BUSINESSES BEING EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
http://danvers.patch.com/articles/two-danversport-businesses-being-evacuated-after-chemical-spill
Tags: us_MA, industrial, release, injury, nitric_acid

businesses along Water Street in the Danversport neighborhood were evauated after a nitric acid spill on Monday afternoon.

There were no known injuries.

The Danvers Fire Department and Danvers Police Department reponded to Doe & Ingalls at 125 Water St. at about 1:40 p.m.

A spill of eight gallons of nitric acid reportedly happened on the first floor of the business. At about 2 p.m., the Fire Department said it had the spill contained.

Neighboring Harvey Industries plus the offices in the Doe & Ingalls building were both evauacted. Water Street remained open to traffic.

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

CREWS CLEAN UP AFTER HYDROCHLORIC ACID SPILL IN NORTHEAST EDMONTON
http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/update+crews+working+to+clean+up+hydrochloric+acid+spill+in+northeast+edmonton/6442768804/story.html
Tags: Canada, industrial, release, response, hydrochloric_acid

Hazardous materials (HazMat) crews are working to clean up a hydrochloric acid spill in an industrial area in northeast Edmonton.

Fire officials say HazMat crews responded to the spill inside an industrial compound at 12061- 32 Street NE, shortly before 10:30 a.m. Sunday. The leak was stopped shortly after 1:00p.m.

Officials say a significant amount of hydrochloric acid leaked from two stationary tanks, which was likely the result of a mechanical malfunction.

A two block radius of neighbouring industrial businesses were evacuated however, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services spokesperson Michael Tucker says the spill wasn't a significant public safety risk.

"We have two HazMat crews on scene who are working to stabilize the situation, but it really appears to be a minimal risk at this time," said Tucker, "When hydrochloric acid does spill, there is a bit of a cloud formation and right now we're trying to monitor that."

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

AMMONIA LEAK FORCES EVACUATIONS
http://www.cbs47.tv/news/local/story/Ammonia-leak-forces-evacuations/9Gxw4MBEpku9-DZYtRRxVg.cspx
Tags: us_CA, industrial, explosion, response, ammonia

An ammonia leak caused a hazmat scare in the North Valley Tuesday night.

Cal Fire says a 4" pipe exploded at the Dole plant in Atwater around 6:40 p.m. releasing 100 gallons of ammonia.

Merced County fire, police and hazmat crews immediately evacuated 175 employees and residents living within a mile of the plant.

The pipe was repaired and evacuation orders were lifted a couple hours later.

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

CAMP MINDEN UPDATE
http://www.kmsstv.com/news/camp-minden-update-0
Tags: us_LA, industrial, follow-up, response, explosives

CAMP MINDEN, LA Ñ After working for 12 days straight, the Louisiana State Police's Hazmat team was given the weekend off to rest and recuperate. Officials were worried that a mistake could be made if any of the team was exhausted, and for the safety of their staff and for the public, they allowed the team working on moving the 6 million pounds of M6 propellant to take a few days off.

They were back to work early Monday morning, and have a very successful day. Despite tight quarters making it hard to move the fork lift, they were able to move about 600,000 pounds of the illegally stored explosives on Monday, making the total amount moved about 2.7 million pounds.

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

CHEMICAL SPILL INJURES WORKER
http://www.paherald.sk.ca/Local/News/2012-12-10/article-3137489/Chemical-spill-injures-worker/1
Tags: Canada, industrial, release, injury, sodium_hydroxide

A noonday chemical leak at Prince Albert's water-treatment plant left one man with minor burns on his face Monday.
"We want to advise the families of city employees and contractors that the building was evacuated immediately," Mayor Greg Dionne said. "The water-treatment plant is carrying on operations as usual."
A caustic soda line had been punctured with the liquid draining into a 30,000-litre containment facility, and thus, did not affect the water supplied to businesses and homes. The water-treatment facility is currently operating at its full capacity.
It is suspected by city manager Robert Cotterill that the leak occurred after the injured employee had bumped his head on the pipe. The man was showered and taken to hospital immediately following the incident. He asked not to be taken to hospital.
"A gentleman was doing some work in the area and I believe he hit the pipe with his head," Cotterill said. "What they were trying to do was assess the work that was needed to complete some of the remedial work that we had identified as not being acceptable."

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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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