From: Secretary ACS DCHAS <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (9 articles)
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 08:00:45 -0400
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Chemical Safety Headlines
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Table of Contents (9 articles)

UPDATE: FOUR TREATED FOR CHEMICAL EXPOSURE ON BARGE
Tags: us_KY, transportation, release, injury, irritant, methyl_methacrylate

CHEMICAL LEAK SICKENS KIDS AT SWIM SCHOOL
Tags: us_TX, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals

CHEMICAL SPILL SENDS 1 TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_OH, industrial, release, injury, cleaners

(2ND UPDATE) TWO FORD WORKERS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_MI, industrial, release, injury, sulfuric_acid

OFFICIALS INVESTIGATING ACID SPILL AT TESORO REFINERY IN MARTINEZ THAT INJURED TWO WORKERS
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, injury, sulfuric_acid

CHEMISTRY BUILDING EVACUATED ON UK CAMPUS AFTER STRANGE ODOR REPORTED
Tags: us_KY, education, release, response, unknown_chemical

'CORROSIVE'' CHEMICAL BURNED WORKER'S LAP, FIRE CHIEF SAYS
Tags: us_NH, industrial, release, injury, corrosives, thionyl_chloride, waste

SUBURBAN PHILLY APARTMENT BUILDING EVACUATED AFTER MAN COMMITS SUICIDE WITH HOUSEHOLD CHEMICAL (3/10/14 3:47 PM)
Tags: us_PA, public, release, injury, suicide

NOELANI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RELEASES STUDENTS EARLY DUE TO CHEMICA
Tags: us_HI, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical


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UPDATE: FOUR TREATED FOR CHEMICAL EXPOSURE ON BARGE
http://www.wsaz.com/home/headlines/Multiple-People-Exposed-To-Chemical-On-Barge-249449031.html
Tags: us_KY, transportation, release, injury, irritant, methyl_methacrylate

CATLETTSBURG, Ky. (WSAZ) ? Four people hospitalized after exposure to a dangerous chemical on board a barge Tuesday are expected to be OK.

The exposure was reported shortly after 10 a.m. Tuesday. Four workers on the barge, which belongs to Ingram Barge Company, were exposed to vapors from the chemical methyl methacrylate, an irritant that can causing burning to the eyes, shortness of breath, and even respiratory failure in extreme cases.

?As weather warms up, certain chemicals produce more and more vapor, depending on how hot it is, what happens in the tank is pressure,? Tom Adams, executive director of Boyd County EMS, said. ?There are safety vents that prevent the tank from rupturing that will vent the gas.?

Adams said he was not sure whether the vents opened in this case or whether workers opened a manhole that released vapors, and representatives from the Ingram Barge Company were not releasing any information about what happened as of Tuesday evening.

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CHEMICAL LEAK SICKENS KIDS AT SWIM SCHOOL
http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/spring/news/article/Chemical-leak-sickens-kids-at-swim-school-5308622.php
Tags: us_TX, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals

An apparent chlorine leak sent nine children to area hospitals after the evacuation of an indoor swimming facility in Spring.

Emergency crews were called to FINS ? also known as Fun In Swimming ? in the 7800 block of Spring Cypress around 6:17 p.m. Tuesday after patrons began experiencing irritations consistent with chemical exposure.

"Occupants of the building started immediately noticing symptoms of respiratory distress, nausea and watery eyes," said Klein Volunteer Fire Department Chief David Bessolo. "At this point, we don't know the cause, but it's most likely a malfunction of the chlorine system."

Youngsters ages 2 to 16 were transported to Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital and St. Luke's Hospital at The Vintage with injuries that Bessolo described as non-life-threatening.

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CHEMICAL SPILL SENDS 1 TO HOSPITAL
http://fox8.com/2014/03/11/chemical-spill-sends-1-to-hospital/
Tags: us_OH, industrial, release, injury, cleaners

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, Ohio ? Brooklyn Heights dispatchers confirmed to Fox 8 News one person was taken to the hospital after a chemical spill.
It happened in the parking lot of Conventya Ink on Van Epps Road around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Brooklyn Heights Fire Chief told Fox 8 News, a 55-gallon drum of cleaning solution was being moved by a forklift. The forklift punctured the drum causing the solution to leak out.
The drum was not full at the time.
The Brooklyn Heights Fire Department determined the chemical was not a health threat.
A cleaning company was called in to clean up the mess.

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(2ND UPDATE) TWO FORD WORKERS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
http://www.thenewsherald.com/articles/2014/03/11/news/doc531f3a0e6d42a562457078.txt
Tags: us_MI, industrial, release, injury, sulfuric_acid

BROWNSTOWN TWP. ? Two Ford workers were transported to Oakwood Hospital-Southshore in Trenton this morning after being splashed in the face, chest and legs with a chemical at the Brownstown Parts Redistribution Center.

According to Fire Chief Jeff Drouillard, one man who appeared to be in his 40s and another somewhat younger were transporting sulfuric acid when the liquid splashed on them.

Drouillard said their injuries did not look severe and they were conscious and talking when emergency personnel arrived.

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OFFICIALS INVESTIGATING ACID SPILL AT TESORO REFINERY IN MARTINEZ THAT INJURED TWO WORKERS
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id"60992
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, injury, sulfuric_acid

MARTINEZ, Calif. (KGO) -- Federal, state and local investigators are looking into an incident at the Tesoro refinery in Martinez that injured two workers. It comes on the heels of a similar incident there just a few weeks ago.

The workers involved in the incident went through the decontamination process and have been taken to the hospital.

Contra Costa County hazardous materials experts call it a level one out of a possible level three incident. Two workers at the Tesoro refinery were sprayed by sulfuric acid. The county fire department says one of the victims was saturated.

This comes after a February 12 accident in the same processing unit, with the same chemical, causing second-degree burns to two other employees. The union representative says it might be time for the plant to take a safety stand down to review protocols.
"The more incidents you have and the closer in time frame seems to indicate something is not working correctly," United Steel Workers Local 5 spokesperson Tracy Scott said.

Tesoro issued this statement: "The contractors were doing maintenance with full protective safety equipment worn" and says Monday's incident "is believed to be unrelated to the chemical release that occurred on February 12."

Ironically, Contra Costa County Health Services had an inspector at the refinery Monday investigating February's incident right before the chemical release occurred.

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CHEMISTRY BUILDING EVACUATED ON UK CAMPUS AFTER STRANGE ODOR REPORTED
http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/Chemistry-building-evacuated-on-UK-campus-after-strange-odor-reported-249376671.html?ref=671
Tags: us_KY, education, release, response, unknown_chemical

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Lexington firefighters and HAZMAT units are trying to figure out what caused a strange odor in a building on UK's campus.

Around 9:30 p.m. Monday night, students say they noticed the odor inside the chemistry/physics building on Rose Street.

Firefighters evacuated the building as a precaution. They say they're still trying to figure out what caused the odor. Right now, they're venting the building.

Firefighters hope they can reopen the building by Tuesday morning.

We're told no one has been injured.

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'CORROSIVE'' CHEMICAL BURNED WORKER'S LAP, FIRE CHIEF SAYS
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20140311-NEWS-403110415
Tags: us_NH, industrial, release, injury, corrosives, thionyl_chloride, waste

NEWINGTON ? Six people at Tradebe Treatment and Recycling Northeast were brought by ambulance to the hospital Monday morning after being exposed to the "corrosive" chemical thionyl chloride, said Fire Chief Andy Head.

The most seriously injured was a male employee who "was complaining of burns to his lap area" after the chemical spilled on him, according to the fire chief. He was "immediately placed into a shower for decontamination from the substance," then brought by ambulance to Portsmouth Regional Hospital, the fire chief said.

Five other employees were hospitalized as a precaution after reporting "throat and breathing irritation," Head said. They were seen walking to ambulances.

Emergency responders were called to the 410 Shattuck Way company at 8:45 a.m., when the building was evacuated. Head said the spill occurred outside the building, was contained "to the immediate area" and is being cleaned by Tradebe.


Assisting at the scene were the Dover and Portsmouth fire departments.

According to the Tradebe Environmental Web site, the company recycles hazardous materials "into beneficial products and substitute fuels.

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SUBURBAN PHILLY APARTMENT BUILDING EVACUATED AFTER MAN COMMITS SUICIDE WITH HOUSEHOLD CHEMICAL (3/10/14 3:47 PM)
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/0d80e3ea052b4f2c913fb25fb4eade98/PA--Chemical-Suicide
Tags: us_PA, public, release, injury, suicide

FEASTERVILLE, Pennsylvania ? About 30 residents of a suburban Philadelphia apartment building had to be evacuated after a resident committed suicide with household chemicals.

Local fire departments and the Bucks County Hazardous Incident Response Team arrived at the Chalet Village Apartments on Sunday morning after getting calls about a chemical odor.

Lower Southampton Fire Marshal Bill Oettinger said a man in one of the apartments committed suicide with a mixture of household chemicals.

Oettinger said that two other people in the apartment, including a toddler, were taken to a hospital after inhaling the fumes.

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NOELANI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RELEASES STUDENTS EARLY DUE TO CHEMICA
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/24936980/noelani-elementary-school-releases-students-early-due-to-chemical-odor
Tags: us_HI, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical

MANOA, OAHU (HawaiiNewsNow) -
Noelani Elementary School in Manoa ended the school day around 12:40 p.m. today, Monday, March 10 due to a chemical odor reported near the school.

"We investigated and discovered that there was signs of a chemical had been dumped into the sewer system" said Honolulu Fire Department Chief Terry Seelig.

School officials notified the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) of a suspicious odor in the area around 8 a.m. HFD worked with the City Department of Environmental Services and the State Department of Health to identify the source of the odor. Students were kept indoors from the start of school as officials awaited the "all-clear." "It smelled gross so we closed all the windows and doors" said Kellen Sapp, a student at the school.

According to Emergency Medical Services, who was on-site with HFD, a total of 10 students reported feeling symptoms of nausea. "We started seeing, unfortunately, an increase in people expressing some symptoms, but that was hours after the initial call" said Seelig.

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