From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (15 articles)
Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2016 05:54:59 -0600
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: FA19FDA1-C20B-46F0-A474-51C1F114A5CA**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, August 1, 2016 at 5:54:39 AM

A membership benefit of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
All article summaries and tags are archived at https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__pinboard.in_u-3Adchas&d=DQIFaQ&c=lb62iw4YL4RFalcE2hQUQealT9-RXrryqt9KZX2qu2s&r=meWM1Buqv4IQ27AlK1OJRjcQl09S1Zta6YXKalY_Io0&m=ynoGBBkm2V00YpBJlsqLZ_KEqwafYIXNgRRyKl9nCsI&s=-5WK_C0iD90Ve7_WDSoZ2IOHs5nQ-v9RSSEUzMD2v1A&e=

Table of Contents (15 articles)

FIREFIGHTERS ATTEND WEST AUCKLAND CHEMICAL INCIDENT
Tags: New_Zealand, public, release, response, hydrogen_peroxide

THE CHEMICAL REACTIONS TAKING PLACE IN YOUR SWIMMING POOL
Tags: us_CO, public, discovery, environmental, pool_chemicals

GAFFNEY FIRE RESPONDS TO HAZMAT SITUATION
Tags: us_SC, transportation, release, response, nitric_acid

HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO MEDICAL LAB
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical

HAZARD UNIT HELPS DEAL WITH CHEMICAL SPILL AT FACTORY
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, injury, corrosives

NOXIOUS FUMES AT SEEKONK CAFE SEND 5 TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_MA, public, release, injury, freon, hvac_chemicals

CHEMICAL REACTION AT ANN ARBOR FACTORY FORCES BUILDING EVACUATION
Tags: us_MI, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

AIR FRESHENERS TO BLAME FOR FAIRCHILD AFB EVACUATION
Tags: us_WA, public, release, injury, hvac_chemicals

UPDATE: EXPLOSION IN FLOYD COUNTY HOME BELIEVED TO BE METH RELATED
Tags: us_KY, public, explosion, response, drugs

NEW YORK REQUIRES NAIL SALON VENTILATION TO PROTECT WORKERS
Tags: us_NY, industrial, follow-up, environmental, dust, solvents

1 HOSPITALIZED, CHEMICAL SPILL AT WASTE CENTER
Tags: us_WI, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical

NEW HAVEN LABORATORY EVACUATED FOR FEAR OF HAZARDOUS LIQUID
Tags: us_CT, laboratory, release, response, ag_chems

QUICK ACTION STOPS BLAST
Tags: us_CO, industrial, fire, injury, explosives

EXPERTS IDENTIFY MARION SPRAYED CHEMICAL AS A FUNGICIDE
Tags: us_IA, public, follow-up, environmental, ag_chems, pesticides

CHEMICAL MIXTURE FORCES WEST METRO HOTEL EVACUATION
Tags: us_MN, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical


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FIREFIGHTERS ATTEND WEST AUCKLAND CHEMICAL INCIDENT
Tags: New_Zealand, public, release, response, hydrogen_peroxide

Firefighters are attending a chemical incident in West Auckland involving a 1000-litre drum of hydrogen peroxide.

A Fire Service hazardous materials vehicle and three fire engines are at the Rosebank Rd, Avondale address.

A Fire Service spokesman said the drum was foaming.

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

THE CHEMICAL REACTIONS TAKING PLACE IN YOUR SWIMMING POOL
Tags: us_CO, public, discovery, environmental, pool_chemicals

Audrey Eldridge brings an inhaler with her whenever she gets in the pool. An elite Masters swimmer from Colorado Springs, she swims between 3,000 and 4,000 meters per day. She notices respiratory effects that can strike depending on the conditions where she‰??s swimming.
Eldridge hasn‰??t been diagnosed with asthma, but many elite swimmers have been. In fact, studies have shown a statistically significant link between professional swimming and the respiratory ailment. Professional swimmers like the ones who will dive into the pool at the Summer Olympics this week in Rio de Janeiro can log upward of 10,000 meters per day during training. That‰??s a lot of time spent exposed to the chemicals in and around swimming pools.
It takes a lot of chemicals to make pool water safe for swimming. Untreated water can accumulate harmful Escherichia coli and Salmonella bacteria and protozoans such as Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia. So the disinfection chemicals are necessary for killing pathogens, but at the same time, they don‰??t just float around inertly in the water: Many of them react with organic material in the water‰??dirt, sweat, urine, and even skin moisturizers‰??to form disinfection by-products (DBPs).

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GAFFNEY FIRE RESPONDS TO HAZMAT SITUATION
Tags: us_SC, transportation, release, response, nitric_acid

Gaffney Fire Department responded to a Hazmat situation on Friday at Pioneer Metal Finishings on Henderson Street.

Firefighters say that a company hauling Red Nitric Acid leaked at the company‰??s site.

Firefighters had to evacuate the company for hours, stopping the acid before it reached any water source.

Red Nitric Acid can be harmful to the skin and harmful if you breathe it in.

Firefighters say the company is in a non-populated area and that Pioneer hired a company to clean up the acid.

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

HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO MEDICAL LAB
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical

The Mashpee, Massachusetts, HAZMAT team responded to a call at the Franey Medical Labs on Mercantile Way Saturday morning.
There were reportedly lower levels of carbon monoxide and a decreased level of oxygen. There was also a distinct odor.
The cause is unknown at this time.
The fire department and HAZMAT officials ventilated the structure. Everyone self-evacuated the building safely.
There were only three employees inside the building when the event occurred.
One of the employees was taken to Falmouth Hospital for evaluations after complaining of a headache.

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

HAZARD UNIT HELPS DEAL WITH CHEMICAL SPILL AT FACTORY
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, release, injury, corrosives

Eight fire crews arrived in Rookwood Way, Haverhill, following reports of a chemical spill at about 2.20pm yesterday.

A hazardous area response team also attended the incident with firefighters from Holbrook, Haverhill, Newmarket, Ixworth and Wickhambrook.

The spill was reported to have happened at a contact lens factory and involved a corrosive chemical, acryloyl chloride, which can be harmful if swallowed or absorbed through skin.

According to the ambulance service‰??s hazard team, several people suffered ‰??stinging eyes and skin‰?? but no one was badly harmed.

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

NOXIOUS FUMES AT SEEKONK CAFE SEND 5 TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_MA, public, release, injury, freon, hvac_chemicals

SEEKONK, Mass. (WPRI) ‰?? A Panera Bread in Seekonk is now closed after some sort of chemical leak ‰?? believed to be freon, or a refrigerant chemical ‰?? caused breathing problems for people inside the cafe.

Fire crews in Seekonk and East Providence were called to the cafe on Highland Avenue (Route 6) about 11:15 a.m. Friday for a hazmat or air quality issue inside. Seekonk‰??s fire chief, Michael Healy, told Eyewitness News it appeared to be a freon or chemical leak.

Employees helped customers clear out of the building. About 18 people had some issues breathing, the fire chief said, and some complained of skin irritation; in the end, five were transported to the hospital to get checked out.

The firefighters went into the building to check levels of fumes, but measurement meters showed no readings. The cafe closed while the issue was investigated by the company‰??s general maintenance crew. They‰??ll also need to sanitize surfaces, Chief Healy said, and discard any food that was potentially exposed.

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

CHEMICAL REACTION AT ANN ARBOR FACTORY FORCES BUILDING EVACUATION
Tags: us_MI, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

ANN ARBOR, MI - Malfunctioning equipment appears to be the cause of a chemical reaction that forced employees of IMRA America Inc., 1044 Woodridge Ave., to evacuate the building Friday, July 29.

The Ann Arbor Township Fire Department responded to IMRA around 3:30 p.m. Friday after receiving a report of a chemical reaction inside a lab, Fire Chief Brian Thurston said.

"It appears they had a malfunctioning piece of equipment and the fumes that would normally be dissipated ended up inside the building," Thurston said.

Thurston said the building was evacuated for around 45 minutes until 4:15 p.m., when employees were allowed to re-enter to get their belongings. There were no injuries and no damage was done to the building.

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AIR FRESHENERS TO BLAME FOR FAIRCHILD AFB EVACUATION
Tags: us_WA, public, release, injury, hvac_chemicals

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Officials said Friday that multiple air fresheners in a confined space are to blame for a hazmat response a Fairchild Air Force Base on Thursday.

Hazmat crews were called to the Logistics Readiness Squadron around 8:30 a.m. Thursday. Authorities said 24 personnel reported feeling sick. By 3:30 p.m., all the victims were treated for their symptoms and had recovered, according to officials.

Investigators said the incident was caused by multiple air fresheners that were placed in a confined area and when the HVAC system turned on it caused people to feel ill.

The facility has reopened and everyone is back at work.

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

UPDATE: EXPLOSION IN FLOYD COUNTY HOME BELIEVED TO BE METH RELATED
Tags: us_KY, public, explosion, response, drugs

FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) -- An explosion at a home in Floyd County is believed to have been meth-related.

The explosion happened along Orchard Branch in Banner late Thursday night.

Crews on the scene say a window was blown out and blue smoke was coming from the window.

Fred Hunt was reportedly arrested for multiple meth-related charges.

No other details have been released.

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

NEW YORK REQUIRES NAIL SALON VENTILATION TO PROTECT WORKERS
Tags: us_NY, industrial, follow-up, environmental, dust, solvents

New York is requiring nail salons to meet ventilation standards designed to protect workers from hazardous chemicals wafting from polish and other nail products.
Common components of polishes, polish removers, and nail hardeners include acetone, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, benzene, formaldehyde, and methylene chloride, the New York State Department of Health says in a report. Exposure to these substances has been linked to health problems, says the report, which was released in conjunction with new state regulations for nail salon ventilation.
Some potential short-term effects of exposure to these compounds include headaches, nausea, and skin irritation, the report says. Long-term exposure can affect the liver, kidneys, and nervous system.
The health department identified some 30 hazardous chemicals commonly found in nail products. Some of these, including acetone and toluene, were found to be elevated in salons when compared with nonindustrial settings such as homes and offices. In the report, the health department notes that its chemical list is not exhaustive because product formulations change frequently and bottles are often mislabeled.
Starting in October, new nail salons in the state must meet the standard, which requires ventilation that exhausts vapors, fumes, dust, and other air contaminants from nail salon workstations. Existing nail salons will have until October 2021 to meet the standard.

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

1 HOSPITALIZED, CHEMICAL SPILL AT WASTE CENTER
Tags: us_WI, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) -- Hazmat crews were called to a chemical spill in south east Madison on Thursday afternoon.

According to the Madison Fire Department, the spill happened at Pelliteri Waste Systems. Five people fell ill and one person was taken to the hospital. Officials said the people felt nauseated and were coughing from fumes that were released from an unknown chemical within the plant.

According to officials, most of the people were treated at the scene. One person was transported to St. Mary‰??s Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Hazmat crews were unable to find the cause.

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

NEW HAVEN LABORATORY EVACUATED FOR FEAR OF HAZARDOUS LIQUID
Tags: us_CT, laboratory, release, response, ag_chems

NEW HAVEN >> A laboratory in New Haven‰??s Prospect Hill neighborhood was evacuated Thursday after an unknown liquid was discovered in the basement.

The liquid was found leaking from a package at the Johnson Laboratory, 123 Huntington St., Acting Fire Chief Matthew Marcarelli said at the scene. It was later identified as formic acid, and responders poured soda ash on it to contain it.

No one was hurt in the incident, and the liquid didn‰??t pose a danger to the public or the neighborhood, Marcarelli said. He said crews had contained it within one part of the basement.

On a mobile device? Click here for video from the scene.

The lab is part of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Director Theodore Andreadis said staff evacuated the building and called 911 as a precaution.

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

QUICK ACTION STOPS BLAST
Tags: us_CO, industrial, fire, injury, explosives

When a flash fire ripped through the building of a Whitewater black-powder manufacturer on Monday, an injured employee kept the situation from getting even worse.

Instead of running from the flames after he was burned, Greg Ziegler had the wherewithal to get on a forklift and use it to move the finished product away from the fire to keep the building from exploding, according to his friend and former co-worker, Tom Butchko of Whitewater.

Land‰??s End Fire Protection District Chief Brian Lurvey and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokeswoman Lisa Meiman confirmed Ziegler‰??s actions.

‰??He was able to get it down the road and keep it from combusting,‰?? said Lurvey.

The fire, which was ruled an accident after an investigation by the ATF, occurred when Ziegler was producing black-powder replacements, which are used for muzzleloading and other shooting sports. According to the state of Florida‰??s business records, Ziegler is listed as the president of American Pioneer Powder, Inc., which is licensed by the ATF to manufacture the ammunition at 1475 Blair Road.

Federal investigators said the fire was a result of flash ignition, which causes a sudden, fast-moving fire when a mixture of air and particles in the air combust.

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

EXPERTS IDENTIFY MARION SPRAYED CHEMICAL AS A FUNGICIDE
Tags: us_IA, public, follow-up, environmental, ag_chems, pesticides

MARION, Iowa (KCRG-TV9) - Testing identified a chemical found sprayed in a Marion neighborhood Tuesday qualitatively as a fungicide. That's according to a release from the Marion Fire Department.

Marion Fire released the information Thursday evening, and said they're working closely with the Linn County Hazardous Materials Team, Linn County Emergency Management, Iowa State Department of Agriculture and the state and county public health departments.

Testing went on to show the fungicide has components similar to that of Stratego, a chemical commonly used by farmers to eliminate vegetative pests.

The Iowa Department of Public health stated the direct exposure to lawns or vegetation after 12 hours of the application of the pesticide is not expected to have any adverse health effects on people.

The Department also said any exposed hard surface should be cleaned with soapy water, and all clothes and bare skin that came into contact with it should be washed.

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

CHEMICAL MIXTURE FORCES WEST METRO HOTEL EVACUATION
Tags: us_MN, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical

A potentially dangerous chemical mixture forced a Metro hotel to evacuate Thursday afternoon.
Authorities evacuated the Ramada Plymouth hotel on the 2700 block of Annapolis Lane.

Investigators are working to learn more about who mixed to chemicals and under what circumstances. Attached to the hotel is a Plymouth Playhouse which had to reschedule a show, and a Green Mill restaurant which had to close its doors for a few hours.

"I started smelling the chemicals. Then the siren started going off and firefighters were banging on my door to evacuate me and everybody else," said 18-year-old Haley Wolf.

Employees who did not feel comfortable going on camera described the smell as strong. Some of them described their throats hurting.

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