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: Wed, 20 Sep 2017 07:33:21 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 2FEF4CCC-45C9-4F86-8A26-9B82F512F862**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, September 20, 2017 at 7:33:08 AM

A membership benefit of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
All article summaries and tags are archived at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas

Table of Contents (11 articles)

ONE INJURED AT SUSPECTED NOBLE TWP METH LAB
Tags: us_MI, public, release, injury, clandestine_lab

CHEMICAL COMPANY WILL INVESTIGATE ACID LEAK IN SOUTH BALTIMORE
Tags: us_MD, industrial, follow-up, response, other_chemical

KARACHI: BLAST HITS COSMETICS FACTORY AT SHAHRAH-E-FAISAL
Tags: Pakistan, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical

HOW MONSANTO MANUFACTURED OUTRAGE AT CHEMICAL CANCER CLASSIFICATION IT EXPECTED
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental, pesticides

M1 TO REMAIN CLOSED SOUTHBOUND INTO THE NIGHT DUE TO CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: United_Kingdom, transportation, release, response, corrosives

LAB TECHNICIANS INJURED AS MACHINE EXPLODES IN SMS HOSPITAL
Tags: India, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

SHELTER IN PLACE LIFTED AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK IN BALTIMORE
Tags: us_MD, industrial, release, response, other_chemical

POTENTIALLY DEADLY BOMB INGREDIENTS ARE ‰??FREQUENTLY BOUGHT TOGETHER‰?? ON AMAZON ‰?? CHANNEL 4 NEWS
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, discovery, environmental, explosives

AIR BOARD REFUSES TO HEAR CONCERNS OVER INSTITUTE METHANOL PLANT
Tags: us_WV, public, discovery, environmental, methanol

ZAMBIA SIGNATORY TO CHEMICAL, SAFETY TREATIES ‰?? ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL
Tags: Zambia, public, discovery, environmental, toxics, wastes

U.S. CHEMICAL MAKERS, OSHA FORM WORKER SAFETY ALLIANCE ON DIISOCYANATES
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental, diisocyanates


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ONE INJURED AT SUSPECTED NOBLE TWP METH LAB
Tags: us_MI, public, release, injury, clandestine_lab

BRONSON, MI (WTVB) - A suspected meth lab was discovered in southwest Branch County early today and one person at the house was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Branch County 911 Central Dispatch received a call at 2:50 a.m. Wednesday from a man at a home on Whipple Road in Noble Township who said he needed an ambulance for a medical condition. Michigan State Police reported when they arrived at the scene for possible assistance, there was a very strong odor outside the residence of what appeared to methamphetamine. Troopers also told 911 there was a small child in the house.

The Bronson Fire Department responded with a hazmat unit for a possible cleanup detail and firemen were on the job for around 45 minutes. Life Care transported the injured man to the Community Health Center of Branch County.

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CHEMICAL COMPANY WILL INVESTIGATE ACID LEAK IN SOUTH BALTIMORE
Tags: us_MD, industrial, follow-up, response, other_chemical

Officials from Solvay USA Inc. launched an investigation Tuesday into a toxic acid leak at the company‰??s chemical plant in South Baltimore‰??s Fairfield industrial area.

After a cloud of chlorosulfonic acid escaped into the air Monday morning as a tank truck was being unloaded, nearby workers and residents were warned to shelter in place for several hours. Baltimore‰??s fire department HAZMAT team responded to the leak, and no one was injured.

Solvay, one of the world‰??s largest chemical companies, said it will send process safety specialists and technicians from several company locations to investigate the incident and will work with the city‰??s hazmat teams. The chemical company plans to review mechanical equipment, procedures, training and other details to identify causes and ways to prevent a recurrence. Technicians also will look into potential improvements at the site.

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KARACHI: BLAST HITS COSMETICS FACTORY AT SHAHRAH-E-FAISAL
Tags: Pakistan, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical

KARACHI: Fire broke out on Wednesday in a cosmetics factory in Karachi following a blast, prompting police and fire fighters to rush to the scene. The situation was going on with no casualties reported so far.

According to our correspondent, the factory is located near Nursery bus stop on Shahrah-e-Faisal in PECHS Block 6 area.

The blast triggered fire in basement and later engulfed first floor of the multi-storey building where rescue teams, police and fire fighters reached soon after the explosion.

Fire fighters said the factory chemical exploded after catching fire that erupted due to known reasons.

More than a dozen people were inside the factory, but no casualty was reported. They were safely evacuated. - Samaa

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HOW MONSANTO MANUFACTURED OUTRAGE AT CHEMICAL CANCER CLASSIFICATION IT EXPECTED
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental, pesticides

Three years ago this month Monsanto Co. executives realized they had a big problem on their hands.

It was September 2014 and the company‰??s top-selling chemical, the weed killer called glyphosate that is the foundation for Monsanto‰??s branded Roundup products, had been selected as one among a handful of pesticides to undergo scrutiny by the World Health Organization‰??s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Monsanto had spent decades fending off concerns about the safety of glyphosate and decrying scientific research indicating the chemical might cause cancer or other diseases. And even though the IARC review was still months away, Monsanto‰??s own scientists knew what the outcome would likely be ‰?? and they knew it wouldn‰??t be good.

Internal company records show not just the level of fear Monsanto had over the impending review, but notably that company officials fully expected IARC scientists would find at least some cancer connections to glyphosate. Company scientists discussed the ‰??vulnerability‰?? that surrounded their efforts to defend glyphosate amid multiple unfavorable research findings in studies of people and animals exposed to the weed killer. In addition to epidemiology studies, ‰??we also have potential vulnerabilities in the other areas that IARC will consider, namely, exposure, genetox, and mode of action‰?|‰?? a Monsanto scientist wrote in October 2014. That same email discussed a need to find allies and arrange funding for a ‰??fight‰?? ‰?? all months before the IARC meeting in March 2015.

And Monsanto predicted internally before IARC even met that the review of the scientific evidence would result in a decision that glyphosate ‰??possibly‰?? was carcinogenic, or ‰??probably‰?? was. Monsanto officials had forecast the IARC decision in an internal ‰??preparedness‰?? plan that warned colleagues to ‰??assume and prepare for the outcome...‰?? The document shows Monsanto thought it most likely that IARC would peg glyphosate as a ‰??possible human carcinogen.‰?? The rating of probable carcinogen was ‰??possible but less likely,‰?? the Monsanto memo stated. IARC ultimately did classify glyphosate as ‰??probably carcinogenic to humans.‰??

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M1 TO REMAIN CLOSED SOUTHBOUND INTO THE NIGHT DUE TO CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: United_Kingdom, transportation, release, response, corrosives

The London-bound side of the M1 is likely to remain shut into the night while repairs are carried out after a corrosive chemical caused damage to the carriageway.

The motorway was shut in both directions at around 7.30am today (September 19) following the discovery of a suspicious object under a bridge near Newport Pagnell services between Junction 15 and 14.

The bomb squad was called in to investigate the object, which turned out to contain "liquid and a chemical substance" rather than an explosive.

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

LAB TECHNICIANS INJURED AS MACHINE EXPLODES IN SMS HOSPITAL
Tags: India, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

JAIPUR: Two lab technicians suffered injuries when a centrifuge machine in microbiology laboratory exploded in Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital on Monday morning.
The two injured lab technicians are at a high risk of getting infected with serious diseases as at the time of explosion there were 116 blood samples in the centrifuge machine. With the blast, the blood samples too came out of the machine with a force. These samples were in the process of being tested but nobody knows what kind of infection or viruses these blood samples contained.
Centrifuge is a machine which is used for the separation of fluids, based on density‰?? serum and white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. The explosion created panic in the hospital as it made a loud noise. The patients along with doctors came out of their wards in fear but when they came to know about the explosion in machine, they calmed down.
It is not the first such incident in the laboratory. Recently, an incubator had caught fire. Fortunately in that incident no one was hurt. Two lab technicians suffered serious injuries‰?? one lab technicians suffered fracture in mandible, or lower jaw while other suffered fracture in hand. "They will undergo surgery," said Dr SS Yadav, spokesperson, SMS Hospital.

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SHELTER IN PLACE LIFTED AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK IN BALTIMORE
Tags: us_MD, industrial, release, response, other_chemical

BALTIMORE (RNN) - Some residents near a chemical plant were told to shelter in place for two hoursbecause of a chemical leak. That order has been lifted.

Baltimore Fire Department Chief Roman Clark said it appears that a valve from a tanker separated from a trailer, causing the leak at the Solvay Plant. Clark said the chemical involved is chlorosulfuric acid, WBAL reports.

Baltimore's Office of Emergency Management said that residents within a one-mile radius were told to shelter in place.

The Baltimore Fire Department called it a Level 3 hazmat situation.

That means extremely dangerous materials are in the area, but it may be entered by emergency personnel in protective clothing that have self-contained breathing apparatus, and leaving no skin exposed.

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POTENTIALLY DEADLY BOMB INGREDIENTS ARE ‰??FREQUENTLY BOUGHT TOGETHER‰?? ON AMAZON ‰?? CHANNEL 4 NEWS
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, discovery, environmental, explosives

Channel 4 News has discovered that Amazon‰??s algorithm guides users to the necessary chemical combinations for producing explosives and incendiary devices. Ingredients which are innocent on their own are suggested for purchase together as ‰??Frequently bought together‰?? products, as it does with all other goods.

Ingredients for black powder and thermite are grouped together under a ‰??Frequently bought together‰?? section on listings for specific chemicals.

Steel ball bearings often used as shrapnel in explosive devices, ignition systems and remote detonators are also readily available; some promoted by the website on the same page as these chemicals as products that ‰??Customers who bought this item also bought‰??.

Black powder and thermite

Users searching for a common chemical compound used in food production ‰?? which Channel 4 News has decided not to name ‰?? are offered the ingredients to produce explosive black powder.

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AIR BOARD REFUSES TO HEAR CONCERNS OVER INSTITUTE METHANOL PLANT
Tags: us_WV, public, discovery, environmental, methanol

Members of a state board on Monday refused to hear a permit appeal from a citizen group that is concerned that potential fires, explosions or other accidents at the US Methanol plant under construction in Institute could pose health and safety risks for area residents.

The West Virginia Air Quality Board granted the Department of Environmental Protection‰??s motion to dismiss an appeal that the group People Concerned About Chemical Safety filed, agreeing with the DEP that the issues raised were beyond the scope of the state agency‰??s job. The decision means the board won‰??t hold a full hearing with testimony about the citizen group concerns.

In arguing against the appeal being dismissed, Bill DePaulo, attorney for the People Concerned organization, urged the board members to make clear what ruling for the DEP‰??s motion would be saying to the public.

‰??Win or lose, I‰??d just like a clear ruling,‰?? DePaulo told board members. ‰??Do it in big, bold letters: ‰??We do not consider the human health and safety in issuing this permit.‰?? ‰??

US Methanol hopes to start production in mid-2018 at the plant that would convert natural gas to methanol, a common industrial feedstock. The facility, located at the Institute property now operated by Dow Chemical, would use parts from a deconstructed plant in Brazil.

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ZAMBIA SIGNATORY TO CHEMICAL, SAFETY TREATIES ‰?? ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL
Tags: Zambia, public, discovery, environmental, toxics, wastes

ZAMBIA is a party to a number of international chemical, safety and other related conventions.
The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions are among the several agreements Zambia has signed. The three altogether cover elements of ‰??cradle-to-grave‰?? management as they aimed at removing hazardous and chemical wastes.


By being a signatory to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, Government has demonstrated its desire to comply with standards and norms of being a hazardous and waste chemicals-free nation.

Conventions give birth to institutions which help the United Nations in monitoring the adherence to the agreements.
In Africa, the need for the co-ordinated implementation of chemical multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) is critical for providing the basis and crucial elements for ‰??life cycle management‰?? of toxic chemicals.
Zambia is a signatory to the African Institute statutes, which is a regional centre for Anglophone Africa.
The synergy of the chemical MEAs provides the framework for environmentally sound chemical management.
Institutions born out of conventions help build effective international and regional frameworks to minimise and prevent the impacts of toxic chemicals and hazardous waste and give individual countries and the global community a way to address the ever increasing pollution of humans and the environment.

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U.S. CHEMICAL MAKERS, OSHA FORM WORKER SAFETY ALLIANCE ON DIISOCYANATES
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental, diisocyanates

The Trump Administration and a chemical industry group are forming a government-industry alliance with an intent to protect workers from exposure to diisocyanates, substances that are powerful irritants. The effort by the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and the American Chemistry Council (ACC), an industry trade association, would raise awareness of safe practices for use of these substances in the polyurethane industry.
However, industrial health experts warn that the alliance, announced on Sept. 14, may be a response to efforts in California to toughen safety requirements for some of these chemicals.
Isocyanates are raw materials for making polyurethane products, such as insulation, car seats, foam mattresses, shoes, and adhesives. Exposure to isocyanates can irritate the skin and mucous membranes, cause chest tightness and difficulty breathing, and lead to asthma and death.
The joint effort calls for creation of a web-based training program on the safer use of chemicals and the potential routes of exposure to users of these substances. It will develop guidance on medical surveillance and clinical evaluation techniques for employers and workers using the chemicals.

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