From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (17 articles)
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2017 07:40:14 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: A26D1370-CBB8-4E77-BDD6-31D9CAEFBB73**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, September 22, 2017 at 7:40:00 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 (17 articles)

DALLAS FIRE-RESCUE RESPONDS TO HAZMAT SPILL AT DALLAS BULK MAIL CENTER
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, injury, phenol

INVESTIGATORS SEEK CAUSE OF DICKINSON COLLEGE FIRE
Tags: us_PA, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical

NO HARM DONE IN HARBOR BEACH CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_TN, transportation, release, response, hydrochloric_acid

36 STUDENTS REPORT FEELING LIGHTHEADED AT ZAMORANO ELEMENTARY: SDFD
Tags: us_CA, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical

SPILLS REPORTED AT ONE OF HOUSTON'S MOST TOXIC SUPERFUND SITES
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, petroleum, waste

SMALL FIRE BREAKS OUT IN IDEA SCHOOL CLASSROOM ‰?? 710AM KURV
Tags: us_TX, laboratory, fire, injury, unknown_chemical

TWO WORKERS SUFFER BURNS AT NAVAL DOCKYARD IN VIZAG
Tags: India, public, explosion, injury, paints, waste

EXPLOSIVE CHEMICAL BLAMED FOR WORK SITE BLAST IN JERSEY CITY
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, explosion, response, other_chemical

MAN INJURED BY CHEMICAL-COATED STRING ON ISLAMABAD EXPRESSWAY
Tags: Pakistan, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical

SOCMA TO HOST RETROSPECTIVE PANEL ON DISASTER PLANNING & RESPONSE AT NATIONAL CHEMICAL SAFETY
Tags: us_FL, industrial, follow-up, environmental

SIX INJURED FOLLOWING CHEMICAL SPILL AT KENNETT MUSHROOM FACILITY
Tags: us_PA, industrial, release, injury, cleaners

FACTORY FIRE KILLS 6 IN MUNSHIGANJ
Tags: Bangladesh, industrial, fire, death, flammables

AMAZON REVIEWS ALGORITHM AFTER RECOMMENDING BOMB INGREDIENTS TO CUSTOMERS
Tags: Australia, public, discovery, environmental, bomb

INVESTIGATION MAY REQUIRE WACKER CHEMICAL TO CLOSE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS
Tags: us_TN, industrial, follow-up, environmental, hydrogen

FEDERAL PANEL VOTES TO WARN PUBLIC ABOUT FLAME RETARDANTS IN BABY PRODUCTS, FURNITURE
Tags: us_IL, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical

FEDS CITE SAFETY DEFICIENCIES IN EXXONMOBIL FIRE
Tags: us_LA, industrial, follow-up, injury, unknown_chemical

AIR TESTING PROVIDER ADDED TO TEXAS CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE LAW SUIT
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, injury, unknown_chemical


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DALLAS FIRE-RESCUE RESPONDS TO HAZMAT SPILL AT DALLAS BULK MAIL CENTER
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, injury, phenol

Four people are being treated for exposure to a hazardous material after a spill was reported at the Dallas USPS Bulk Mail Center Thursday.
Dallas Fire-Rescue responded to the call around noon and said the hazmat team responded with three rescue units.
The chemical spilled was reported to be carbolic acid, an organic compound also known as phenol with a number of industrial uses.
DFR said at four people were exposed to the compound and were transported to area hospitals. Their conditions are not known.

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

INVESTIGATORS SEEK CAUSE OF DICKINSON COLLEGE FIRE
Tags: us_PA, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical

A fire damaged a building containing classrooms at Dickinson College early Thursday, said a college official.

Christine Baksi, Dickinson spokeswoman, said the fire call came in at 1 a.m. in Dana Hall, which houses classrooms and a science lab in the 200 block of Louther Street.

"It was a smoke event, contained to one lab room in the lower level," she said, adding that there were "no flames."

The origin is believed to be in a piece of lab equipment, but it is not yet known if the cause was electrical or chemical or other, she said.

Baksi said room was cleared of smoke by between 1:30 and 2 a.m. No one was in the building when the incident began and no injuries resulted, she said.

Officials continue to look for the cause of the fire.

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

NO HARM DONE IN HARBOR BEACH CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_TN, transportation, release, response, hydrochloric_acid

HARBOR BEACH ‰?? A valve that malfunctioned on a semi truck resulted in crews cleaning up a chemical spill for nearly 12 hours in downtown Harbor Beach on Wednesday.
Harbor Beach Fire Chief J.P. Lermont told the Tribune his department was contacted around 9:30 a.m. regarding a spill at the intersection of State Street and M-25.
At the scene, authorities discovered a valve on a Sensient Flavors semi truck had malfunctioned as it pulled into the facility and hydrochloric acid spilled from the truck into the roadway.
The Harbor Beach Police Department blocked off the intersection as crews got to work.
"We needed to neutralize the area," Lermont said.
Lermont's crew began to pour soda ash on the ground to neutralize the pH levels with the hydrochloric acid on the ground. Young's Environmental Cleanup Inc., a hazardous material response unit, was contacted to help with the cleanup.

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

36 STUDENTS REPORT FEELING LIGHTHEADED AT ZAMORANO ELEMENTARY: SDFD
Tags: us_CA, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical

A city crew's use of a chemical in sewer pipeline maintenance near a San Diego school sickened 36 students Thursday, school district and fire officials said.
First responders rushed to Zamorano Elementary on Casey Street in the Bay Terraces neighborhood just before 10:30 a.m. for the report of a strange smell and students feeling lightheaded.
One student told NBC 7 she was playing wall ball at recess when she noticed a strange smell.
After hazardous materials experts swept the school, it was determined that a chemical being used to reinforce city sewer pipes prompted the disruption of classes.

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

SPILLS REPORTED AT ONE OF HOUSTON'S MOST TOXIC SUPERFUND SITES
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, petroleum, waste

One of Houston‰??s dirtiest Superfund toxic waste sites experienced three spills in the days after the torrential rain from Hurricane Harvey. But, as has been the case with other toxic spills resulting from Harvey, the spill went unreported for weeks, until the Associated Press got a look at some aerial photos that showed dark-colored water surrounding the site as the floodwater receded. The dark water was shown flowing through Vince Bayou and into the Houston Ship Channel.


This handout aerial photo from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows floodwaters surrounding the U.S. Oil Recovery Superfund site outside Houston flowing into the San Jacinto River.
The AP first reported the spills earlier this week; the Environmental Protection Agency has not publicly acknowledged them. The agency told the AP that it sent an on-scene coordinator to the Superfund site Wednesday last week, but found no evidence that material had washed off the site though they are still assessing the scene at U.S. Oil Recovery, a former petroleum-industry waste-processing plant contaminated with ‰??a dangerous brew of cancer-causing chemicals,‰?? according to the AP.

A county pollution control team had sent photos to the EPA of three large concrete tanks flooded with water on August 29, after the Harvey floodwater had cleared out. And PRP Group, a company overseeing cleanup at the Superfund site, reported the spill via a federal emergency hotline operated by the U.S. Coast Guard. The company reported two more spills of potentially contaminated storm water from the site.

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

SMALL FIRE BREAKS OUT IN IDEA SCHOOL CLASSROOM ‰?? 710AM KURV
Tags: us_TX, laboratory, fire, injury, unknown_chemical

A teacher suffered minor burns and 21 students were checked for chemical and smoke exposure following a fire inside a classroom at an IDEA public school in McAllen Thursday morning.
McAllen firefighters were called to the Bentsen Road school at about 9:35 and rushed into a classroom where a teacher had suffered minors burns to the abdomen. None of the 21 students was hurt but were taken to the hospital after being exposed to chemicals and smoke. The classroom sustained minor fire and chemical damage.
Fire Chief Rafael Balderas says it appears the fire was sparked by a science experiment gone wrong and that the teacher sustained burns when an apron the instructor had on caught fire.

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

TWO WORKERS SUFFER BURNS AT NAVAL DOCKYARD IN VIZAG
Tags: India, public, explosion, injury, paints, waste

Two employees suffered chemical burns in an explosion at the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning unit at Naval Dockyard under Malkapuram police station limits here on Thursday.

The injured identified as 25-year-old Baishnab Charan Chand and 26-year-old Parthasarathi Das, are undergoing treatment at a corporate hospital here, where their condition is said to be out of danger.

Sources said the incident took place around 10 a.m. when the duo was engaged in some painting work at the unit.

As per the reports, the duo had taken a can from the scrap to mix the paints by removing some semi-solid material from the can. They then had dumped the removed material in a waste bin and due to some chemical reaction with some material already present in the waste bin, an explosion took place.

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

EXPLOSIVE CHEMICAL BLAMED FOR WORK SITE BLAST IN JERSEY CITY
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, explosion, response, other_chemical

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) ‰?? An accident at a construction site set off an explosion rattling a quiet New Jersey neighborhood.

Officials said a crew was handling an explosive chemical when they were not supposed to be doing any work at all.

As CBS2‰??s Alice Gainer reported, white smoke was still puffing into the sky on Thursday afternoon, hours after a chemical was poured into drilled holes.

‰??It‰??s a type of mortar that they pour into some bored out holes to break up the rock basically. It reacted in a way it wasn‰??t supposed to, and that‰??s why we‰??re here right now,‰?? a Jersey City fire official said.

Fire officials said the chemical is called damite.

When it reacted poorly it sent rocks flying into the air, breaking windows in a neighboring building.

No one was hurt, but they evacuated the building next to the site.

He said it will take hours for the reaction to stop.

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

MAN INJURED BY CHEMICAL-COATED STRING ON ISLAMABAD EXPRESSWAY
Tags: Pakistan, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical

Islamabad :Although there is ban on kite flying in Punjab, people in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad openly flout this law and continue flying kites with chemical-coated strings, which has resulted in many fatal incidents and numerous number of people mostly motorcyclists and children have suffered grievous injuries.

On Thursday, a newlywed Muhammad Nouman Mazhar was rushed to Benazir Bhutto Hospital after he suffered serious injuries to his eye, nose and throat. He became latest victim of chemical-coated string. While travelling on Islamabad Expressway, near Kurri Road a stray string fell upon him injuring him seriously. He was rushed to Benazir Bhutto Hospital where he received 11 stitches to his face.

‰??Blood was continuously oozing after the string cut my right eye and nose with while I was travelling on Islamabad Expressway near Kurri Road,‰?? Muhammad Nouman Mazhar told ‰??The News‰?? here on Thursday.

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

SOCMA TO HOST RETROSPECTIVE PANEL ON DISASTER PLANNING & RESPONSE AT NATIONAL CHEMICAL SAFETY
Tags: us_FL, industrial, follow-up, environmental

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With Houston, Florida and the Southeastern United States impacted by flooding and storm damage as a result of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA) is coordinating a retrospective panel discussion on disaster planning and response at the National Chemical Safety Symposium ‰?? Hosted by ChemStewardså¨, October 11-12, in Houston, TX.

ChemStewards, SOCMA's environmental, health, safety and security program (EHS&S), assists chemical companies in optimizing their performance and creating a safe and secure manufacturing environment.

"Hurricanes Harvey and Irma had a significant impact on the chemical industry, especially in the Houston area, but throughout the storm and its aftermath, safety was of the utmost importance to our SOCMA member companies," said Dr. J. Holland Jordan, Managing Director of ChemStewards. "With the Safety Symposium set for October in Houston, we felt this was an opportune time to bring in company leaders, plant operators and others who worked with these companies throughout the storm to share insight about how their employees and facilities fared. A situation such as this is at the very heart of why it's important to have a strong EHS&S program plan in place. During the discussion, we hope to gain a better understanding of what worked during the response, as well as areas that could be improved upon moving forward."

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

SIX INJURED FOLLOWING CHEMICAL SPILL AT KENNETT MUSHROOM FACILITY
Tags: us_PA, industrial, release, injury, cleaners

KENNETT SQUARE>> At least a half dozen people were treated following a chemical spill at Chester County mushroom firm Wednesday, officials said.

Emergency crews converged on Kaolin Mushroom Farms Inc. in the 600 block of West South Street shortly before noon Wednesday. Kennett Square, Longwood and Avondale fire companies responded to the incident. Crews requested Chester County hazmat crews, when it became clear of the score of those affected by the spill and to contain the spill.

The Chester County Hazardous Materials Unit responded to the farm and at least six people were taken to the hospital, according to an official at the scene.

The injured were evaluated by medics on scene then moved to a decontamination station at Washington and Cypress streets to be scrubbed, assuring all chemicals were gone.

Firefighters built the decontamination station using tarps, hoses and dirt from a construction site. They used soap and water to scrub the patients who disrobed. Contaminated water was contained in the decon area.

The employees were then transported to the hospital. Patients went to Crozer-Chester Medical Center, Jennersville and Chester County Hospital. A firefighter was reported injured.

Kaolin Mushroom Farm released the following statement: ‰??At approximately 11:45 am today at our Kennett Square, Pennsylvania facility, an incident occurred where areas were evacuated due to a possible spill of peracetic acid in one of our mushroom wash areas. This product is commonly used in the food industry as a cleanser and disinfectant. Nine employees were treated on-site for possible exposure and transferred to local area hospitals for observation and treatment if required. The company‰??s first priority is to its employees and surrounding communities. Local Hazmat teams are on-site conducting a thorough review.‰??

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

FACTORY FIRE KILLS 6 IN MUNSHIGANJ
Tags: Bangladesh, industrial, fire, death, flammables

A fire in a textile factory in Bangladesh killed six workers on Wednesday before it was extinguished, police said, renewing fears about safety in the multi-billion dollar industry.

Rahman said the fire originated from the factory's chemical godown on the first floor of the building which subsequently spread to other parts soon.

Local people are still doubtful about the death toll as nobody from the locality is being allowed to enter the building.

The fire service said the blaze may have been caused by sparks from welding work with flammable chemicals stored in a warehouse.

According to him, the victims did not die from the fire rather suffocated from the fumes of the chemicals.

Meanwhile, firefighters recovered six bodies from the textile mill, said the police official.

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

AMAZON REVIEWS ALGORITHM AFTER RECOMMENDING BOMB INGREDIENTS TO CUSTOMERS
Tags: Australia, public, discovery, environmental, bomb

Retail giant Amazon is reviewing its online store‰??s algorithm after it recommended customers buy bomb ingredients together.

The ingredients were being recommended together under the ‰??frequently bought together‰?? and ‰??customers who bought this item also bought‰?? sections, Britain‰??s Channel 4 News revealed.

The items are innocent on their own but can be put together to create potentially deadly chemical explosives.

On Tuesday, The New Daily was able to find the ingredients for black powder and thermite on Amazon, and confirmed chemicals were recommended for purchase together.

The New Daily chose not to name or picture the labels for the items.

Other materials that could be used in bomb making, including ball bearings, ignition systems and remote detonators, were freely available on the site, and some of them were suggested to be bought with the chemicals.

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

INVESTIGATION MAY REQUIRE WACKER CHEMICAL TO CLOSE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS
Tags: us_TN, industrial, follow-up, environmental, hydrogen

After the incident at Wacker‰??s U.S. production site in Charleston, root-cause investigation work is now underway. Global President Wacker Polysilicon Tobias Brandis said the plant may be closed for several months for the investigation.

The explosion on Sept. 7 was caused by a technical defect prompting a leak of hydrogen which subsequently caught fire, thereby severely damaging a small, but important facility of the production plant.

Wacker has engaged an independent expert team to determine the root cause of the incident and is cooperating with governmental authorities to ensure a safe resumption of operations. Financial effects on Wacker stemming from this incident are expected to be only minor due to insurance coverage for damages and loss of production, said officials.

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

FEDERAL PANEL VOTES TO WARN PUBLIC ABOUT FLAME RETARDANTS IN BABY PRODUCTS, FURNITURE
Tags: us_IL, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical

For the first time a federal agency is moving to outlaw an entire class of toxic flame retardants, a policy change intended to protect Americans from chemicals linked to cancer, neurological deficits, hormone disruption and other health problems.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission voted Wednesday to immediately warn the public about the dangers of chemicals known as organohalogens in baby and toddler products, mattresses, upholstered furniture and electronics enclosures. The commission also set in motion what promises to be a contentious debate about new regulations prohibiting manufacturers from adding any halogenated flame retardants to products covered by the ban.

Several of the chemicals already have been forced off the market after independent scientists determined they were accumulating in people and posed serious health risks. But advocates and scientists noted the chemical industry has a long history of replacing harmful flame retardants with chemically similar compounds that later were found to be just as worrisome, if not more so.

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

FEDS CITE SAFETY DEFICIENCIES IN EXXONMOBIL FIRE
Tags: us_LA, industrial, follow-up, injury, unknown_chemical

Several ‰??safety management system deficiencies‰?? led to a fire at the Baton Rouge ExxonMobil refinery last year that severely burned four workers and led to $165,000 in fines for the company, according to a safety bulletin issued by federal officials.

‰??Our investigation found that these accepted practices were conducted without appropriate safety hazard analysis, needlessly injuring these workers,‰?? CSB Chair Vanessa Allen Sutherland says in a statement. ‰??It is important to remember that good safety practices are good maintenance practices and good business practices.‰??

In its report, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board cited several ‰??safety management system deficiencies‰?? at the Baton Rouge refinery that led the fire, which occurred last November. The refinery failed to address older, less reliable equipment, had a lack of written procedures for operating the equipment that caught fire and a lack of training, among other things. Updating the older valves, as was done to 97% of the refinery‰??s valves, would likely have prevented the incident, the board says.

‰??We will continue to evaluate human factors associated with equipment design to mitigate identified hazards, and will evaluate and update procedures and training,‰?? an ExxonMobil spokeswoman says in a statement. ‰??Safety is a core value at ExxonMobil. Nothing is more important than the safety and health of our employees, our contractors and the people who live and work near our operations.‰??

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

AIR TESTING PROVIDER ADDED TO TEXAS CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE LAW SUIT
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, injury, unknown_chemical

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Air monitoring company Bureau Veritas SA has been added to a negligence suit, lawyers for Texas police and emergency workers said on Wednesday, after the first responders alleged they inhaled dangerous fumes during a fire at a chemical plant.

The suit, filed in Harris County District Court, seeks at least $75,000 for injuries caused by the alleged negligence after volatile organic chemicals were ignited at the plant in Crosby, Texas, on Aug. 31. The fire came after flooding from Hurricane Harvey knocked out power to an Arkema SA chemical plant.

The amended suit added six more emergency workers and Crosby residents to its list of plaintiffs, which now numbers 18.

Arkema and local officials set up a 1.5 mile radius evacuation zone, after warning there was no way to prevent the chemicals from igniting after the plant‰??s cooling systems shut and its workers evacuated.

The workers said Bureau Veritas failed to warn them of the dangers or advise them to take precautions despite being in regular communication, according to the suit.

About 15 emergency workers manning the evacuation perimeter required care at the scene or were taken to a hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.

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