From: Ralph Stuart <rstuartcih**At_Symbol_Here**me.com>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (12 articles)
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2018 06:51:17 -0500
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 44F24F51-1BBC-42F4-BE36-FCBD502EE72F**At_Symbol_Here**me.com


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Table of Contents (12 articles)

METH LABS CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR FIREFIGHTERS
Tags: us_GA, laboratory, discovery, environmental, clandestine_lab

SEWER GAS CAUSES EVACUATION OF FORNEY EMERGENCY CENTER
Tags: us_TX, public, release, response, hydrogen_sulfide, sewer_gas

TRADER JOE'S IS SWITCHING TO RECEIPTS WITHOUT BPA OR BPS
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, response, phenol

DRILLING CONTRACTOR IN QUINTON EXPLOSION HAD OSHA VIOLATIONS IN PAST
Tags: us_OK, industrial, follow-up, death, petroleum

UPDATE 2-BODIES OF FIVE OKLAHOMA WELL VICTIMS RECOVERED AT DRILLING SITE -SHERIFF
Tags: us_OK, industrial, explosion, death, methane, natural_gas

EXPLOSION, FIRE HOSPITALIZES TWO MARSHFIELD WORKERS
Tags: us_mo, industrial, fire, injuries, flammable

OFFICIALS EXTINGUISH QUINTON GAS WELL FIRE; SEARCH CONTINUES FOR MISSING WORKERS
Tags: us_ok, industrial, fire, response, natural_gas

TRUCK DAMAGES GAS PUMP, CAUSES LARGE FUEL SPILL AT ROGERSVILLE STATION
Tags: us_tn, public, release, response, gasoline

UPDATE: FUEL TRUCK HITS TRAIN IN PORT COQUITLAM, CAUSING MASSIVE FIRE
Tags: canada, transportation, fire, response, flammable

CHEMICAL LEAKAGE: UNIOSUN STUDENTS DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL
Tags: nigeria, laboratory, release, injuries, unknown_chemical

CARBON DIOXIDE LEAK PROMPTS BUILDING EVACUATION
Tags: us_az, public, release, response, carbon_dioxide%3f

JEFFERSON COUNTY TEEN DIES AFTER STOKING FIRE WITH GASOLINE
Tags: us_al, public, fire, death, gasoline


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METH LABS CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR FIREFIGHTERS
http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/meth-labs-causing-problems-for-firefighters-1/511057576
Tags: us_GA, laboratory, discovery, environmental, clandestine_lab

Firefighters battle big blazes every day to keep our communities safe, but one type of drug is creating a more dangerous flame across the country.

Homemade meth labs can take a toll on firefighters' health and taxpayers' wallets.

A Monroe County fire engine races off to another emergency.

"Firefighters and first responders are often the first on scene, and oftentimes, especially when a structure is on fire, we can't see what's inside," says Monroe Fire Captain Shane Cook.

Cook says that becomes an even bigger problem when his guys could be walking into a homemade meth lab.

"Sometimes it's not until after the fact that we even know it's a meth lab," says Cook.

Monroe County Fire Battalion Chief Jason Lott says meth lab fires don't look any different on the outside, but inside, you might spot items like propane tanks, pill bottles, or paint thinners that give it away.

Lott says," Any fire is inherently dangerous to us, but with meth labs, when the chemicals burn, they give off more toxic fumes than a normal fire."

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SEWER GAS CAUSES EVACUATION OF FORNEY EMERGENCY CENTER
http://healthcare.dmagazine.com/2018/01/23/sewer-gas-causes-evacuation-of-forney-emergency-center/
Tags: us_TX, public, release, response, hydrogen_sulfide, sewer_gas

The Baylor Scott & White Emergency Center on U.S. Highway 80 in Forney was evacuated after a hazmat situation developed around noon on Tuesday.

The situation stemmed from a supposed gas leak in the surrounding area that was later confirmed to be "sewer gas" by Forney public information officer Kyle Rouvaldt.

Hospital officials evacuated the freestanding emergency room as a precautionary measure, Baylor Scott & White spokeswoman Julie Smith said, "moving staff and one patient to a nearby Baylor Scott & White facility."

Dallas Fire-Rescue"s hazmat crew, the Forney Fire Department, CareFlite, and the Kaufman County Office of Emergency Management all were on-scene during the situation, and representatives of Atmos Energy responded to the initial concerns about the gas leak.

Baylor Scott & White Emergency Center-Forney"a department of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Lake Pointe"has yet to reopen, allowing time for the facility to air out.

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TRADER JOE'S IS SWITCHING TO RECEIPTS WITHOUT BPA OR BPS
https://www.fooddive.com/news/grocery--trader-joes-is-switching-to-receipts-without-bpa-or-bps/515180/
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, response, phenol

Trader Joe's, the California-based grocery chain, announced last week that it plans to switch to thermal receipt paper that doesn't contain either of two controversial chemicals " bisphenol A and bisphenol S. BPA and BPS are considered endocrine disruptors and may cause other human health problems.

"We are now pursuing receipt paper that is free of phenol chemicals (including BPA and BPS), which we will be rolling out to all stores as soon as possible," Mark Sloan, Trader Joe's vice president of product marketing, said in a statement.

According to a study released last week by the Michigan-based Ecology Center, traces of either BPA and BPS showed up in 93% of 207 store register receipts tested. The center stated that tests were done on thermal paper receipts from Trader Joe's, Kroger, Meijer and TJX stores, along with receipts from gas stations, theaters, libraries, small and independent businesses and others. The center sent a letter to Trader Joe's with the results, and the company's announcement was posted the same day.

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DRILLING CONTRACTOR IN QUINTON EXPLOSION HAD OSHA VIOLATIONS IN PAST
http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/drilling-contractor-in-quinton-explosion-had-osha-violations-in-past/article_c1062dba-160d-5957-9752-3c4c233991ff.html
Tags: us_OK, industrial, follow-up, death, petroleum

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has launched an investigation into what caused a drilling rig explosion Monday that left five dead in Pittsburg County.

Patterson-UTI Energy, the drilling firm working the rig, has had a handful of OSHA inspection violations in Oklahoma over the past 10 years. The federal agency has conducted 12 inspections of Patterson-UTI rigs and facilities in Oklahoma over the past decade and found four separate violations, according to an OSHA inspection database. However, the company isn"t among the most frequent drilling company violators in Oklahoma during that time, records show.

OSHA confirmed the investigation Tuesday, but declined to comment further.

The agency is responsible for enforcing laws and regulations governing workplace safety and health. It conducts inspections of workplaces involved in oil and gas drilling and servicing operations as it does with other industries.

"The people of Patterson-UTI are our primary focus, and keeping them safe at the well site is always our primary focus. ... We"ve operated across North America for a long time ... and for the past few years we"ve been one of the safest companies in the industry," said Patterson-UTI President and CEO Andy Hendricks at a news conference.

In a later interview with the Tulsa World, Hendricks cited an industry benchmark for safety and said his firm exceeds that.

"For instance, the International Association of Drilling Contractors on a quarterly basis publishes the organization"s overall safety performance, and for years now ‰?| our incident reporting rate has been lower than the industry average," Hendricks said. "Outside of the tragic event this week ... we were making good progress."

Hendricks said the rig had gone to work for Red Mountain Energy, the operator of the site, in December.

A search of records over the past 10 years shows no instance of the site being inspected. Patterson-UTI has 30 rigs operating in Oklahoma, according to the Houston-based company"s website.

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

UPDATE 2-BODIES OF FIVE OKLAHOMA WELL VICTIMS RECOVERED AT DRILLING SITE -SHERIFF
https://www.reuters.com/article/oklahoma-drilling-blast/update-2-bodies-of-five-oklahoma-well-victims-recovered-at-drilling-site-sheriff-idUSL2N1PI1AK
Tags: us_OK, industrial, explosion, death, methane, natural_gas

HOUSTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The bodies of five workers who died in a fiery explosion at an oil and gas well site outside of Quinton, Oklahoma were recovered on Tuesday afternoon in a building next to the drilling rig, Pittsburg County Sheriff Chris Morris said.

The accident, which followed several fatal mishaps in recent months at Oklahoma oil and gas operations, is the deadliest U.S. drilling mishap since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon offshore rig explosion that claimed 11 lives.

The bodies were transferred to the state medical examiner in Oklahoma City, for identification, Morris said. The building was a control operation near the rig. The five included three workers from Oklahoma and one each from Texas and Colorado.

The workers had been missing and presumed dead since Monday, when a blast ripped through a Red Mountain Energy drill site, sparking a huge blaze fed by natural gas from the well. The Oklahoma City-based energy producer, which shares management with natural gas marketing and investment firm Clearwater Enterprises, did not respond to requests for comment.

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EXPLOSION, FIRE HOSPITALIZES TWO MARSHFIELD WORKERS
http://www.fox5krbk.com/story/37323634/explosion-fire-hospitalizes-two-marshfield-workers
Tags: us_mo, industrial, fire, injuries, flammable

Marshfield, Mo. -- (1/22/2018) Two workers were sent to the hospital on Monday after an explosion at a warehouse in Marshfield.

The workers were placing spray-in insulation into the warehouse when the explosion occurred.

Authorities say chemicals used in the insulation caught a nearby truck on fire which then spread to the warehouse. A hazmat team was also called to the scene.

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

OFFICIALS EXTINGUISH QUINTON GAS WELL FIRE; SEARCH CONTINUES FOR MISSING WORKERS
http://ktul.com/news/local/officials-extinguish-quinton-oil-rig-fire-search-continues-for-missing-workers
Tags: us_ok, industrial, fire, response, natural_gas

QUINTON, Okla. (KTUL) -- Towering flames could be seen for miles as dark smoke billowed from the gas well in Quinton, Okla.
Flames shot into the air when a gas well exploded in Quinton, just before nine this morning.
"I could see the flames about 200 feet in the air," local Chris Ohls said.
Ohls was two miles away when he saw the sky turn from blue to red.
"About two minutes after that I watched the rig collapse," Ohls said.
Authorities say 22 workers were out on the rig when the explosion happened.

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

TRUCK DAMAGES GAS PUMP, CAUSES LARGE FUEL SPILL AT ROGERSVILLE STATION
http://wjhl.com/2018/01/22/truck-damages-gas-pump-causes-large-fuel-spill-at-rogersville-station/
Tags: us_tn, public, release, response, gasoline

Rogersville, TN (WJHL) " Police and hazmat crews blocked off access to a Rogersville gas station after an accident Monday night.

That caused as much as 40 gallons of gas to spill into the parking lot and surrounding area.

There was no fire. No one was hurt. But Hawkins County Hazmat was called to the scene, and the decision was made to bring a private clean-up company to help remove spilled fuel and contaminated soil.

Monday night, gasoline sales were halted at the Murphy"s USA station. Police and Hazmat crews expected to remain at the scene for several hours.

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

UPDATE: FUEL TRUCK HITS TRAIN IN PORT COQUITLAM, CAUSING MASSIVE FIRE
https://www.bclocalnews.com/news/update-fuel-truck-hits-train-in-port-coquitlam-causing-massive-fire/
Tags: canada, transportation, fire, response, flammable

A semi-trailer truck carrying ethanol struck a train at the rail yard in Port Coquitlam on Monday, causing a massive explosion and fire around 6:30 p.m., according to the city.

Flames could be seen from far away, including bordering cities.

As of 10 p.m., the fire was under control.

"We can report the driver and CP Rail crew are all safe," said the City of Port Coquitlam.

Video:

Coquitlam RCMP evacuated an 800 metre radius of the area. Lougheed Highway has been closed in botyh directions from Shaughnessy Street to the Oxford Connector.

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

CHEMICAL LEAKAGE: UNIOSUN STUDENTS DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL
https://punchng.com/chemical-leakage-uniosun-students-discharged-from-hospital/
Tags: nigeria, laboratory, release, injuries, unknown_chemical

The last batch of students of the Osun State University, who collapsed and were hospitalised after inhaling poisonous leakage from a fire extinguisher inside a crowded lecture room, has been discharged from the hospital.

A student of the university told our correspondent on Monday, on condition of anonymity, that the last batch of students injured during the accident was discharged from the hospital on Sunday.

The student, however, appealed to the university authorities to ensure that lecture rooms were spacious enough to accommodate a large number of undergraduates.

The student said, "All the students that were admitted to the hospital because of the fire extinguisher accident have been discharged as of Sunday.

"I thank God that none of them died, but the university authorities have to make sure that students are no longer taught in crowded classrooms just to prevent this kind of incident. They should ensure that there are lecture rooms which can accommodate a large number of students conveniently in the interest of students and the lecturers."

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Prof. Clement Adebooye, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, confirmed that the students were all discharged from the hospital.

Adebooye said, "All of them have been discharged. We thank God that nothing bad happened to any of them. They are all in a good condition now. The university acted promptly and we are happy that they are all alive and well."

It would be recalled that students of the Anatomy/ Physiology Department were receiving a lecture inside a crowded lecture room when the fire extinguisher inside the classroom started to leak.

One of the students was said to have sat on the fire extinguisher and the safety valve was accidentally released when he stood up causing the leakage.

The leaked poisonous gas inhaled by the students caused many of them to slump and over 20 of the students, who became unconscious as a result of the leakage, were rushed to a hospital where they were treated and eventually discharged.

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

CARBON DIOXIDE LEAK PROMPTS BUILDING EVACUATION
http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona-news/carbon-dioxide-leak-prompts-building-evacuation
Tags: us_az, public, release, response, carbon_dioxide%3f

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - Phoenix, Goodyear and Tolleson Fire Departments were at the scene near 70th Avenue and Buckeye Road on Monday for a carbon dioxide leak. Personnel were evacuated from the commercial building and they were all accounted for, according to officials.

"The building is equipped with a CO2 tank. The initial HazMat units on scene are reporting that they have detected CO2 on their meters. CO2 is a colorless and odorless gas that can decrease the oxygen levels in an area. Human bodies exhale CO2 as the byproduct of respiration so the chemical itself is not hazardous unless it displaces Oxygen," stated Phoenix Fire Department Captain Larry Subervi.

The crews later secured two leaking CO2 lines and continued to monitor the air. Subervi says the CO2 levels are decreasing.

First responders said there is no threat to the environment or surrounding communities.

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

JEFFERSON COUNTY TEEN DIES AFTER STOKING FIRE WITH GASOLINE
http://www.wvtm13.com/article/jefferson-county-teen-dies-after-stoking-fire-with-gasoline/15841538
Tags: us_al, public, fire, death, gasoline

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. "
A Jefferson County teenager who was burned while trying to start a fire has died.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said in a release that it was notified by a hospital social worker that the teenager suffered severe burns and would be taken off life support.

The teen was taken to a hospital, where he died Thursday. Family and friends have identified the victim as 14-year-old Sam Gean.

Authorities say an investigation found that Gean and other juveniles were trying to ignite some type of paper near a deck of a home.

Authorities say Gean picked up a five gallon can of gasoline and dumped it on the small fire when the paper didn't burn rapidly enough. The gasoline exploded and showered Gean with flames.

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