Check out Safety Emporium for your N95, N99, and face shield needs.
From: Ralph Stuart <rstuartcih**At_Symbol_Here**me.com>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (17 articles)
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2018 07:38:11 -0500
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: BD3C0E91-67DC-4964-A1F5-29C2B9E261B4**At_Symbol_Here**me.com
Article summaries are also available at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas
Table of Contents (17 articles)
AMMONIA LEAK AT FISHERY PORT ROAD SEES 100 WORKERS EVACUATED, 3 DECONTAMINATED WITH WATER
Tags: Singapore, public, release, injury, ammonia
OFFICIALS WARN "DON"T MIX CHEMICALS" AFTER BUILDING EVACUATION IN KINGSTON
Tags: Canada, public, release, response, cleaners
TOXIC NIAGARA SANITATION LANDFILL STILL PLAGUES TOWN OF WHEATFIELD
Tags: us_NY, public, follow-up, environmental
OYSTER CREEK FIRE INJURES TWO BRASKEM EMPLOYEES
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, injury, petroleum
DRILLING COMPANY IN OKLAHOMA EXPLOSION HAS HISTORY OF FATAL ACCIDENTS
Tags: us_OK, public, follow-up, environmental
UWF NEWSROOMARGO ALERT: CHEMICAL EXPLOSION IN BUILDING 58 UPDATE
Tags: us_FL, laboratory, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD LAUNCHES OKLAHOMA RIG EXPLOSION INVESTIGATION
Tags: us_OK, industrial, follow-up, death
NEW TOOLS IMPROVE LAB SAFETY AT UH M€?NOA " UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIćČI SYSTEM NEWS
Tags: us_HI, laboratory, follow-up, environmental
PROVINCE INVESTIGATING HAMILTON COAL TAR RECYCLER"S YELLOW CLOUDS
Tags: Canada, industrial, follow-up, environmental, waste
USE OF ACID-BASED DRAIN CLEANER PROMPTS HAZ-MAT RESPONSE BY FIRE DEPARTMENT
Tags: us_AZ, public, release, injury, cleaners
ONE DEAD AFTER HAZMAT SITUATION IN JACKSON COUNTY
Tags: us_IL, public, release, death, bleach, cleaners
EAST LONGMEADOW RECEIVES GRANT TO HELP KEEP FIREFIGHTERS HEALTHY
Tags: us_MA, industrial, fire, response, toxics
BREAKING: CHEMICAL EXPLOSION EVACUATES ENGINEERING BUILDINGS
Tags: Canada, laboratory, explosion, response, nitric_acid
BLAST ROCKS TIMET PLANT NEAR HENDERSON " LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Tags: us_NV, industrial, explosion, response, magnesium, waste
CONFERENCE ON CHEMICAL DISASTER CONCLUDES
Tags: India, industrial, discovery, environmental
WEST SETTLES CLAIMS FROM MASSIVE FERTILIZER BLAST
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, death, ammonium_nitrate
DARIGOLD CARTONS BEING RECALLED FOR CONTAINING CHEMICAL MIXTURE
Tags: us_WA, education, release, response, bleach, milk
---------------------------------------------
AMMONIA LEAK AT FISHERY PORT ROAD SEES 100 WORKERS EVACUATED, 3 DECONTAMINATED WITH WATER
https://coconuts.co/singapore/news/ammonia-leak-fishery-port-road-sees-100-workers-evacuated-3-decontaminated-water/
Tags: Singapore, public, release, injury, ammonia
This morning, an ammonia leak was reported at 1 Fishery Port Road around 11:40am. Located in a first floor chiller room, the leak was shut off by the company, and about 100 workers in the building were evacuated before the arrival of Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel.
Photo: Singapore Civil Defence Force/Facebook
Officers decontaminated three people by washing them down with water, and they were brought to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital in a conscious and stable condition.
SCDF HazMat Specialists picked up low levels of ammonia in the vicinity outside the building and detected the leak within the ceiling of the chiller room. As of writing, they are currently working to access the concealed ammonia piping.
---------------------------------------------
OFFICIALS WARN "DON"T MIX CHEMICALS" AFTER BUILDING EVACUATION IN KINGSTON
https://globalnews.ca/news/3988118/officials-warn-dont-mix-chemicals-after-building-evacuation-in-kingston/
Tags: Canada, public, release, response, cleaners
A large office building at the Royal Block in downtown Kingston was evacuated on Wednesday afternoon after a chemical mix-up spread noxious fumes throughout the building.
The Royal Block is home to the Royal Bank and a number of smaller businesses, and all had to abandon the building. Fire officials say they got the call shortly before 2 p.m. in the afternoon.
Ted Posadowski, the city"s chief fire prevention officer said they received a hazmat call downtown.
"Crews responded " on arrival, the first floor was being evacuated. Crews went inside and it was determined that an individual was trying to make some corrections within the facility and used two chemicals that unfortunately reacted.
Property owner Braebury Properties confirmed that there was a chemical reaction inside. It happened when two cleaning agents were used to unclog a sink. Tom Beardall is an occupational and environmental health consultant with Phoenix OHC, Inc. in Kingston, and warns against mixing chemicals.
---------------------------------------------
TOXIC NIAGARA SANITATION LANDFILL STILL PLAGUES TOWN OF WHEATFIELD
http://www.niagarafallsreporter.com/toxic-niagara-sanitation-landfill-still-plagues-town-wheatfield/
Tags: us_NY, public, follow-up, environmental
Foot-dragging over decades by the Town of Wheatfield and the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in their efforts at testing and remediation of the former Niagara Sanitation toxic landfill in the town has some residents of Nash Road frustrated to the extent that they are suing the government for action.
It was way back in 1983 that the DEC first conducted a "Phase I Investigation," which consisted of "historical records review and site walk over." Then two years later the state agency commenced Phase II, on-site data collection. It took another four years before that Phase II investigation was "expanded" in 1989.
So altogether, it was approximately six years before the powers-at-be even got to the point of admitting that "Houston, we"ve got a problem." Since the disaster of Love Canal, which in fact had been partially removed to the Nash Road dump as part of the excavation and construction of the Lasalle Expressway, was fresh in everyone"s memory, it didn"t come as news to the nervous residents of Nash Road and surrounding area.
Then another two years elapsed before the New York State Department of Health got into the act, sampling surface soil to further evaluate "potential exposure risks" in 1991.
---------------------------------------------
OYSTER CREEK FIRE INJURES TWO BRASKEM EMPLOYEES
http://thefacts.com/free_share/article_b09976ca-8e2d-50bb-a0ef-41030e744da2.html
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, injury, petroleum
OYSTER CREEK " A fire erupted at Dow Chemical Co."s Oyster Creek site Thursday morning, injuring two Braskem employees who were taken by helicopter and ambulance to nearby hospitals.
The fire occurred around 10 a.m. at a facility shared by Dow and Braskem when the co-catalyst trimethlyaluminum ignited after it came into contact with moisture in the air, said Braskem spokeswoman Stacey Torpey.
Braskem"s on-site emergency response team was activated and extinguished the fire, Torpey said.
"There are no threats to the surrounding community," she said.
Torpey said she could not disclose the medical condition of the two injured employees because of privacy concerns.
Dow spokeswoman Gabriella Cone said there was no impact to Dow employees or operations.
Braskem, a multi-national petrochemical company headquarters in Philadelphia, operates four petrochemical plants in Texas.
Braskem"s plant at the Oyster Creek site manufactures polypropylene, Torpey said.
---------------------------------------------
DRILLING COMPANY IN OKLAHOMA EXPLOSION HAS HISTORY OF FATAL ACCIDENTS
http://kfor.com/2018/01/25/driller-in-oklahoma-explosion-has-history-of-fatal-accidents/
Tags: us_OK, public, follow-up, environmental
OKLAHOMA CITY - Federal safety records show 10 workers have died over the past decade at well sites linked to drilling contractor Patterson-UTI, the same driller involved in this week's rig explosion in Oklahoma that killed five workers.
An analysis of Occupational Safety and Health Administration data shows the previous accidents happened at drilling sites in Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Texas.
The company also was fined nearly $367,000 over the past 10 years for more than 140 safety violations.
Houston-based Patterson-UTI said in a statement it has embraced safety improvements and spent millions of dollars in recent years on worker training and protective equipment.
---------------------------------------------
UWF NEWSROOMARGO ALERT: CHEMICAL EXPLOSION IN BUILDING 58 UPDATE
http://news.uwf.edu/argo-alert-chemical-explosion-in-building-58-update/
Tags: us_FL, laboratory, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
A small chemical explosion resulted in a contained fire in a chemistry lab in Building 58 on the UWF Pensacola campus today, Jan. 25, 2018 at approximately 12:15 p.m. Firefighters are on-scene clearing smoke from the fire. There are no reported injuries and the building was safely evacuated. No students were in the lab at the time of the incident.
Building 58 is closed and classes and labs in the building are cancelled until 4:30 p.m. Please avoid Building 58 and surrounding areas until further notice. All other University operations remain operational.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD LAUNCHES OKLAHOMA RIG EXPLOSION INVESTIGATION
https://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Chemical-Safety-Board-launches-Oklahoma-rig-12525773.php
Tags: us_OK, industrial, follow-up, death
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board said Thursday it will launch a full investigation into the Oklahoma rig explosion that killed five people this week as Oklahoma authorities suggested that an equipment failure might have contributed to the tragedy.
The Chemical Safety Board, an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents, typically only gets involved in the largest, deadliest industrial disasters. The board averages about six investigations a year.
RELATED: Oklahoma rig explosion deadliest in years
The well fire, which swept through a drilling rig owned by the Houston company Patterson-UTI, was the deadliest U.S. accident in the oil and gas industry since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 people. Oklahoma regulators said their initial findings suggest that the failure of the blowout preventer -- the same type of equipment that failed in the Deepwater Horizon accident -- may have led to the explosion at a drilling site near Quinton, Okla., about 100 miles southeast of Tulsa.
---------------------------------------------
NEW TOOLS IMPROVE LAB SAFETY AT UH M€?NOA " UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIćČI SYSTEM NEWS
https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2018/01/25/new-tools-improve-lab-safety/
Tags: us_HI, laboratory, follow-up, environmental
Several online tools designed to improve safety and facilitate regulatory compliance in laboratories across the University of HawaićČi at M€?noa campus are being adopted in an effort led by the UH M€?noa Environmental Health and Safety Office. The software was developed at the University of California and has been used extensively throughout UC"s 10 campuses and 5 medical centers.
The software, HoćČoponopono, includes three integrated modules or tools that can be used on smartphones, tablets and desktops:
Assessment: A tool that assists principal investigators with identifying hazards related to their research and shares this and other critical safety information with members of their lab.
Chemicals: A chemical inventory management tool that includes a library of chemicals that are referenced to populate chemical details, such as hazards and first aid information.
Inspect: A flexible, customizable tool that manages the scheduling, completion and long-term tracking of safety inspections.
"This is the latest step we have taken at M€?noa to strengthen laboratory safety," said UH M€?noa Vice Chancellor of Research Michael Bruno. "It is important to utilize the latest technology as we continue to foster a culture of safety so that hazard recognition and risk assessment are ingrained in the minds of all of our researchers."
Other steps the university has taken in recent years include establishing a Chemical and Physical Hazards Committee to promote a greater awareness and commitment to health and safety in research and teaching laboratories.
---------------------------------------------
PROVINCE INVESTIGATING HAMILTON COAL TAR RECYCLER"S YELLOW CLOUDS
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/8090468-province-investigating-hamilton-coal-tar-recycler-s-yellow-clouds/
Tags: Canada, industrial, follow-up, environmental, waste
The province is investigating whether a coal tar recycler in Hamilton's industrial sector has broken environmental laws by spewing yellow clouds into the air.
In addition to the probe, the province has ordered Ruetgers Canada to hire an engineer to examine the site and report back with recommendations to prevent similar emissions.
Six workers at Ruetgers Canada reported respiratory problems after the coal-tar pitch vapours came from the plant on Dec. 5, 2017.
"I was very concerned because I know what they do at that facility. I was thinking, 'Oh my God, this is bad,'" Lynda Lukasik, executive director of Environment Hamilton, recalled Wednesday.
The company uses a chemical byproduct of coal tar from steel plants to produce mainly aluminum.
"We were able to stop the leak within 10 minutes," said Alan Chapple, a spokesperson for Rain Carbon Incorporated, Ruetgers' U.S.-based parent company.
"Right now, what we're focusing on is the root causes of what happened."
The yellow vapour resulted from a spill of coal tar pitch at the Strathearne Avenue North site, said Lindsay Davidson, spokesperson for the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change.
"Since June 2017, there have been four coal tar spills at Ruetgers, including the December 5th incident," she wrote in an email.
---------------------------------------------
USE OF ACID-BASED DRAIN CLEANER PROMPTS HAZ-MAT RESPONSE BY FIRE DEPARTMENT
https://www.verdenews.com/news/2018/jan/24/use-acid-based-drain-cleaner-prompts-haz-mat-respo/
Tags: us_AZ, public, release, injury, cleaners
CORNVILLE " Tuesday, Jan. 23, at about 5:48 p.m., the Verde Valley Fire District responded to a hazards materials incident involving an acid-based drain cleaner on Palo Verde Place in Oak Creek Estates.
VVFD was dispatched to a residence after the home owner poured an acid-based drain cleaner down the drain and a chemical reaction occurred, according to a news release from Nazih M. Hazime, fire chief, Verde Valley Fire District
The home filled with toxic fumes and the occupants immediately evacuated the residence and called 911, the news release stated.
This was an over-the-counter cleaner that had been used several times before in the past, said Hazime. The two residents were evaluated by paramedics but did not require transport to the hospital. Hazmat technicians cleaned up the area and removed the cleaner from the home.
Assisting Verde Valley Fire was Hazmat 811 from Copper Canyon Fire and Medical Authority.
Safety reminder: Home cleaning supplies, even when used properly can be dangerous. In the event a hazardous situation occurs, immediately get everyone out of the home and call 911, said Chief Hazime.
---------------------------------------------
ONE DEAD AFTER HAZMAT SITUATION IN JACKSON COUNTY
http://www.wsiltv.com/story/37339435/one-dead-after-hazmat-situation-in-jackson-county
Tags: us_IL, public, release, death, bleach, cleaners
GRAND TOWER -- One man is dead and a woman in the hospital after a hazmat situation created by mixing household cleaning chemicals.
According to the Jackson County Sheriff"s Department, officers and later hazmat units responded to a house on 3rd Street in Grand Tower a little after 3:00 p.m. Tuesday where a man wasn"t breathing.
He was pronounced dead on scene from the poisonous gas.
Investigators on scene said the gas was caused after the residents mixed bleach and a commercial drain cleaner in an attempt to clear a drain.
"We arrived, determined there was a chemical hazard due to the mixing of two household cleaning chemicals," said D.W. Presley, an officer for the Carbondale fire department and member of the MABAS 45 hazmat team.
A woman in the house was transported to a local hospital and later flown to St. Louis for further treatment.
Presley said that mixing household cleaners can produce dangerous gasses almost immediately.
"Mixing any household cleaning chemicals can be dangerous," he said. "There are several chemicals that people use and have in their house every day that mixed together can make toxic gasses."
---------------------------------------------
EAST LONGMEADOW RECEIVES GRANT TO HELP KEEP FIREFIGHTERS HEALTHY
http://www.westernmassnews.com/story/37343332/east-longmeadow-receives-grant-to-help-keep-firefighters-healthy
Tags: us_MA, industrial, fire, response, toxics
EAST LONGMEADOW, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -
A grant given to the East Longmeadow Fire Department is trying to help them stay healthier while on the job.
The money will be used to buy a turnout gear dryer, helping to remove harmful toxins that come with fighting fires.
The fire department said that this will be a major help in making sure their firefighters are healthy after coming back from fighting a fire.
It will allow the department to buy a dryer to help the firefighters decontaminate harmful carcinogens.
They will take apart the gear piece-by-piece and put it into a so-called 'washing machine' designed to handle heavier items.
Right now, the department has a washer, but they've been waiting for more money to get the drying component.
---------------------------------------------
BREAKING: CHEMICAL EXPLOSION EVACUATES ENGINEERING BUILDINGS
https://www.thegatewayonline.ca/2018/01/breaking-chemical-explosion-evacuates-engineering-buildings/
Tags: Canada, laboratory, explosion, response, nitric_acid
A nitric acid explosion on the sixth floor of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Research Facility (ECERF) placed the building under lockdown, with all classes cancelled for nearly two hours.
Maya Filipovic, a spokesperson for Edmonton Fire Rescue Services, said they responded to a call concerning a chemical explosion at the University of Alberta at 1:40 p.m. today. Rescue Services arrived on scene by 1:46 p.m. and a Hazmat crew was called to the building when they learned the explosion was chemical. She also said three people were in the room when the explosion occurred, but they were all wearing protective gear. No one was hurt from the accident, and the alert was lifted at 3:30 p.m..
Both ECERF and the Engineering Teaching and Learning Complex were evacuated and classes were cancelled. Filipovic also said 200 people in both buildings were already evacuated by the time Rescue Services arrived, and the building"s ventilation system was working properly.
While an alert was issued on the U of A"s website and Twitter account, that didn"t stop hundreds of students from trying to enter the building. All students were turned away by university employees, who couldn"t comment on the incident and only told students that all classes in the building were canceled until further notice.
"It"s the first time I"ve seen the building get closed down for more than an hour," said fifth-year computer engineering student Alvin Huang. "It"s actually crazy."
---------------------------------------------
BLAST ROCKS TIMET PLANT NEAR HENDERSON " LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/blast-rocks-timet-plant-near-henderson/
Tags: us_NV, industrial, explosion, response, magnesium, waste
An explosion rocked the TIMET plant Wednesday morning near downtown Henderson, officials said.
The explosion occurred about 8:15 a.m. at the plant, 181 N. Water St., Henderson spokeswoman Kathleen Richards said.
The explosion was contained to the plant and did not cause a fire or release hazardous material, she said.
Two people suffered minor injuries, but did not need medical treatment, the Henderson Fire Department tweeted.
The explosion occurred during a magnesium recycling operation, which is part of the manufacturing process of titanium, TIMET spokesman David Dugan said. The plant produces titanium that is used in airplanes and other industries.
"It was loud, but it caused minimal damage," Dugan said.
Dugan said TIMET will investigate the explosion.
Henderson residents reported hearing the blast from a dozen miles away from the plant at the Black Mountain Industrial Complex, a county island inside Henderson.
---------------------------------------------
CONFERENCE ON CHEMICAL DISASTER CONCLUDES
http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Andhra-Pradesh/2018-01-25/Conference-on-Chemical-disaster-concludes/354127
Tags: India, industrial, discovery, environmental
Visakhapatnam: A two-day collaborative colloquium on "Chemical disasters in industries, mitigation and management in industries" concluded at Ukku Club at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant here on Wednesday.
Over 200 delegates from various major hazardous industries, including chemical, petrochemical, fertilizer industries from Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and East and Godavari districts participated in the conference.
The colloquium was jointly organised by the Department of Factories Department, National Safety Council, Andhra Pradesh Chapter and Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority.
Addressing the conference, Joint Chief Inspector of Factories D Chandra Sekar Varma said that the State Crisis Group headed by the Chief Secretary has advised for capacity building sessions to be organised involving the stake holders of the industry towards chemical disaster mitigation and management to be organised.
Executive Director (Works) of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant OR Ramani and Director of Divis Laboratories Madhusudana Rao emphasised the need for this type of conferences for prevention and mitigation of chemical disasters. Expert and senior people from major units participated as moderators and panel members and shared their experiences and best practices being adopted in their respective industries.
---------------------------------------------
WEST SETTLES CLAIMS FROM MASSIVE FERTILIZER BLAST
http://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/West-settles-claims-from-massive-fertilizer-blast-12523189.php
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, death, ammonium_nitrate
West, the town where a fertilizer plant in 2013 exploded during a fire, killing 15 people, has settled its claims with manufacturers and distributors of the product that exploded, according to a news release.
CF Industries, El Dorado Chemical Co., International Chemical Co. and Adair Grain will pay the city $10.44 million to resolve West"s claims of damages. The blast the night of April 17, 2013, leveled buildings around the plant and damaged streets, water lines, sewer system and other infrastructure.
Express Newsletters
Get the latest news, sports and food features sent directly to your inbox.
Sign up
MOST POPULAR
For Spurs, Leonard saga might be simpler than it seems Parker passes Murray the torch, and both thrive Council to determine Sculley bonus Witness: Uresti pitched investors to "take the risk" in a... USAA employee bonus dips to 16.2% on costliest year of...
Ten volunteer firefighters who responded to the plant when they received reports of a small fire, two men helping them and three nearby residents were killed. The incident led to extensive reviews of the state"s inability to police proper storage of ammonium nitrate and questions about the training offered to rural fire departments on the risks in their communities and federal chemical safety regulations.
The cause of the fire, once considered arson, has never been verified.
The city"s lawsuit accused the companies of negligence in selling fertilizer with ammonium nitrate " which is highly explosive " to West Fertilizer, owners of the plant. The companies denied responsibility but settled as the case was set for trial, starting Jan. 16.
---------------------------------------------
DARIGOLD CARTONS BEING RECALLED FOR CONTAINING CHEMICAL MIXTURE
http://www.nbcrightnow.com/story/37337446/darigold-cartons-being-recalled-for-containing-chemical-mixture-with-no-milk
Tags: us_WA, education, release, response, bleach, milk
SPOKANE, WA - A milk product is being withdrawn from the reach of students. This comes after a high school student in Spokane opened her chocolate milk and realized she was drinking chemicals.
The company Darigold apologizes for the mistake and says the chemicals pose no health risks.
As a precaution, the company is conducting a voluntary withdraw of the product, which is the fat free chocolate milk half pint with the "Best By" date of February 6.
Since yesterday, the company estimates that as many as 16,000 cartons could contain the chemicals, which are...
"A mixture of trace amounts of food grade sanitizer and water," said Sarah Taydas, Director of Communications for Darigold. "It's important to know that this poses no health risks to humans. There actually was no milk in the carton the student had opened."
Taydas clarified that specific product was produced in the Spokane Darigold plant, and that this has never occurred before. The company's top priority continues to be food safety and customer health.
--------------------------
SPOKANE, WA - Spokane Public Schools has confirmed they are pulling all chocolate milk with a "Best By" date of February 6 from all of their schools due to possible contamination.
A Shadle Park High School student noticed a "bleach" taste to the milk on Tuesday, and after an investigation, the decision was made to pull the milk and stop shipment of the rest of the order to other schools.
---------------------------------------------
---
For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional secretary at secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas
Previous post | Top of Page | Next post