From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (12 articles)
Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2018 06:16:14 -0500
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 7EFC3B58-2A4C-478E-BFCA-FC09E694204A**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, December 26, 2018 at 6:15:50 AM

A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Connecting Chemistry and Safety at http://www.dchas.org
All article summaries and tags are archived at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas

Table of Contents (12 articles)

LABORATORY EXPLOSION AT BEIJING JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY KILLS 3 STUDENTS
Tags: China, laboratory, explosion, death, unknown_chemical

BLAST AT CHEMICAL PLANT IN CHINA'S XINJIANG KILLS THREE: REPORT
Tags: China, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical

FIRE PROMPTS HAZMAT CALL AT HENRIETTA FACILITY
Tags: us_NY, industrial, fire, response, runoff

POSSIBLE ACID LEAK REPORTED AT TORRANCE REFINERY
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, acids

LASER ENGINEERED NET SHAPING TOOL FILTER FIRE
Tags: us_NM, industrial, fire, response, equipment

CREWS RESPOND TO AMMONIA LEAK IN LA CROSSE
Tags: us_WI, industrial, release, response, ammonia

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY LAB SHUTS DOWN OVER SAFETY CONCERNS
Tags: us_SC, laboratory, discovery, environmental, fluorine

UNSEEN FIREWORK IN SAINT PETERSBURG, THE WAREHOUSE CAUGHT FIRE WITH FIREWORKS (VIDEO)
Tags: Russia, industrial, fire, response, fireworks

US HOME IMPROVEMENT CHAIN LOWE‰??S ADOPTS CHEMICALS POLICY
Tags: public, discovery, environmental

OKC BASS PRO SHOPS EVACUATED AFTER CUSTOMERS COMPLAIN OF RESPIRATORY ISSUES
Tags: us_OK, public, release, response, pepper_spray

FORMER LEHIGH UNIVERSITY STUDENT CHARGED WITH POISONING ROOMMATE
Tags: us_PA, education, release, injury, metals

SCRAP COLLECTOR KILLED IN BATHINDA FACTORY BLAST
Tags: india, industrial, explosion, death, waste


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LABORATORY EXPLOSION AT BEIJING JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY KILLS 3 STUDENTS
https://www.urdupoint.com/en/world/laboratory-explosion-at-beijing-jiaotong-univ-515824.html
Tags: China, laboratory, explosion, death, unknown_chemical

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th December, 2018) An explosion caused by a chemical experiment in a laboratory at Beijing Jiaotong University has killed three students, Beijing Fire Department reported on Wednesday.

The fire department was notified about the incident at 9:34 a.m. local time (01:34 GMT).

The explosion occurred in the eastern part of the campus where the students were conducting experiments in one of the labs. After eight fire teams arrived at the scene, the situation was brought under control in less than an hour.

The explosion claimed lives of three students who were conducting an experiment on waste water purification.

At the moment, a special working group is investigating the details of the incident.

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BLAST AT CHEMICAL PLANT IN CHINA'S XINJIANG KILLS THREE: REPORT
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-blast/blast-at-chemical-plant-in-chinas-xinjiang-kills-three-report-idUSKCN1OP076
Tags: China, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical

BEIJING (Reuters) - A blast at a chemical plant in China‰??s northwestern Xinjiang autonomous region has killed three people and severely injured six, the official Tianshan news website reported on Wednesday.

The explosion occurred when Xinjiang Xinzhi Energy Chemicals Co tested a rotary lime kiln on Tuesday afternoon, the report said.

The deadly accident comes about one month after a gas leak at a plant owned by a ChemChina subsidiary caused a blast that killed 23 people in the eastern Hebei province.

Public anger in China over safety standards has grown in recent years after three decades of swift economic growth that have been marred by accidents ranging from mining disasters to factory fires.

China has vowed to improve industrial standards, but environmentalists say they fear oversight weaknesses persist, including an opaque production process for hazardous chemicals.

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FIRE PROMPTS HAZMAT CALL AT HENRIETTA FACILITY
https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2018/12/23/fire-prompts-haz-mat-call-henrietta-facility/2401645002/
Tags: us_NY, industrial, fire, response, runoff

Officials say there is no public or environmental concern from a Sunday morning fire at Orafol precision technology center in Henrietta.

Henrietta firefighters responded at 6:39 a.m. for an automatic fire alarm to find a fire in the manufacturing building at 200 Park Centre. Orafol makes dies for a manufacturing process of reflective material and the building contained an 800-gallon container of sodium hydroxide.

According to the fire department:

The building's fire sprinkler system had contained but had not extinguished the flames. Fire crews were able to do so after a short period of time but declared a Level 1 hazardous materials situation given the chemicals involved and the water runoff.

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POSSIBLE ACID LEAK REPORTED AT TORRANCE REFINERY
https://abc7.com/possible-acid-leak-reported-at-torrance-refinery/4949510/
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, acids

TORRANCE, Calif. (KABC) -- Torrance and Los Angeles County firefighters as well as a hazmat task force responded to reports of a possible acid leak at the Torrance refinery Saturday morning.

Authorities said there was no threat to the public with the possible acid leak.

Around 11:45 a.m., Torrance fire officials tweeted that the leak was stopped and cleared the scene.

The company, which is located in the 3700 block of West 190th Street, has been under constant scrutiny from residents after a large explosion almost led to devastating consequences in 2015.

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LASER ENGINEERED NET SHAPING TOOL FILTER FIRE
https://opexshare.doe.gov/lesson.cfm/2018/12/20/24729/LENS-Tool-Filter-Fire
Tags: us_NM, industrial, fire, response, equipment

A filter caught fire on the supply side of a compressor/recirculation pump supplying argon gas to the process chamber of an additive manufacturing machine. The plastic tubes and electrical wiring adjacent to the filter also caught fire. Employees were aware of the change schedule for the in-process filters and of the fire hazard dangers associated with these filters. They were not aware of an additional filter outside the process chamber that was hidden behind an enclosing panel.
Download Article

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CREWS RESPOND TO AMMONIA LEAK IN LA CROSSE
https://www.weau.com/content/news/Crews-respond-to-ammonia-leak-in-La-Crosse-503383521.html
Tags: us_WI, industrial, release, response, ammonia

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WEAU) -- The La Crosse Fire Department responded to an ammonia leak early Saturday morning.

It happened at a Graceland Food Processing.

On arrival to the incident, crews entered a large commercial property and verified dangerous ammonia readings in freezer area. Hazmat technicians shut the system down and ventilated remaining ammonia.

No injuries were reported and the system was to be serviced by a professional refrigeration company.

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CLEMSON UNIVERSITY LAB SHUTS DOWN OVER SAFETY CONCERNS
https://www.independentmail.com/story/news/2018/12/21/clemson-university-lab-shuts-down-over-safety-concerns/2268019002/
Tags: us_SC, laboratory, discovery, environmental, fluorine

For the last year, Cameron Parrish has kept a blue Post-it note hanging in the lab where he works at Chemours, a chemical company.

The note contains a handwritten quote from scientist Theodore Gray.

‰??One should not fear the substance, only the ignorance that leads to its mishandling.‰??

The quote is personal to Parrish, who graduated with his doctoral degree in fluoropolymer synthesis from Clemson University in 2017.

The lab where Parrish worked and learned will be shut down by April 1, ending more than 35 years of research in fluorine chemistry at Clemson.

The university, which has put an increased emphasis on research safety in the last six years, says that the lab spaces at Clemson used for fluorine chemistry were not up to necessary standards. The cost of renovating the labs, partly to meet the fire code for hazardous materials, was not feasible, according to the university.

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UNSEEN FIREWORK IN SAINT PETERSBURG, THE WAREHOUSE CAUGHT FIRE WITH FIREWORKS (VIDEO)
https://sivpost.com/unseen-firework-in-saint-petersburg-the-warehouse-caught-fire-with-fireworks-video/2681/
Tags: Russia, industrial, fire, response, fireworks

The fire occurred in a warehouse with fireworks in St. Petersburg.

It is reported by TASS, citing a source in estradnyh services.

In Russia, in St. Petersburg there was a fire in a warehouse with fireworks in St. Petersburg. ‰??In a warehouse in Chemical alley in the centre of Petersburg there was a fire in a warehouse with fireworks‰?? ‰?? said the Agency interlocutor.

The fire is assigned the increased rank of difficulty. As explained a source in the emergency services, information on victims did not arrive.

Residents of houses located within a radius of one kilometer from the burning warehouse with pyrotechnics in Saint-Petersburg evacuated. ‰??Residents of houses at a distance of one kilometer from the fire evacuated,‰?? ‰?? said the Agency interlocutor.

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US HOME IMPROVEMENT CHAIN LOWE‰??S ADOPTS CHEMICALS POLICY
https://chemicalwatch.com/72969/us-home-improvement-chain-lowes-adopts-chemicals-policy
Tags: public, discovery, environmental

Home improvement retailer Lowe's has adopted a chemicals policy that focuses on the elimination and substitution of chemicals of concern.

The policy says that, while "regulations are being strengthened", certain chemical concerns remain unregulated and may impact the health and safety of its products. It does not include timelines, or name specific chemicals, but instead sets out a series of commitments. These are to:

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OKC BASS PRO SHOPS EVACUATED AFTER CUSTOMERS COMPLAIN OF RESPIRATORY ISSUES
https://5newsonline.com/2018/12/20/okc-bass-pro-shops-evacuated-after-customers-complain-of-respiratory-issues/
Tags: us_OK, public, release, response, pepper_spray

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) ‰?? Emergency crews have responded to a popular store in Oklahoma City after customers started to complain of respiratory irritation.

The Hazmat Team responded to Bass Pro Shops at 200 Bass Pro Drive Thursday around 11 a.m., our Oklahoma City affiliate KFOR News 4 reports.

Officials with the Oklahoma City Fire Department say it started when an unknown number of customers started to experience respiratory issues.

About 100 people were inside the store at the time of the incident.

The store has been evacuated, and shoppers are being evaluated by EMSA.

The cause is unknown at this time, but officials say pepper spray may be involved. They are still investigating.

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FORMER LEHIGH UNIVERSITY STUDENT CHARGED WITH POISONING ROOMMATE
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/former-lehigh-university-student-charged-poisoning-roommate-n950426
Tags: us_PA, education, release, injury, metals

A former Lehigh University college student accused earlier this year of leaving racist graffiti for his roommate in their dorm room is now facing charges he tried to poison him.

Yukai Yang, 22, an international student from China, turned himself in on Thursday and was charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said Thursday.

The chemistry major allegedly sickened his roommate, Juwan Royal, 22, over a few months with small amounts of thallium and possibly other chemicals, Morganelli said at a press conference. Thallium is a toxic metal that is colorless, odorless and tasteless and can be fatal if consumed.

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SCRAP COLLECTOR KILLED IN BATHINDA FACTORY BLAST
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amritsar/scrap-collector-killed-in-bathinda-factory-blast/articleshow/67169055.cms?
Tags: india, industrial, explosion, death, waste

BATHINDA: A scrap collector was killed and another man was seriously injured in a blast at a closed matchbox making factory in the Focal Point area in Bathinda on Wednesday.

The blast occurred at ‰??Punjab Matches Private Limited‰?? when the duo ‰?? Harish Kumar and Raj Kumar ‰?? was trying to extract scrap from a bucket that contained some chemicals too. Both were badly injured in the blast.

Following the explosion, fire broke out in the factory and a car parked nearby was also damaged in the process. Fire tenders were pressed into service to doused the flames.

The injured were taken to the Bathinda civil hospital where Harish was declared brought dead. Raj sustained injuries mainly in his legs.

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