Date: Sun, 30 Aug 2009 08:33:17 -0400
Reply-To: List Moderator <ecgrants**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: List Moderator <ecgrants**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Subject: Chemical Safety news from Google (and beyond)

 =46rom Michigan:
CMU building evacuated after chemical spill


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-mi-college-chemicals,0,7362083.s
tory

Associated Press
3:12 p.m. CDT, August 28, 2009

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - A building at Central Michigan University will  

remain evacuated through the weekend following a chemical spill.

A faculty member suffered chemical burns to his foot after the spill  
about 10 a.m. Friday at the school's Dow Hall science complex. CMU  
spokesman Steve Smith says he was treated at Central Michigan  
Community Hospital and released.

CMU says the chemical was a corrosive and flammable mixture of  
methanol and ethylenediamine (ETH'-el-len-eh-DY-eh-meen). The building  

was evacuated after the spill while hazardous material workers cleaned  

up the chemical.

Radio station WCMU says the building is expected to reopen when  
classes resume Monday.

Update at:

http://www.themorningsun.com/articles/2009/08/28/news/doc4a97efb4063c68944
04029.txt

The Morning Sun (themorningsun.com), Serving Northern Michigan
News

UPDATED: One person hurt, about 200 evacuated after accident in CMU  
chemistry lab

Friday, August 28, 2009 6:35 PM EDT

Classes are to resume Monday in a Central Michigan University  
classroom building after an accident in a chemistry lab hurt one  
person and shut down the building Friday.

About 200 students were evacuated from the Dow Science building mid- 
morning after CMU emergency officials declared a =93buiding emergency.=94

CMU Police Chief Bill Yeagley said a researcher dropped a beaker  
containing a base chemical. Some of the chemical splashed on the  
faculty member, who was not identified.

CMU spokesman Steve Smith said the faculty member was treated and  
released at Central Michigan Community Hospital for chemical burns. No  

one else was in the lab.

Smith said the beaker contained a mixture of 80 percent methanol and  
20 percent ethylene diamine, a chemical used in many industrial  
chemical processes. The chemical gives off a powerful, ammonia-like  
odor.

The faculty member followed proper procedures after the accident,  
Yeagley said. The building alarm was sounded, Yeagley said, leading to  

the evacuation and the dispatch of the hazardous materials team.

=93I was in physics class. The teacher told us to leave our books and  

stuff in there,=94 said Mason sophomore Jared Clapsaddle. =93Later, we  

found out it was a chemical spill."

Clapsaddle said he and others thought that when the alarm went off, it  

was a routine fire drill. They huddled close to the building in a  
drizzling rain until they were told of the chemical spill.

=93Routine fire drills were scheduled for that building and some  
others,=94 Smith said.

Members of the Isabella County Hazardous Materials Team were sent to  
the scene, and hazmat experts in protective suits were sent into the  
building to clean up the spill. A Mobile Medical Response ambulance  
and Mt. Pleasant firefighters were standing by during the cleanup.

Afternoon classes in Dow were canceled Friday, but the building  
reopened about 4 p.m. Rooms 343, 344 and 345 remained off-limits,  
however, the university said.

Those rooms will be open before the start of classes on Monday.

Yeagley said he was concerned with keeping the building secure and  
protecting students' property left behind during the evacuation. If  
students need their items immediately, the university said they should  

contact CMU Police at 989-774-3081.

Students who can wait until Monday are being asked to pick up their  
items in the office of the department that ran the class.

=A9 2009 themorningsun.com, a Journal Register Property

===


http://www.studysciences.com/laboratory/potassium-chlorate-lab-safety-prec
autions/

Potassium Chlorate Lab Safety Precautions

15 standard lab practices for user of Potassium Chlorate are listed,

===
 =46rom India:

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/2009/08/29172143/Fire-brigade-urges-chem-labs-t
.html

Fire brigade urges chem labs to install sensors, sprinklers
Shashwat Gupta Ray
Saturday, August 29th, 2009 AT 5:08 PM
Tags: Pune, Fire brigade, NCL, detectors, alarms, prevent, sensors

PUNE: The chemical laboratories in the city should preferably install  

smoke detectors with automatic alarms and sprinklers to prevent fire  
during non-duty hours, the Pune Fire Brigade said on Friday.

=93There is a stark similarity between the fire at the forensics  
laboratory on Ganeshkind Road last year and the National Chemical  
Laboratory (NCL) fire on Thursday. The similarity is the time. In both  

cases, the fire broke out in the morning before the starting of work  
hours. This means we have to gear up for fire prevention during non- 
working hours,=94 assistant divisional officer, Pune Fire Brigade  
Prashant Ranpise told Sakaal Times.

...
(includes LAB SAFETY MEASURES SUGGESTED BY IISC CHEMICAL ENGG DEPT)

===

http://ub-news.com/news/sudden-fire-at-ncl-pashan-cause-undefined/4297.htm
l

Sudden Fire at NCL-Pashan, Cause Undefined
August 29, 2009 By: Simone Meier

Sudden Fire at NCL-Pashan, Effects Undefined - A sudden fire burst out 
 
at NCL (National Chemical Laboratory) Pashan on 27th Aug, 2009 at  
around 8AM. No main damages and injuries have been reported.

The cause of the fire till now has not been confirmed and to look  
after all the damages and everything, NCL formed a 3 member committee.  

Initially, the fire was noticed by some employees when they saw smoke  

emerging out from room number 248, Catalyst division, situated at the  

first floor of the building. Immediately, fire brigade was called and  

it was under control by around 8.45AM, as per spokesperson of NCL, Dr  

PK Ingle. Some furniture, freezer, computer printer, laboratory  
equipments and other commodities were completely destroyed.

The assistant divisional officer of fire brigade, DN Nagalkar said,  
=93We received the call at 8.14 am. Our teams immediately went to the  

spot. Three fire tenders were pressed into action. We extinguished the  

fire with water and foam. It took about half an hour to bring the  
situation under control. He added by saying, =93We suspect it was either 
 
due to short circuit or a reaction between chemicals.=94

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