From: DCHAS-L Discu ssion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of List Moderator
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2010 7:45 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google< /span>

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http://tinyurl.com/chasnews

us_nj: Selfish, careless or ignorant waste disposal

Residents need to make a concerted effort to ensure the proper disposal of household chemicals.

A recent incident in Bergenfield, in which chemicals mixed in with regular tr ash created a potentially dangerous situation, brings this matter to the fore.< /span>

As recently reported, a container holding an unknown chemical or chemicals was crushed in the garbage truck, creating heat and a potential fire. A toxic g as and a cloud surrounded the truck. The fire department was notified and responded, as did county HazMat personnel. Protective gear was worn until t he offending chemical could be isolated and properly removed.

This expenditure of personnel resources and time was completely unnecessary, and we'd like to attribute that to selfishness, carelessness or ignorance ̵ 2; selfishness in disposing of the material in the easiest and quickest way possible; carelessness in not checking what was placed in the regular trash ; or ignorance in not knowing proper procedures.

us_tx: Carbon Monoxide Leak at Dallas Hometown Suites - KDAF

DALLAS, TEXAS - Earlier today, Dallas Fire-Rescue (DFR) responded to a call at the Dallas Hometown Suites from a man who was feeling dizzy and faint. Paramedics trea ted the man and transported him to a local hospital.

However, a DFR worker soon began to exhibit the same symptoms, so firefighters immediately suspected that a carbon monoxide leak had taken place in the building. The firefighters notified DFR's Hazardous Materials Team (Hazmat) .

The residents that were home at the time quickly evacuated to the Radisson Hote l across the street while Hazmat shut the gas off to the building and located the leak.

It's still unknown what started the leak. However, there were no life threatenin g injuries during the events, according to DFR.

us_md: Shady Grove ER reopens after hazmat scare

ROCKVILLE, Md. - The emergency room at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital has reopened aft er a hazmat scare Wednesday.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Captain Oscar Garcia says a man walked into the emergency room shortly after 5:30 p.m. complaining of an itchy arm after opening an envelope and seeing a white powder inside.

The man was isolated in a room in the emergency room and the contents of the envelope were placed in a sealed bag.

A hazardous materials team investigated the substance and found it non-toxic.

The emergency room was on lockdown for 90 minutes while hazmat teams investigat ed.

us_wv: 4 W.Va. workers injured in sma ll chemical blast

LETART (AP) - Authorities are investigating a chemical fire and explosion that occurred in a large trash bin at a Mason County alloy plant.

Four workers suffered injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening, and emergency officials say they were taken to Pleasant Valley Hospital in Poin t Pleasant for treatment.

The accident happened Wednesday afternoon at the Felman Production facility bet ween Letart and New Haven.

Plant manager John Konrady says those injured were trying to douse the fire.

He says some as-yet unidentified chemicals were put into the trash bin, then exploded.

The plant makes a steel oxidizer and alloy additive called ferrosilicomanganese .

The state Department of Environmental Protection sent a hazardous material team to the site.

us_tx: Fondren Science evacuated afte r small lab fire

The Fondren Science building was evacuated Tuesday afternoon due to a small lab fire....

"Within 15 minutes upon fire personal arriving the fire was contained. THey were ab le to put the fire out with sand," said Kent Best of SMU Public Affairs.< span class=apple-converted-space> 

Best said that the fire was "about the size of a wastebasket,"

David Son, an associate professor of chemistry, a visiting professor and two stud ents were in the lab when the fire occured. One student suffered minor burns on her leg and was treated at the University Health Center. No other injuries were reported.

The fire started as a result of the disposal of the chemical sodium hydride, sa id Best. In order to dispose of the chemical it is poured over ice water, if poured too fast, it will ignite.

"She poured it a little too quickly and it did ignite," said Best.

After initially attempting to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, Son call ed 911....

us_wi: UW-Madison professor barred fr om lab for potentially dangerous experiments

A UW-Madison professor who studies an infectious disease lost his laboratory privileges for five years after conducting unauthorized experiments with a potentially dangerous drug-resis tant germ.

One person who worked in professor Gary Splitter's lab got brucellosis but university officials don't know if that individual, who has since recovered , caught the strain used in the unauthorized experiments. Brucellosis is a disease that is usually found in farm animals but can spread to humans and cause flu-like symptoms or worse.

"These are extremely dangerous compounds," UW-Madison Provost Paul DeLuca sai d. "They are very highly regulated and we want to be in full compliance w ith federal laws."

The 2007 experiments, which the National Institutes of Health calls a "maj or action violation," in part prompted the university to beef up its biological safety oversight. The university was also fined $40,000.