Date: Wed, 4 May 2011 08:47:15 -0400
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From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety"

Subject: Chemical Safety headlines from Google (11 articles)

Links to details available at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas< /div>


WHDH-TV - CREWS RESPONDS TO HAZMAT SITUATION IN WEYMOUTH, http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/ local/12004217303268/crews-responds-to-hazmat-situation-in-weymouth/

WEYMOUTH, Mass. -- Firefighters were called back to a chemical testing company in Weymouth late Tuesday night after a fire ignited inside the building.

The fire broke out about an hour after a hazardous materials crew left, believing they had cleaned up a chemical spill.

=93We believe it=92s some type of acid,=94 said Deputy Chief Richard Chase of the Weymouth Fire Department. =93We were able to see visibly through a window=85that the product=92s leaking out of a glass container inside a cardboard box, dripping onto the floor.=94

Just before 6 p.m., four employees inside Ameri-Sci, a company that tests chemicals, smelled something burning. When they went to check it out, they saw a big vapor cloud and ran outside.

Fire officials do not believe the workers were exposed to any harmful chemicals.

=93They were all checked out by=85an ambulance and no one had any ill effects,=94 said Chase. =93Basically when they saw the vapor cloud they knew it was a bad sign.=94

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CANADA POST BUILDING EVACUATED :: LOCAL NEWS, http://ww w.am1150.ca/News/Local/Story.aspx?ID=1412024

Kelowna Assistant Fire Chief Jason Brolund says they got a call about a number of people complaining of sickness.

=46rom there a Hazmat team was sent in to investigate the Canada Post building on Baillie Avenue.

"We came to learn that the postal carriers are routinely issued animal spray, as a part of their work. It's our suspicion that some of the spray may have been discharged inside the building."

Brolund says the risk was considered low but they always treat incidents like this very seriously.

Kathi Neal, a communications Manager with Canada Post says they were fortunate that the situation was handled so well.

"Luckily the emergency responders came on site so quickly and did a thorough investigation. So we felt comfortable to allow our employees back in a round 10am Tuesday morning. Now they did lose some work time, however we really are not expecting any delays of mail at this time."

Neal says two letter carriers were taken to hospital but both have been discharged and no one was hurt.

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CHEMICALS REMOVED FROM ESSEX JUNCTION HOME, http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20110504/NEWS02/10 5040307/Chemicals-removed-from-Essex-Junction-home?odyssey=mod|newswell| text|FRONTPAGE|s

ESSEX JUNCTION -- Several boxes of hazardous and possibly explosive chemicals have been removed from a garage in an Essex Junction neighborhood.

Essex Junction Volunteer Fire Chief Chris Gaboriault said the work was completed at the Allan Fisher residence at 19 Fairview Drive on Friday.

Fisher said he had cleaned out the Addison County home of his late father, a former research chemist for Mobil Oil, and brought the boxes of chemicals to Essex Junction last year. When he first tried to dispose of the first of about 10 boxes, the Chittenden Solid Waste District became concerned, especially when a Geiger Counter activated on some of the chemicals.

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REC CENTER EVACUATED FOR SMALL CHEMICAL SPILL, http://www.tcnewsnet.com/main.asp?Secti onID=6&amp;SubSectionID=6&amp;ArticleID=156132

A minor chemical spill resulted in the evacuation and temporary closure of the Vandalia Rec Center last Thursday. The trouble started a little bit after 8 a.m. when some Muriatic acid that was being transferred from a large contain to a small container via a pumping mechanism accidentally leaked on to the ground. Vandalia Communications Manager Rich Hopkins elaborated on the details of the mishap.

"Somehow, the hose connecting the large container to the small container became dislodged," Hopkins said. "Whenever you're working with corrosive chemicals like Muriatic acid, you run the risk of that happening."

Muriatic acid is a powerful inorganic acid that is produced through the absorption of hydrogen chloride in water. 

It is among one of the most corrosive acids and is used to etch concrete, clean brick, and purify swimming pools.

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BLAST IN IRANIAN CHEMICAL PLANT KILLS TWO PEOPLE | IRAN | TREND, http://en.trend.az/r egions/iran/1870174.html

A blast occurred in the Bonyan Company=92s chemical plant in the Alborz industrial city in Iran=92s Gazvin province, the FARS news agency reported. The blast caused a fire, which killed two people and injured 20.

The fire has already been extinguished. The injured victims have been placed in the Rajai hospital in Gazvin, while three people were taken to the Tehran city hospital due to their critical injuries.

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SASKATOONHOMEPAGE.CA - SASKATOON, LOCAL NEWS, WEATHER, AND SPORTS. - SASKATOONHOMEPAGE.CA - SASKATOON, LOCAL NEWS, WEATHER, AND SPORTS., http://www.saska toonhomepage.ca/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp ;id=31995&amp;Itemid=421

Saskatoon Fire &amp; Protective Services responded to a Hazardous Materials call at 6:30 last night (Mon). It was at one of the Saskatchewan Research Council Labs. A ventilation system had failed which caused chemical off-gas to back up into the lab. Staff immediately evacuated the building.

The Haz Mat crew entered the lab to turn off all heat sources.  Envirotec was called in to clean up any possible residue.

Fire and Protective services was on scene for just under 3 hours. There were no injuries.   [gw may 3 2011]

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DRUG EXPLOSION SERIOUSLY BURNS TWO MEN - LOCAL NEWS - NORTHLAND NORTHERN ADVOCATE, http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/local/news/d rug-explosion-seriously-burns-two-men/3950266/

Two men injured in an explosion at Kaiwaka may have been making cannabis oil when volatile chemicals used to make the drug blew up, police say.

Fire and St John Ambulance services were called to a house at 9Marshall Rd, Kaiwaka, about 18km northwest of Wellsford, at 3.38pm last Thursday after reports of an explosion at the property.

When they arrived two men, aged 19 and 20, were found with serious burns and flown to Middlemore Hospital by the Northland Electricity rescue helicopter.

The men were understood to have burns to their faces, arms, torso and legs.

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FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO ACID SPILL IN WEST CHARLOTTE - WBTV 3 NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS, AND TRAFFIC FOR CHARLOTTE, NC-, http://www.wbtv.com/story/14556320/firefighters-res pond-to-acid-spill-in-west-charlotte

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Three people were treated following an acid spill in west Charlotte Monday afternoon.

The incident occurred on Rozzelles Ferry Road near Hovis Road around 3:30 p.m.

According to the Charlotte Fire Department, the HazMat team was called to the scene to neutralize an acid spill.

There was no need for evacuations and the situation posed no danger to the community, a fire official said.

Three patients with non-life-threatening injuries were taken by MEDIC to Presbyterian Hospital.

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UPDATE: MAN CHARGED WITH RECKLESS DRIVING IN TANKER TRUCK ACCIDENT ON I-95 - HUNTINGTON-BELLE HAVEN, VA PATCH, http://bellehaven.patch.com/articles/t ruck-carrying-used-motor-oil-overturns-on-i-95-at-telegraph-rd< /div>

Ronald Sample, a Baltimore truck driver, has been charged with reckless driving after overturning his tanker truck on 1-495 Monday morning, WUSA reports.

Sample, 39, was traveling eastbound on 1-495 when traffic stopped abruptly in front of his truck, police said. The truck swerved and overturned, as Sample was trying to avoid hitting other vehicles. 

The truck's tank, which contained used oil, had to be drained completely before crews could move it from the road. Traffic opened back up around 2:30 p.m. today, according to WUSA.

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CHEMICAL SPILL CLEANUP BEGINS - INEWS880.COM, http://www.inews880.com/Channels/Reg/LocalNews/story.aspx?ID=14112 84

Edmonton Fire Rescue spent most of Monday afternoon neutralizing an explosive chemical that was spilt in southeast Edmonton.

Crews were called around 1:10pm at BP Automation at 36 Street and 56 Avenue.

 


Edmonton Fire Rescue spokesperson Tim Wilson says the building, and nearby buildings were evacuated and there are no reported injuries at this time.

"There were around 32 firefighters on scene, this includes our HAZMAT crew, hazardous materials crew," explains Wilson. He says the crews were working to neutralize the chemical, Perkadox 16, a peroxide-based dry powder, which can ignite at temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius. Prior to the spill, it was being stored in a refrigeration unit.

The police blocked off the entire commercial area while crews worked to get the spill under control.

"Our main priority during this event was firefighter and public safety," said Terry Bucharski, District Chief, in a release. "As a precaution, we evacuated a number of businesses and blocked off about four square blocks from traffic. We want to thank all the businesses and public in the area for cooperating with us. This allowed fire crews to focus on mitigating this emergency."

 


Fire Rescue was cleared out before 5:00pm. Now, a private company will clean the spill. This will take time, and the sand used to dilute the Perkadox 16 will be removed and then incinerated.

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ONE DIES, TWO SERIOUS IN GAS LEAK, IBN LIVE NEWS, http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/one-dies -two-serious-in-gas-leak/669418.html

Kanpur, May 2 (PTI) One person died today and two others were admitted in serious condition after they inhaled poisonous gas in an illegal chemical godown here, police said. Gokul(18) died on the way to hospital, while Arun Kumar (18) and Hamid (20) were admitted in serious condition, the police said. They were working in an illegal chemical godown, in Raipurva area of the city, the police said, adding that today morning when they went inside godown of the factory to do some cleaning of drums, in which some chemicals are stored, gas from one of the drums leaked and they fainted. Ajay Gupta, owner of the factory was arrested, and help of fire brigade was taken to control the leak, they said. Nature of the chemical and the gas is not known as of now, the police added.

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Ralph Stuart
Secr etary
Division of Chemical Health and Safety
American Chemical Society




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