Stories on the CSB report continue to filter through the press, but a couple of new lab events as well.
- Ralph
Chemical Safety Headlines =46rom Google
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 7:28:39 AM
A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Table of Contents (24 articles)
PLANT EMPLOYEE HURT IN HYDROGEN LEAK, FIRE NEAR JOLIET
Tags: us_IL, industrial, fire, injury, hydrogen
OSHA RELEASES NEW MATERIALS ON LABORATORY SAFETY
Tags: laboratory, explosion, environmental, follow-up
DIESEL RELEASE ON COLORADO ROADS
Tags: us_CO, transportation, release, injury, petroleum
CHEMICAL ALERT AFTER TRUCK ROLLS IN BLUE MOUNTAINS
Tags: Australia, transportation, release, response, hydraulic_fluid
SUICIDAL MAN'S DEADLY CONCOCTION LEADS TO I-70 SHUTDOWN
Tags: us_KS, public, release, death, hydrogen_sulfide
CHEMICAL SPILL SHUTS DOWN I-5 LANES
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, response, hydrochloric_acid
CHEMICAL ODOR AT FTB SENDS 7 TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_CA, public, release, injury, cleaners
CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT GOES AWRY, 6 STUDENTS INJURED AT E.E. SMITH HIGH SCHOOL
Tags: us_NC, laboratory, explosion, injury
3 STUDENTS INJURED IN CHEMICAL EXPLOSION AT E.E. SMITH HIGH SCHOOL IN FAYETTEVILLE
Tags: us_NC, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
BURNING SUBSTANCE CAUSES WORRY DURING FIRE
Tags: us_MS, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical, toxics
TUCSON FIRE: UA STUDENT TAKES QUICK ACTION IN ACID SPILL
Tags: us_AZ, laboratory, release, injury, nitric_acid, sodium_bicarbonate, follow-up
CHEMICAL LEAK CAUSES INJURY TO VET STAFF MEMBER
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, release, injury, halothane
UNIV COLLEGE LONDON LAB SPILL
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
US UNIVERSITY LAB SAFETY UNDER NEW SCRUTINY
Tags: us_TX, laboratory, explosion, response, follow-up
DEVICE EXPLODED AT LANDMARK COLLEGE
Tags: us_VT, education, explosion, response, bomb
NO INJURIES AFTER HAZMAT SITUATION AT BLUE GRASS ARMY DEPOT
Tags: us_KY, industrial, release, response, cleaners
CARROLL COUNTY NEWS: LOCAL NEWS: CAR EXPLOSION INJURES 2 (10/24/11)
Tags: us_MA, public, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
CHEMICAL IRRITANT AT DC ACQUATIC CENTER SENDS ONE TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_DC, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals
HAZMAT RESPONDS TO FIRE AT PROSPECT AVENUE SANITATION CENTER
Tags: us_CA, industrial, fire, response, waste
HAZMAT SPILL NEAR I-82 AND YAKIMA AVENUE
Tags: us_WA, transportation, release, response, petroleum
*UPDATED:* LAFD PUTS OUT FIRE AT CENTER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical, follow-up
TRUCK CRASH SPILLS THOUSANDS OF GALLONS OF OIL
Tags: us_CO, transportation, release, injury, petroleum
ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT :: NITRIC ACID SPILL FORCES EVACUATION OF SHANTZ
Tags: us_AZ, laboratory, release, response, nitric_acid, sodium_bicarbonate
LAFD NEWS & INFORMATION: FIRE IN UCLA SCIENCE LAB GARNERS SIGNIFICANT LAFD RESPONSE
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical
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PLANT EMPLOYEE HURT IN HYDROGEN LEAK, FIRE NEAR JOLIET
Tags: us_IL, industrial, fire, injury, hydrogen
A power plant employee was burned when a hydrogen leak caught fire late Monday near southwest suburban Joliet.
Crews from the East Joliet Fire Protection District responded about 10:30 p.m. to the Midwest Generation facility, 1601 S. Patterson Rd., and found compressed hydrogen leaking from a trailer, Capt. Matt Skole said.
Firefighters were on the scene for nearly four hours as they stopped the leak and extinguished the blaze, he said.
One employee of the plant was burned and taken to Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Skole said. The person=92s condition was not known early Tuesday.
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OSHA RELEASES NEW MATERIALS ON LABORATORY SAFETY -- OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY
Tags: laboratory, explosion, environmental, follow-up
OSHA recently published new educational materials for laboratory managers on protecting their workers from exposure to chemical, biological, and physical hazards.
The new materials include the Laboratory Safety Guidance document, which describes how electrical, fire, explosions, and falls, among other hazards, can be minimized or eliminated if employers use safety plans, worker training, engineering controls, and personal protective equipment. New laboratory safety materials also include fact sheets that each focus on a specific hazard related to laboratory environments. Practices and precautions to protect laboratory personnel include safety guidance for using autoclaves, use of chemical fume hoods, labeling and transferring chemicals, and latex exposure.
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TELLURIDE DAILY PLANET > NEWS
Tags: us_CO, transportation, release, injury, petroleum
An oil tanker carrying 7,700 gallons of crude oil wrecked Monday morning on Highway 141 outside of Gateway, spilling some 3,000 gallons of gallons of oil. An unknown amount of oil made it into a creek that feeds the Dolores River, according to an official.
The truck was headed uphill outside of Gateway and ran off the side of road, according to Mike Page, the public information officer for the Grand Junction Fire Department. Page and his Hazmat team responded on Monday to the accident, keeping a crew there until 10 p.m.
The driver sustained =93minor injuries=94 according to Page, but was taken to Grand Junction for treatment via ambulance.
Page said =93thousands=94 of gallons spilled from the mangled tanker, with an =93unknown=94 amount making its way to the creek below.
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CHEMICAL ALERT AFTER TRUCK ROLLS IN BLUE MOUNTAINS
Tags: Australia, transportation, release, response, hydraulic_fluid
Fire crews are battling to contain a major chemical spill on the Great Western Highway at Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, after a truck overturned and 20,000 litres of a bright green industrial chemical poured out.
Protective bunds have been built around the spill site to stop the chemical, which is possibly a type of hydraulic fluid, reaching the iconic Leura cascades.
Westbound traffic on the Great Western Highway is being diverted, but eastbound traffic is still flowing.
The chemical is described as biodegradable, but it can be a toxic irritant to skins and eyes if touched.
Six fire crews were at the site at 5pm, plus a hazardous materials unit from St Marys, a spokesman for Fire and Rescue NSW said.
National Parks rangers, Blue Mountains council staff and fire crews are monitoring the extent of the spilled fluid, some of which entered the drainage system. Council staff have poured gravel around the edge of the spill area to try and contain it.
The truck rolled over at about 2pm, and the driver's condition is unknown, although he or she was understood to not have been trapped in the vehicle.
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SUICIDAL MAN'S DEADLY CONCOCTION LEADS TO I-70 SHUTDOWN
Tags: us_KS, public, release, death, hydrogen_sulfide
ILEY COUNTY, Kan. (WIBW) -- . After a dangerous rescue along Interstate 70, a 20-year-old man has passed away after police say he mixed chemicals in his car to create a poisonous gas, breathing in the toxic fumes.
The suicide forced authorities to shut down both westbound lanes of Interstate 70 from 10:30 Monday night to 5:30 Tuesday morning.
At 10:24 PM Monday, Riley County Police Dispatch got a 911 call from a 20-year-old Lawrence man, whose identity is not being released, saying that he needed the phone number to the suicide hotline. The man did not want to tell dispatchers where he was but they were able to trace his phone and found that he was on I-70 near Manhattan.
At 10:45, a Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper and Riley County police officer found the man=92s car, a 1997 Honda Civic, stopped on the north shoulder of the westbound lanes of I-70 near milepost 318. As the trooper and officer approached the car, the man called Riley County Police Dispatch again, revealing that there were chemicals inside his car and asked that the officers stay back unless they were wearing chemical suits.
Captain Kurt Moldrup, an administrator for the Riley County Police Department, says the man had mixed chemicals together to create hydrogen sulfide which emits deadly fumes and that a placard had been placed on the back of his car of a skull and crossbones that read =93Danger: Poisonous Gas.=94 Moldrup says officers could smell the sulfur coming from the car and did not approach it. The suicidal man then immediately stopped communicating with authorities.
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CHEMICAL SPILL SHUTS DOWN I-5 LANES
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, response, hydrochloric_acid
AN JUAN CAPISTRANO =96 A chemical spill Tuesday shut down all lanes on the northbound I-5 between San Juan Creek Road and Camino Capistrano for nearly two hours, authorities said. The spill has now been cleaned up.
Just before 11 a.m. the California Highway Patrol began receiving reports of the spill emitting strong fumes in traffic lanes.
A hazardous material unit with the Orange County Fire Authority determined that approximately six gallons of muriatic acid spilled off a truck, said Capt. Marc Stone with the OCFA.
Traffic was at a standstill between San Juan Creek Road and Camino Capistrano, said Stone, who was at the scene of the spill.
The hazmat unit neutralized the acidic substance, used for pool cleaning, at approximately 12:30 p.m., Stone said.
No injuries were reported and nearby businesses did not need to be evacuated, Stone added.
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CHEMICAL ODOR AT FTB SENDS 7 TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_CA, public, release, injury, cleaners
SACRAMENTO, CA - A bad odor sickened a number of employees at the Franchise Tax Board building on Butterfield Way Tuesday morning, causing headaches, sore throats and dizziness.
A hazmat team determined a cleaning solvent, possibly floor cleaner, spilled on an envelope delivered to the building caused the smell, said Assistant Chief Scott Cockrum with the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.
As a precaution, workers were moved outside. Seven of those suffering the aforementioned symptoms were transported to local hospitals for further care, according to Cockrum.
The odor was eliminated and the building declared safe for employees to return to work about 1:15 p.m. FTB is located at 9646 Butterfield.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT GOES AWRY, 6 STUDENTS INJURED AT E.E. SMITH HIGH SCHOOL
Tags: us_NC, laboratory, explosion, injury
Six students were treated for injuries after a chemistry experiment at E.E. Smith High School went awry Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
Three of the students were taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, said Theresa Perry, a school system spokeswoman.
Two were being treated for minor burns, she said.
The third student and three others who were tended to at the school had respiratory-related issues, said Ron Lewis, a battalion commander with the Fayetteville Fire Department.
The students were mixing potassium nitrate and sucrose and heating the mixture on a hot plate, Perry said. The plate heated too quickly and caused the concoction to begin producing heavy smoke.
There were conflicting reports as to whether there was an explosion or flames.
The students had mixed a tree stump remover with sugar, said Deonte Smith, 17, a senior who was in the advanced placement lab. Smith said there was no explosion and he saw no flames, but the area quickly filled with thick smoke.
"I was scared at first," said Smith, his protective goggles looped around his neck and his protective apron still tied around his torso.
"There was a lot of panic. Students ran out into the courtyard," Smith said.
The school at 1800 Seabrook Road was evacuated as a precaution, Lewis said.
Seabrook Road was blocked between Albany and Topeka streets to allow firetrucks and ambulances into the area.
Frantic parents began arriving at the school shortly after 3 p.m. trying to get information. Perry said a phone message was sent to parents, but it was at least an hour after the incident happened.
Students were allowed to leave the campus about 3:45 p.m. One student said a police officer came and escorted the students out, one classroom at a time.
---------------------------------------------
3 STUDENTS INJURED IN CHEMICAL EXPLOSION AT E.E. SMITH HIGH SCHOOL IN FAYETTEVILLE
Tags: us_NC, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. --
Three students at E.E. Smith High School in Fayetteville are being treated for injuries sustained in a chemical explosion in a school science lab.
Officials with the Fayetteville Fire Department say crews were called to the school, located at 1800 Seabrook Road, Tuesday afternoon in response to an explosion in the chemistry lab.
Hazmat crews were also called to the scene and the school was evacuated as a precaution.
Renarta Moyd with Cumberland County Schools says an AP Chemistry class was performing an experiment, during which chemicals were heated on a hot plate or burner as part of the procedure.
Moyd said that when the chemicals reached a certain temperature, they were to be taken outside. She said while transporting the chemicals, they ignited prematurely. Theresa Perry with Cumberland County Schools says the students performing the experiment were seniors.
Moyd says three students were burned in the incident. Perry said the injuries consisted of burns on the arms and leg.
Two of the students were taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and one was taken to Womack Army Medical Center for treatment.
School officials said there were no flames, just smoke.
It is unclear what chemicals were involved. Moyd says the experiment involved potassium nitrate and sucrose, while city firefighters say it involved potassium chloride.
Authorities say the incident has been contained and the chemicals were isolated and placed into a safe pack.
---------------------------------------------
BURNING SUBSTANCE CAUSES WORRY DURING FIRE
Tags: us_MS, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical, toxics
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) -- As a fire broke out burning the entire inside of Mt. Vernon Foam Sales on Tuesday, local authorities became worried about what exactly was being burned.
According to fire officials it was pieces of polyfoam that made this fire not only spread quickly but also burned hot and put off a strong odor.
That's when Lee County Emergency Management took action to see if anyone was being affected by possible toxic chemicals.
It was the initial scene when first responders arrived to the fire on Mount Vernon Road that made them realize they could be dealing with toxic chemicals.
"There was an explosion when the first units arrived which blew out the front door and they went and started working on the fire at that time," said Belden Fire Chief, Willy Payne.
---------------------------------------------
TUCSON FIRE: UA STUDENT TAKES QUICK ACTION IN ACID SPILL
Tags: us_AZ, laboratory, release, injury, nitric_acid, sodium_bicarbonate, follow-up
A quick-thinking UA student threw sodium bicarbonate on a chemical spill in a science lab Monday, which helped prevent any injuries.
Tucson Fire Department firefighters responded to the spill involving nitric acid shortly after noon at the Shantz Building and had the incident under control at 1:44 p.m., Tucson Fire Capt. Jeff Langejans said.
Four students were in the lab in the 1100 block of East Fourth Street when the spill occurred, Langejans said. One student threw the sodium bicarbonate on the nitric acid, and then pulled the fire alarm.
All of them left the building, and no injuries were reported, Langejans said.
He said nitric acid is =93an extremely harmful chemical,=94 and it took 23 firefighters 97 minutes to neutralize the acid.
The University of Arizona was to handle the cleanup.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL LEAK CAUSES INJURY TO VET STAFF MEMBER
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, release, injury, halothane
Firefighters were called to London Road in Cheltenham after a chemical leak.
At 9.48pm, crews were sent out to the street after a call from the Great Western Ambulance Service informed them of an incident inside a Veterinary lab.
A spokesman said: "Two fire appliances with nine firefighters from Cheltenham fire station and two station managers attended the incident.
"At 11.03pm Watch Manager Nick Chandler stated that the leak of Halothane gas which is used as an anaesthetic had been made safe by the fire service using two breathing apparatus and a fan to assist with ventilation. A member of staff who was working in the area was taken to hospital for observation.
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UNIV COLLEGE LONDON LAB SPILL
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
500 people have been evacuated from a University College London building because of a chemical spill.
40 firefighters were called to Gordon Street in the centre of town at 2 o'clock this afternoon (Monday 24th).
London Fire Brigade tell us the spill is in a science lab on the third floor of the building - but aren't yet sure what it is.
---------------------------------------------
US UNIVERSITY LAB SAFETY UNDER NEW SCRUTINY
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2011/October/24101101.aspTags: us_TX, laboratory, explosion, response, follow-up
US universities are under pressure to significantly step up safety at chemistry labs, following new findings and recommendations from the Chemical Safety Board (CSB). The board, which is an independent government agency charged with investigating serious chemical accidents, is 'greatly concerned' about the frequency of academic lab incidents in the US and is calling for an overhaul.
The CSB's observations and recommendations are laid out in a recent case study report, which details a January 2010 lab accident at Texas Tech University (TTU) that led to a graduate student losing three fingers, perforating an eye and sustaining significant burns. The incident occurred when the grad student and a colleague were working with a new compound, a derivative of nickel hydrazine perchlorate, and it detonated when they were scaling up synthesis.
Although the CSB identified 'systematic deficiencies' within TTU that contributed to the accident - including a lack of safety and management accountability and oversight, as well a failure to document, track and formally communicate past troubling events - the board made it clear that the problem extends well beyond that particular university.
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DEVICE EXPLODED AT LANDMARK COLLEGE
Tags: us_VT, education, explosion, response, bomb
PUTNEY -- Police are investigating the detonation of an explosive device at the Landmark College campus.
On Friday, at about 7:40 p.m., members of the Vermont State Police and the Putney Fire Department responded to the college after the school=92s security heard the blast across the campus. The explosion was described as "loud as a 12-gauge shotgun blast," according to campus security.
The device used was described as an "over-pressure device" which in this case was a plastic container that contained at least two substances that when mixed caused a chemical reaction producing a gas inside the closed container, Sgt. Mike Sorensen said.
"When the pressure became too great the container ruptured and the explosion resulted," he said.
No one was injured as a result of the incident, Sorensen said.
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NO INJURIES AFTER HAZMAT SITUATION AT BLUE GRASS ARMY DEPOT
Tags: us_KY, industrial, release, response, cleaners
The Blue Grass Army Depot Fire Department was called Monday afternoon after a quality assurance inspector observed a bright orange substance on the floor of a large metal storage container.
Officials say the quality assurance inspectors could not initially determine if the substance was a powder, liquid or solid. Based upon their standard operating procedure, the inspectors immediately called the BGAD Fire Department, who identified the substance as a chemical-based cleaning agent.
BGAD fire officials treated the situation as a hazmat incident, and the Madison County Fire Department was called to help. The BGAD Fire Department used two different electronic detectors to determine what the substance was. One detector was used to obtain the toxicity, oxygen level and explosive limits. The other was used to determine the makeup of the chemical.
No one was hurt in the incident. The surrounding community and chemical weapons were not in any danger from the hazmat incident.
---------------------------------------------
CARROLL COUNTY NEWS: LOCAL NEWS: CAR EXPLOSION INJURES 2 (10/24/11)
Tags: us_MA, public, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
GREEN FOREST -- Two Green Forest men were airlifted to a Springfield, Mo. burn center on Friday afternoon after the car they were working on blew up.
Jake Foltz and Arther Snyder were modifying a car at 310 Sneed St. on Friday for a demolition derby when the explosion occurred at about 1:50 p.m.
"They were using some sort of a side grinder and they were doing some cutting and unfortunately, something catastrophic happened which resulted in the fuel cell exploding," Police Chief John Bailey said on Friday. "We've got two injured male subjects approximately in their early 20s."
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CHEMICAL IRRITANT AT DC ACQUATIC CENTER SENDS ONE TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_DC, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals
ne person was hospitalized Monday after a chemical was detected at a Capitol Hill aquatic center.
Several people at the William H. Rumsey Aquatic Center located at 635 N. Carolina Ave SE complained of an unusual odor around 5:30 p.m. People reported feeling sick and hazardous materials units responded.
Fire officials say a chemical irritant was the cause and one adult was taken to an area hospital. Five adults and two children were treated on scene.
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HAZMAT RESPONDS TO FIRE AT PROSPECT AVENUE SANITATION CENTER
Tags: us_CA, industrial, fire, response, waste
HAZMAT was called to a fire in an industrial area of Santee that caused authorities to block traffic of Prospect Avenue just west of Cuyamaca Street on Sunday night.
The fire broke out at Al-Max Sanitation (10035 Prospect Ave.), a site that recycles restaurant refuse, like greasy water and food particles, and was caused by "decomposition of organic material," according to Santee Fire Division Chief Dave Miller.
The fire started in an area where Al-Max separates liquids and solids, the solids storage building essentially self combusted. Miller explained that when organic matter decomposes, especially a lot of it compressed together, it creates it's own heat and if anything combustible comes near the heat, it can catch fire.
San Diego County HAZMAT responded because of industrial chemicals that were potentially involved in the fire. Three Santee fire engines, a rescue engine, a truck and a medic unit also responded, according to Miller.
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HAZMAT SPILL NEAR I-82 AND YAKIMA AVENUE
Tags: us_WA, transportation, release, response, petroleum
Ecology crews are cleaning up a hazardous material spill near Interstate 82 and Yakima Avenue tonight.
State patrol says a 200 gallon drum carrying transmission fluid fell off a truck when the driver took a sharp turn. Most of it spilled into a nearby ditch.
Troopers don't know how long it will take to clean up the mess. The driver may be cited for driving with an unsecured load.
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*UPDATED:* LAFD PUTS OUT FIRE AT CENTER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical, follow-up
[UPDATED at 4:01 p.m.: Employees have begun to return to the Center for Health Sciences building, with the exception of the fourth and fifth floors, after a small laboratory fire on the fifth floor this morning, authorities said.
No injuries were reported in the fire, which was reported to the Los Angeles Fire Department at 11:05 a.m., said LAFD assistant chief Scott Mottram. The entire building was evacuated.
LAFD spokesman Matt Spence said 15 fire trucks responded to the scene because the fire met the criteria to be a major emergency =96it was in a high-rise building on campus that is densely populated.
Additional resources were requested because there were multiple floors and the fire was in and near science labs with elements that could cause incidents, Spence said. A reported 21 fire trucks and 149 firefighters were at the scene.
A BruinAlert message was sent out at 11:51 a.m. that said the fire was extinguished. The fire was contained to one room, Spence said.
The incident was not related to hazardous materials, but it received a hazardous materials response because of the materials and testing that occurs in the building, Spence said.
Mottram said LAFD had shut down the building=92s air system to prevent any hazardous fumes.
=93We are working closely with LAFD,=94 said James Gibson, director of the Office of Environmental, Health and Safety. He added that the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Tests in the building for hazardous materials came back with normal limits, Spence said.
The fire occurred in a laboratory directed by Dr. Tomas Ganz, a professor of medicine and pathology. Lab manager Erika Valore said that she was not in the lab at the time but was told that a person working there was boiling water in plastic tubes over a Bunsen burner.
Valore said she was told the person left the room for a couple of minutes. People in the lab smelled smoke and saw flames going up to the ceiling, she said.
This would not normally happen with a water bath, and the incident was unusual, Valore said. She added that in her 25 years at UCLA she has not seen anything of this nature.
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TRUCK CRASH SPILLS THOUSANDS OF GALLONS OF OIL
Tags: us_CO, transportation, release, injury, petroleum
GATEWAY, Colo. -- Hazmat and clean-up crews are racing against Mother Nature in an effort to contain a large oil spill off of Highway 141 near Gateway.
It happened just after 11:00 am Monday when a tanker truck carrying 10,000 gallons of crude oil crashed just north of the small town. Colorado State Patrol says the driver of the Basin Western owned truck was going too fast around a corner and lost control.
The driver was taken to Saint Mary's Hospital with minor injuries.
Quickly, crews turned their attention to the environment. Early estimates suggested 7,500 gallons, or 75%, of the oil being transported have leaked out of the tanker. Crews were seen using foam and booms in an effort to contain the spill.
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ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT :: NITRIC ACID SPILL FORCES EVACUATION OF SHANTZ
Tags: us_AZ, laboratory, release, response, nitric_acid, sodium_bicarbonate
A spilled container of nitric acid forced the evacuation of the Shantz building on Monday.
Officers on scene said no one was hurt in the accident.
The spill occurred when a glass container filled with nitric acid dropped and broke. According to Tucson Fire Prevention Capt. Jeff Langejans, someone tried to neutralize the spill with sodium bicarbonate, causing an exothermic reaction that melted the copper piping on compressed air containers in the lab.
Fourth Street closed while Fire officials and a hazardous materials control team responded to the incident.
=93It=92s been isolated, it was an accident,=94 Langejans said.
Sgt. Juan Alvarez of the University of Arizona Police Department said such spills are rare, but establishing a perimeter and ensuring public safety are the most important things when they do.
Lloyd Wundrock, a health safety officer for Risk Management Services, said he believes that anywhere between 500 and 1000 ml of the liquid were spilled. No one was hurt in the incident, according to Langejans, but that doesn=92t mean the incident was without risk.
=93Nitric acid is a level four on what we call our fire diamond, which means it=92s as bad as it gets,=94 Langejans said.
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LAFD NEWS & INFORMATION: FIRE IN UCLA SCIENCE LAB GARNERS SIGNIFICANT LAFD RESPONSE
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical
WESTWOOD - A laboratory at UCLA's Health and Sciences Center was significantly damaged by a fire this morning and at one point, brought nearly 150 Los Angeles Firefighters to the scene.
At 11:05 am on October 24, 2011, the LAFD responded to a reported "Structure Fire" in a seven-story, science building on the UCLA campus. A complete evacuation was already underway, as first arriving Firefighters made their ascent to the fifth floor of this facility. The Incident Commander noted the presence of hazardous materials clearly marked on exterior of the building, considered its size and type, as well as the time of day, and knew the potential existed for a very significant incident. Immediately, the request was made for additional resources, including the LAFD's Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Squad.
Firefighters quickly gained control and fully extinguish the blaze in 50 minutes, confining it to just one room. The incident then began to de-escalate and many of the on-scene resources were released.
With a full evacuation of the building in place, the HazMat Squad made entry and conducted precautionary testing. The facility was later deemed safe for students, faculty and employees, as they were allowed to re-populate all floors of the building, except the affected fire-floor.
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