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Editor's note: Things had been quiet enough on the hazmat front that I had begun to think that we were getting pretty good at managing chemical hazards in general. Then this week, everything has gone nuts. There were many reports in local papers this week about the readiness of local emergency responders to respond to chemical explosions, fires, etc. that I didn't include in this listing.
- Ralph
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, April 19, 2013 7:35:48 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 (18 articles)
4 MEN INJURED IN CHEMICAL EXPLOSION
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
TESTS: CHEMICAL USED IN EXPLOSIVES, MAGNESIUM NITRATE HEXAHYDRATE, DETECTED AT PORT
Tags: us_FL, public, discovery, response, explosives
HAZMAT INVESTIGATING POSSIBLE CYANIDE
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, response, cyanide
U.S. CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD RELEASES REPORT ON CHEVRON REFINERY EXPLOSION
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, response
CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA CITY
Tags: us_OK, public, fire, response, petroleum
CHEMICAL PLANTS PROBE AS PILES OF DEAD PIGS AND DOGS FOUND IN HENAN
Tags: China, public, discovery, death, unknown_chemical
3 P.M. UPDATE: CHEMICAL ACCIDENT AT FLAG HIGH RELEASES NOXIOUS FUMES
Tags: us_AZ, laboratory, release, injury, cyanide, hydrochloric_acid
CHEMICAL BOMB EXPLODES NEAR RESTAURANT
Tags: us_NC, public, explosion, response, bomb
HAZMAT CREWS CALLED TO PROVO CHEMICAL COMPANY
Tags: us_UT, laboratory, fire, response, sulphur
CHEMICAL EXPLOSION CAUSES SCARE AT KL SCHOOL
Tags: Malaysia, laboratory, explosion, injury, waste
IOWA STUDENT ARRESTED AFTER CREATING EXPLOSIVE DEVICE WITH MRE HEATER
Tags: us_IA, education, explosion, response, bomb
DOZENS BELIEVED KILLED, HUNDREDS INJURED IN TEXAS FERTILIZER PLANT EXPLOSION (PHOTOS, VIDEO) Ñ RT USA
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
13 HOSPITALIZED, 63 EVALUATED IN CALEDONIA HAZMAT RESPONSE
Tags: us_MI, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
RICIN DANGER MOSTLY THEORETICAL
Tags: us_MS, public, follow-up, response, toxics
STONY BROOK CHEMISTRY INCORPORATES LAB SAFETY INTO RESEARCH DAY CELEBRATION
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, follow-up, response
FANG CONFIRMS TUESDAY MORNING EXPLOSION WAS FROM A METH LAB
Tags: us_MI, public, explosion, response, meth_lab
MOUNT ISA IN LOCKDOWN AFTER EXPLOSION IN ACID TANK
Tags: Australia, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
MAN LEFT CRITICAL BY EXPLOSION
Tags: Malta, public, explosion, injury, fireworks
---------------------------------------------
4 MEN INJURED IN CHEMICAL EXPLOSION
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/4-men-injured-in-chemical-explosion/article4632927.ece
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
Four men were hurt when a staircase leading to a godown collapsed after a plastic drum containing a chemical substance exploded in Tambaram on Thursday evening. All the four injured men were reportedly out of danger.
The godown owned by Kumar of Tambaram is on Tambaram-Somangalam Road. Chemical substances are mixed, packed into plastic bins and sent to various locations.
On Thursday, two employees, Sundararajan and Swaminathan, were off-loading empty bins from a lorry and loading bins filled with the chemical. Around 5 p.m., one of the bins came crashing down from the first floor and exploded on landing, resulting in the steps collapsing.
---------------------------------------------
TESTS: CHEMICAL USED IN EXPLOSIVES, MAGNESIUM NITRATE HEXAHYDRATE, DETECTED AT PORT
http://www.wtsp.com/news/breaking/article/311901/20/Suspicious-package-found-near-Port-of-Tampa-cruise-ship
Tags: us_FL, public, discovery, response, explosives
Tampa, Florida -- UPDATE: Officials say tests conducted on various items of concern from the Port of Tampa Thursday afternoon confirmed the presence of a chemical used in explosive devices.
They found Magnesium Nitrate Hexahydrate- which is said to be used in fireworks, fertilizers and explosives- on a metal liquor pallet at the port.
Hillsborough Sheriff's officials say the compound by itself is not explosive, however, its presence on the pallet confirms the alert by multiple explosive detection dogs.
Technicians have reportedly finished their chemical analysis, and now plan to notify the Department of Homeland Security of the results.
The cruise line, they say, has already been notified.
Hillsborough Sheriff's officials retained samples of the substance, but reportedly no plans to take additional action at this time.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT INVESTIGATING POSSIBLE CYANIDE
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/HAZMAT-Investigating-Possible-Cyanide-203648401.html
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, response, cyanide
A HAZMAT team investigated an item delivered to a fire station in Chula Vista.
Around 10 a.m. a man went to Fire Station No. 5 at 391 Oxford st. after finding containers labeled "cyanide" in his family's property. The man said he was cleaning out his recently deceased father's shed when he discovered the bags.
The man placed the containers in his car and took them to the fire station to have them inspected. Firefighters then roped off the area and called HAZMAT to investigate.
Cyanide is known to be highly toxic.
Officials tested the substance and disposed of it.
---------------------------------------------
U.S. CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD RELEASES REPORT ON CHEVRON REFINERY EXPLOSION
http://www.idevmail.net/message.aspx?d=86&m=1144&e=Rstuartcih**At_Symbol_Here**me.com&r=5918160
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, response
Washington, DC, April 18, 2013 - A new metallurgical evaluation of crude unit pipe samples from the Chevron refineries in El Segundo, California, and Richmond, California, shows the same sulfidation corrosion process occurred in both, causing up to 60% wall loss in a pipe sample from the El Segundo Refinery, according to a report issued today by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) and the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA).
The piping sample from the Chevron El Segundo Refinery, immediately west of Los Angeles, had lost up to 60% of its wall thickness, from 0.322 inches to 0.12 inches in the thinnest part.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA CITY
http://www.okcfox.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/kokh_vid_10719.shtml
Tags: us_OK, public, fire, response, petroleum
A lightning strike from the storms is being blamed for a fire at some oil tanks in Northeast Oklahoma City.
Homes near NE 4th & Bryant are back home now after being evacuated.
Hazmat crews came in after toxic chemicals began to leak.
Fire crews were able to quickly get the fire under control.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL PLANTS PROBE AS PILES OF DEAD PIGS AND DOGS FOUND IN HENAN
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1216818/hundreds-pigs-and-dogs-found-dead-henan
Tags: China, public, discovery, death, unknown_chemical
Hundreds of pigs have been found dead in a northern province - this time together with scores of dogs.
A total of 410 pigs and 122 dogs were discovered in homes and at farms this week in a village under the jurisdiction of the city of Yanshi in Henan province, authorities said yesterday.
The city's propaganda office said the deaths were being investigated, but that they suspected they had to do with nearby chemical factories. The factories have been ordered to suspend production and help police with a criminal investigation into the incident, according to a Henan provincial news website.
No poisonous gases have been found in tests on the air around the village and its drinking water has met quality standards, said the report, which the propaganda office confirmed.
Local authorities said the deaths have nothing to do with any epidemic or the H7N9 bird flu virus that has recently spread to humans.
Last month, more than 16,000 dead pigs were found in rivers that supply water to Shanghai. The dumping has not been explained, though police had been cracking down on the illegal sale of pork products made from dead or diseased pigs.
---------------------------------------------
3 P.M. UPDATE: CHEMICAL ACCIDENT AT FLAG HIGH RELEASES NOXIOUS FUMES
http://azdailysun.com/news/local/p-m-update-chemical-accident-at-flag-high-releases-noxious/article_f63db6ce-a79c-11e2-98b9-0019bb2963f4.html
Tags: us_AZ, laboratory, release, injury, cyanide, hydrochloric_acid
Two chemicals were inadvertently combined in a container in a storage room today at Flagstaff High School, causing noxious fumes that can lead to respiratory problems.
The accident was described as limited to just a container in that room - not a big spill covering any large area of the campus - and it happened on an afternoon when students are routinely released early from classes.
Bob Orrill, battallion chief for the Flagstaff Fire Department, said the chemicals were potassium ferricyanide powder and hydrochloric acid. When combined, the chemicals can react to create hydrogen cyanide gas.
Four people (three adults and one student) were taken to Flagstaff Medical Center midday Wednesday for precautionary evaluation, according to Flagstaff firefighters, a hospital spokeswoman and Coconino County's emergency manager.
Students in an adjacent room to the storage room were evaluated at the school as a precautionary measure.
The accident happened as teachers were cleaning up a storage room in preparation for summer break, said Karin Eberhard, a spokeswoman for Flagstaff Unified School District.
"The teachers that were doing this cleanup immediately put the toxic-spill kit on it," she said, preventing any toxic gas from being formed before calling the fire department.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL BOMB EXPLODES NEAR RESTAURANT
http://www.shelbystar.com/news/local/chemical-bomb-explodes-near-restaurant-1.128212
Tags: us_NC, public, explosion, response, bomb
A chemical bomb planted in the parking lot of IHOP over the weekend detonated while customers were standing nearby, but it caused no injuries, according to Shelby Police.
Shelby Police Lt. Scott Champion said several people were in the restaurant's parking lot Sunday morning when they heard or saw the device explode.
Members of Shelby Fire & Rescue were not far from the bomb and were the first to call police.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT CREWS CALLED TO PROVO CHEMICAL COMPANY
http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/provo/hazmat-crews-called-to-provo-chemical-company/article_2ea89bf6-b769-509c-a102-490fb95e9a5e.html
Tags: us_UT, laboratory, fire, response, sulphur
PROVO -- A chemical reaction went wrong at a Provo business Wednesday afternoon, sending smoke through the roof and hazmat teams inside.
Battalion Chief Tom Augustus with the Provo Fire Department said that employees at Wiltec at 488 S. 500 West, a company that tests chemical reactions to determine how much heat is given off, were testing sulfur trioxide when a tube being used failed. That caused an unexpected chemical reaction that involved a significant amount of smoke. As the smoke cleared the building through the roof vents, neighbors saw it and called in a structure fire.
Firefighters arrived shortly before 4 p.m. and found it wasn't a fire but still cause for concern; the building was evacuated and hazmat crews waited for the chemicals to finish reacting. The smoke was quickly dispersed by the wind, and no one was in danger, Augustus said. After about three hours the materials were dissolved, the hazmat team checked the building out and the employees and owner could go back in.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL EXPLOSION CAUSES SCARE AT KL SCHOOL
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/4/18/nation/12989042&sec=nation
Tags: Malaysia, laboratory, explosion, injury, waste
KUALA LUMPUR: Students and teachers of SMK Datuk Lokman in Kampung Pandan were shocked when an explosion erupted following a chemical spill at the school.
The incident happened when eight barrels of chemicals that had been used in the school's science labs were being transported for disposal by a private contractor.
One of the barrels tipped over while being loaded onto a truck and resulted in the spillage, which caused the explosion and a fire at about 11.32am yesterday morning.
Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department assistant director (operations) Azizan Ismail said 25 firemen were dispatched to the scene some 10 minutes after the incident and they managed to put out the fire soon after arrival.
"The Hazmat team was also summoned to the scene due to the chemical spill and the school was evacuated.
"Nineteen students and two teachers experienced nausea as a result of inhaling the chemical," he said at the scene, adding that all were discharged after undergoing hospital check-ups.
The barrels contained 229 types of chemicals, including zinc oxide, ammonia, magnesium and aluminium sulphate.
---------------------------------------------
IOWA STUDENT ARRESTED AFTER CREATING EXPLOSIVE DEVICE WITH MRE HEATER
http://www.omaha.com/article/20130417/NEWS/130419734/1685
Tags: us_IA, education, explosion, response, bomb
An ROTC cadet from Villisca, Iowa, has been arrested after he created an explosive using the heater from a prepackaged military meal Monday, authorities say.
No injuries were reported from the blast on the Buena Vista University campus in Storm Lake, Iowa.
Police say Matthew Hanson, 21, took a flameless heater found in Meal Ready-to-Eat packages and stuffed it in a glass bottle.
Police say Hanson initiated a chemical reaction in the bottle, causing it to explode and sending broken glass over a 15-foot area next to Swope Hall, a dorm. So-called "MRE bombs" are sometimes set off by members of the military as pranks, often with plastic Ñ not glass Ñ bottles.
The explosion occurred about 10:20 p.m., but campus security did not determine the device had been set off until the next afternoon, a news release from the Storm Lake Public Safety Department says.
After an investigation, police arrested Hanson on suspicion of possessing an explosive device and reckless use of an explosive device. Both charges are misdemeanors.
---------------------------------------------
DOZENS BELIEVED KILLED, HUNDREDS INJURED IN TEXAS FERTILIZER PLANT EXPLOSION (PHOTOS, VIDEO) Ñ RT USA
http://rt.com/usa/texas-fertilizer-plant-explosion-036/
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
A massive explosion has rocked a fertilizer plant near Waco, Texas. Dozens are feared dead and more than 160 were injured in the disaster. Rescuers have to deal with toxic fumes contaminating the neighborhood.
Follow LIVE UPDATES on Texas plant explosion
The explosion occurred Wednesday around 7:50pm local time [00:50 GMT Thursday] in the town of West, north of Waco. A fireball of nearly 30 meters high has been reported along with a massive power outage.
The US Geological Survey registered the explosion as a 2.1 magnitude quake, adding that "the magnitude measures only the ground motion, not the air wave, so is substantially less than the true size of the event."
The remains of a fertilizer plant burn after an explosion at the plant in the town of West, near Waco, Texas early April 18, 2013 (Reuters / Mike Stone)
The blast followed a fire at the plant, which is thought to have started in an anhydrous ammonia tank before spreading to the buildings at the plant.
There is no official fatality count yet. Police reported that between five and 15 people are estimated to have been killed, including the firefighters responding to the initial fire at the plant and a law official. Dozens are feared to have died in the disaster.
---------------------------------------------
13 HOSPITALIZED, 63 EVALUATED IN CALEDONIA HAZMAT RESPONSE
http://fox17online.com/2013/04/17/13-hospitalized-63-evaluated-in-caledonia-hazmat-response/#axzz2QoBjaysB
Tags: us_MI, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
CALEDONIA, Mich. - Emergency Responders say more than a dozen people have been hospitalized, and more than 60 people are being evaluated following a hazmat situation at a Caledonia business on Tuesday evening.
Crews were sent to Aspen Surgical Products near 68th Street and Broadmoor Avenue around 10:00 p.m.
Of the 13 who were hospitalized, 2 were said to be in serious condition, 11 more in stable condition. All victims were experiencing respiratory issues and were transported to Spectrum Hospital. All 13 patients that were transported were alert and conscious. By 5:00 a.m. Wednesday, all patients had been released from the hospital.
Hazmat crews are testing the facility to find a source of the problem, but an official cause has not been released. It's believed it must have been a combination of chemicals that reached dangerous levels for workers because crews were unable to find a specific toxin through their testing.
The search lasted more than an hour and a half to make sure all employees were accounted for. An Aspen Surgical Representative was on the scene but declined to comment.
According to Aspen Surgical Products website, the company makes medical products.
---------------------------------------------
RICIN DANGER MOSTLY THEORETICAL
http://www.thepoisonreview.com/2013/04/17/ricin-danger-mostly-theoretical/
Tags: us_MS, public, follow-up, response, toxics
A Mississippi man was arrested today under suspicion of sending letters to President Obama and Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss) that gave a positive preliminary test for ricin. Further, more conclusive tests are under way.
In the wake of the bombings at the Boston Marathon, it is understandable that this revelation would be unsettling, inevitably brining to mind the deadly anthrax letters that were sent shortly after 9/11. Yet, in my opinion, the concern is overblown. False positive tests for ricin are common Ñ after all, castor beans are common and often present in and around homes. In addition, although ricin is theoretically a powerful toxin, it is extremely difficult to turn it into an effective bioweapon. For reasons I explained almost a decade ago in a column in Emergency Medicine News, ricin has never been proven to have killed anyone, and has never been successfully deployed as a biological weapon. (The Washington Post made a similar point in an article posted today.)
---------------------------------------------
STONY BROOK CHEMISTRY INCORPORATES LAB SAFETY INTO RESEARCH DAY CELEBRATION
http://cenblog.org/the-safety-zone/2013/04/stony-brook-chemistry-incorporates-lab-safety-into-research-day-celebration/
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, follow-up, response
Researchers developed lab safety demonstrations, competed for prizes, and attended a safety equipment expo as part of Stony Brook University chemistry department's Research Day in January.
Research Day is an annual department tradition going back at least a decade, says department chair Nicole S. Sampson. Students prepare posters about their research, the department hosts a lunch, and one of the faculty members gives a keynote lecture. "Undergrads and other faculty wander through and find out what's going on in the chemistry department," Sampson says.
Last year, it was scheduled in early November, the week after Superstorm Sandy hit the East Coast. Although the university suffered minimal damage from the storm, the school cancelled classes for several days and Research Day was postponed until January.
Meanwhile, Sampson says, she had already been pondering how to elevate people's safety consciousness. As everyone returned to work after the storm, she organized a joint meeting with the Research Day and safety committees, and Research Day took on a new safety component. "We got really excited about it, says Jonathan G. Rudick, a chemistry professor and one of the Research Day organizers. "It was a great way to get something new into a well-trod tradition." he says.
Adds Sampson, "You can only tell people so many times to be safe. We decided that we had to find another way to say that it's important to the university and to get people to stop and think about what they do every day."
---------------------------------------------
FANG CONFIRMS TUESDAY MORNING EXPLOSION WAS FROM A METH LAB
http://www.minbcnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=885897#.UW6Ju6Ice5I
Tags: us_MI, public, explosion, response, meth_lab
FLINT -- The Flint Area Narcotics Group (FANG) confirms the explosion was a result of a meth lab. Police say they found chemicals and equipment in the apartment consistent with what is needed to make the drug.
"It exploded in the bathroom and blew the wall literally out of this residence. Usually what happens is that a small pinhole will develop and everything will leak out and a fire will start," said FANG Lt. Patrick Richard.
Members of FANG investigating the second story explosion found evidence that is ordinarily harmless, but put together is a ticking time bomb.
"You can go buy everything you need to make a meth lab in a Meijer right now or Walmart it doesn't matter," said Richard.
---------------------------------------------
MOUNT ISA IN LOCKDOWN AFTER EXPLOSION IN ACID TANK
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/mount-isa-in-lockdown-after-explosion-in-acid-tank/story-e6frg6n6-1226621992781
Tags: Australia, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
MOUNT Isa is in lockdown after an explosion in an acid tank near a mine sent a plume of smoke over the city.
Police are urging all Mount Isa's 22,000 residents to remain inside with their doors and windows closed following a minor explosion near the Mount Isa mine about 6.30pm.
It is believed a tank containing chemicals at the acid plant exploded creating a plume of noxious smoke.
There were no injuries. The incident is not considered suspicious.
Residents are advised to stay inside until further notice.
---------------------------------------------
MAN LEFT CRITICAL BY EXPLOSION
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130416/local/Man-left-critical-by-explosion.465791
Tags: Malta, public, explosion, injury, fireworks
A 79-year-old man suspected of mixing chemicals used in fireworks at his Mqabba home was last night fighting for his life in hospital after an explosion.
Police sources said he may have been mixing chemicals used in ground fireworks
Police sources said Nicholas Ghigo may have been mixing chemicals used in gúiggúifogu, ground fireworks, which had been his and his brothers' passion since childhood.
Police said in a statement the "explosion" happened at around 1.30pm in Parish Street.
Mr Ghigo suffered burns in his hands, feet and chest before managing to escape the blaze and staggering to the police station next door for help. He was subsequently rushed to hospital.
He had already been injured in a similar incident in 1975, suffering burns to 32 per cent of his body while mixing colours.
---------------------------------------------
Ralph Stuart
secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Secretary
Division of Chemical Health and Safety
American Chemical Society
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