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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, April 29, 2013 7:23:13 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 (21 articles)
CHEMICAL RELEASE SICKENS 20, THREE HOSPITALIZED
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, injury, pesticides
'UNKNOWN' CHEMICALS SHUT DRACUT WASTE DAY
Tags: us_MA, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
MARATHON REFINERY EXPLOSION: DETROIT REFINERY HAZMAT LEVEL 3 EVENT PROMPTS EVACUATION [PHOTO] [REPORT]
Tags: us_MI, industrial, explosion, response
FIRE AT CHEVRON PHILLIPS SENDS EIGHT TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, injury, unknown_chemical
NOT THE LAB (NTL): :LAB SAFETY IN THE MEDIA
Tags: public, discovery, response
CREWS CONTAIN BIOMASS PLANT FIRE IN SHAKOPEE
Tags: us_MN, industrial, explosion, response, other_chemical
UPDATE: STAFF EVACUATED AFTER SIDMOUTH CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, injury, cleaners
LETTER WITH CHEMICAL SMELL INVESTIGATED IN MONTVILLE
Tags: us_CT, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical
N CHINA CHEMICAL PLANT CATCHES FIRE |INDUSTRIES |CHINADAILY.COM.CN
Tags: China, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
UPDATED 1.10PM: YORK SCHOOL POOL GIVEN ALL-CLEAR AFTER CHEMICAL SCARE (FROM YORK PRESS)
Tags: United_Kingdom, education, release, injury, chlorine
LA TIMES STORY: UCLA PROFESSOR TO STAND TRIAL IN DEATH OF ASSISTANT IN LAB FIRE
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, death
PROPER USE OF SCHOOL SCIENCE LABORATORIES
Tags: Malaysia, laboratory, follow-up, response
3 KILLED IN EXPLOSION AT FIREWORKS UNIT
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, fireworks
HAZMAT CREWS CALLED AFTER SPILL NEAR PORTLAND AIRPORT
Tags: us_OR, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
HAZMAT TEAMS RUSH TO AURORA URGENT CARE CENTER IN CHEMICAL SCARE
Tags: us_CO, public, release, injury, sodium_hydroxide
TEXAS EXPLOSION FACTS EMERGE
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, injury
PATRICK HARRAN TO FACE TRIAL ON FELONY LABOR CODE VIOLATIONS
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, death
NOTES FROM THE FIELD: EXPOSURES TO DISCARDED SULFUR MUSTARD MUNITIONS Ñ MID-ATLANTIC AND NEW ENGLAND STATES 2004-2012
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, mustard_gas
NOTES FROM THE FIELD: ACUTE PESTICIDE-RELATED ILLNESS RESULTING FROM OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO ACROLEIN Ñ WASHINGTON AND CALIFORNIA, 1993-2009
Tags: us_WA, industrial, release, injury, acrolein
TRACTOR-TRAILER SPILLS HAZMAT MATERIAL ALONG I-85
Tags: us_NC, transportation, release, response, corrosives
PRELIMINARY HEARING FOR PATRICK HARRAN IN #SHERISANGJI CASE: MOTION TO DISMISS OR REDUCE THE CHARGES
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, response
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL RELEASE SICKENS 20, THREE HOSPITALIZED
http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/local/breaking-news/x1322505274/Chemical-release-sickens-20-three-hospitalized
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, injury, pesticides
About 20 people were sickened and three sent to area hospitals Sunday afternoon when an insecticide was accidentally released at the Paramount Farms warehouse facility near Lost Hills, according to the Kern County Fire Department.
Workers exposed to the chemical, called Endure, complained of trouble breathing. Most of those exposed refused treatement and left on their own, according to Fire Department spokesman Anthony Romero.
Those hospitalized had "minor conditions," Romero said.
The incident happened about 3 p.m. and Romero said it was unclear to fire fighters which building the release occurred in as the facility is made up of multiple buildings.
"The scene was turned over to Paramount Farms safety crews who will be working throughout the night trying to figure out what happened," he said.
---------------------------------------------
'UNKNOWN' CHEMICALS SHUT DRACUT WASTE DAY
http://www.lowellsun.com/local/ci_23125999/unknown-chemicals-shut-dracut-waste-day
Tags: us_MA, public, discovery, response, unknown_chemical
DRACUT -- State police detonated unknown chemicals late Saturday that were brought to the town's hazardous-waste collection day by a resident.
The materials, a mix of liquids, powdered and other materials, were stored in about 100 jars, Fire Deputy Rich Patterson said. The materials were about 20 years old, and over that time, they could have become unsafe, he said.
"We can't afford to take the chance," Patterson said.
Police sent out an automated call townwide on Saturday morning to tell residents there could be a "controlled explosion."
Patterson said Saturday night the State Police Bomb Squad neutralized the chemicals, and public-safety responders cleared the area just before 7 p.m.
The collection, scheduled for the DPW facility on Hildreth Street, usually includes old batteries, stains, tires or mercury thermometers, Patterson said.
He said the collection is meant for the safe disposal of materials that could be harmful.
"The homeowner did exactly what he was supposed to do," he said.
The man who brought the materials, who asked not to be identified by The Sun, said the bottles had been in his shed for about 20 years. He was cleaning out the shed, so he took the bottles to the town collection, but he wasn't sure what they were.
"That's the last time I try to do something nice," he said with a slight laugh, adding that he felt badly.
---------------------------------------------
MARATHON REFINERY EXPLOSION: DETROIT REFINERY HAZMAT LEVEL 3 EVENT PROMPTS EVACUATION [PHOTO] [REPORT]
http://www.idigitaltimes.com/articles/17048/20130427/marathon-refinery-explosion-detroit-hazmat-level-3.htm
Tags: us_MI, industrial, explosion, response
The Marathon Detroit Refinery has suffered a violent explosion on Saturday, causing a mandatory evacuation order for the area at the border of Melvindale and Detroit.
Reports of an intense fire were reported as early as 6 p.m. While the incident is still under an ongoing investigation, preliminary evidence indicates a tanker on the property may have exploded. According to the News Herald, no representative of Marathon Oil was available to comment on the shocking incident.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE AT CHEVRON PHILLIPS SENDS EIGHT TO HOSPITAL
http://panews.com/local/x319970859/Fire-at-Chevron-Phillips-sends-eight-to-hospital
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, injury, unknown_chemical
PORT ARTHUR Ñ An early morning fire at Chevron Phillips Chemical Company in Port Arthur sent eight contract workers to two hospitals on Saturday.
Some of the injured were treated and released in the hours after the incident, Vickie DeReese, a Chevron Phillips spokesperson, said.
Company officials confirmed to media that a localized fire occurred at its Port Arthur facility Saturday at approximately 4 a.m. during a turnaround period, which resulted in several contractor employees being transported to the local hospital. The fire was quickly extinguished, and there was no impact to the community, according to a press release from Melanie Samuelson with Chevron Phillips corporate communication.
---------------------------------------------
NOT THE LAB (NTL): :LAB SAFETY IN THE MEDIA
http://notthelab.blogspot.com/
Tags: public, discovery, response
In the most recent episode of The Office (a mockumentary about a paper company; it's usually hit-or-miss but still funnier than the British version*), the branch manager, Andy Bernard, was cast in a chemical safety video ("HRPDC Chemical Handling Protocol") in an attempt to break into an acting career.
---------------------------------------------
CREWS CONTAIN BIOMASS PLANT FIRE IN SHAKOPEE
http://www.marshallindependent.com/page/content.detail/id/311090/Crews-contain-biomass-plant-fire-in-Shakopee--.html?isap=1&nav=5028
Tags: us_MN, industrial, explosion, response, other_chemical
SHAKOPEE, Minn. (AP) Ñ Dozens of firefighters and emergency workers rushed to an explosion at a biomass plant south of Minneapolis on Thursday, but no one was hurt and no hazardous materials were released, officials said.
Authorities got a 911 call around 12:40 p.m. from Koda Energy LLC, which shares a complex with Rahr Malting Co. along the Mississippi River in Shakopee.
Koda produces energy from oat hulls and wood chips, byproducts of malting, and the explosion happened in two of its silos, the company said.
Seven Koda workers on the scene were safely evacuated, and the company said everyone is accounted for. Firefighters and emergency crews from eight agencies responded, but no one was hurt, Scott County spokeswoman Lisa Kohner said.
Crews had the three-alarm fire contained by 3 p.m., but they were expected to stay on the scene into the evening.
The fire caused damage to two biomass fuel silos, their conveyor system and a truck unloading facility, Koda said. A smoldering fire in the two silos is expected to burn itself out, the company said.
---------------------------------------------
UPDATE: STAFF EVACUATED AFTER SIDMOUTH CHEMICAL LEAK
http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/news/update_staff_evacuated_after_sidmouth_chemical_leak_1_2170311
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, injury, cleaners
Eyewitnesses said four fire engines and five ambulances rushed to deal with the spillage at Regency dry cleaners off Fore Street.
Nearby shops such as The Filling Station, Sporting Images and the National Trust were evacuated this afternoon, but have since been able to re-open.
A sign in Trumps however says it will remain closed due to the spillage at the dry cleaners in Cross Lane.
Staff at the National Trust shop contacted the fire service around noon because of the smell caused by the leak, and were told to leave the premises and open all windows and doors.
After being checked by paramedics the employees were allowed back into the shops around 3.15pm.
But a spokesman for Devon and Somerset Fiore and Rescue said one man was taken to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital by ambulance as a precaution after complaining of a headache.
---------------------------------------------
LETTER WITH CHEMICAL SMELL INVESTIGATED IN MONTVILLE
http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Package-With-Chemical-Smell-Investigated-in-Montville-204929171.html
Tags: us_CT, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical
Hazmat crews responded to a house in Montville Friday afternoon to investigate a letter giving off a strange smell.
According to fire officials, an envelope or at 1307 Route 163 had a very strong chemical odor coming from it.
Montville firefighters, a hazmat team from Sub Base Groton and crews from the Department of Energy and Environmental protection all responded to the scene.
The homeowner suffered a slight eye irritation, but was otherwise not injured, according to the DEEP.
The letter was sent to a lab for testing, but field tests showed no unusual readings, officials said.
---------------------------------------------
N CHINA CHEMICAL PLANT CATCHES FIRE |INDUSTRIES |CHINADAILY.COM.CN
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2013-04/27/content_16457239.htm
Tags: China, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
HOHHOT - A fire erupted in a chemical plant in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Saturday morning, sources with local authorities said.
Firefighters and personnel from the local public security and forestry departments have been dispatched to quell the blaze that broke out around 8:40 am in the Dezheng Chemical Plant in Dengkou County.
According to firefighters, the fire broke out in a raw materials warehouse, which has already collapsed in the fire.
Smoke was billowing from the fire, and the air was filled with an unpleasant smell, the firefighters said.
No casualties have been reported so far, and the plant workers and nearby residents have been relocated to safety, sources said.
---------------------------------------------
UPDATED 1.10PM: YORK SCHOOL POOL GIVEN ALL-CLEAR AFTER CHEMICAL SCARE (FROM YORK PRESS)
http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/10384424.Chemical_scare_at_York_school/
Tags: United_Kingdom, education, release, injury, chlorine
A YORK secondary school's swimming pool has been given the all-clear after being closed this morning following a chemical scare.
The emergency services arrived at the Archbishop Holgate's School site on Hull Road at about 8.45am after an "accidental mix" of two chemicals in its plant room led to a small amount of chlorine gas being released.
One member of staff in the plant room was taken to hospital for a check-up but has since been discharged unharmed, with the pool being evacuated while fire crews and specialist teams assessed the situation.
They have since confirmed there has been no contamination and the pool was able to reopen. The school has said it will be open as usual on Sunday for scheduled swimming sessions.
---------------------------------------------
LA TIMES STORY: UCLA PROFESSOR TO STAND TRIAL IN DEATH OF ASSISTANT IN LAB FIRE
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ucla-prof-20130427,0,4191861.story
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, death
UCLA chemistry professor Patrick Harran was ordered Friday to stand trial on felony charges stemming from a laboratory fire that killed staff research assistant Sheharbano "Sheri" Sangji more than four years ago.
Concluding a preliminary hearing that began late last year, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Lisa Lench denied a defense motion to dismiss the case, believed to be the first such prosecution involving a U.S. academic lab accident.
Harran, 43, is charged with willfully violating state occupational health and safety standards. If convicted, he faces up to 41/2 years in prison.
---------------------------------------------
PROPER USE OF SCHOOL SCIENCE LABORATORIES
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/4/27/focus/13030848&sec=focus
Tags: Malaysia, laboratory, follow-up, response
THE two recent school science laboratory-related accidents - first, a chemical explosion due to a spill at a school in Kampung Pandan; and, the second, at a school in Alor Setar - should be taken very seriously by the administration of the schools concerned and, in particular, by the education authorities.
This might very well be the tip of the iceberg. It is not known if there is a rule or requirement, as there should be, to report in detail to the Education Ministry all accidents in schools, including those related to classrooms and especially science labs.
We need to focus on three areas - a detailed, comprehensible and practical safety measures for teachers and students to observe in the science labs; teachers to be appropriately trained to be the first responders when any such accidents occur; and the reporting and review of each incident and the remedial measures put in place.
Science requires hands-on learning and, hence, use of the lab is inevitable. However, science activities have potential hazards.
Students, and sometimes teachers as well, work in the science lab with equipment and chemicals that they are not familiar with.
While the lab is an exciting learning environment, it is so only when the equipment and chemicals are used properly. Otherwise, the risk could be considerable, even fatal.
---------------------------------------------
3 KILLED IN EXPLOSION AT FIREWORKS UNIT
http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/-killed-in-explosion-at-fireworks-unit-22289.html
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, fireworks
Sivakasi, Apr 26: Three workers were killed in an explosion in a fireworks factory at Konampatti, police said.
The blast occurred yesterday when the semi-trained workers were stuffing a chemical mixture into fireworks.The impact flattened the shed, they said.
While two of them died on the spot, crushed by falling debris,another seriously injured worker died at the government hospital here yesterday without responding to treatment.
The factory manager and two formen have been arrested, while the owner is absconding, police said.
Officials said the handling of chemical mixture required skill and training,which the workers probably did not receive leading to the accident.
This is the third accident in fireworks units in April.
Two workers died of injuries sustained in an an explosion at a unit at Kundalapatti near Sivakasi on Apr 20, while a third died in a blast at a unit at Sundararajapuram on Apr16.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT CREWS CALLED AFTER SPILL NEAR PORTLAND AIRPORT
http://www.kptv.com/story/22076162/hazmat-crews-called-after-spill-near-portland-airport
Tags: us_OR, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) -
A hazmat crew in Portland was called in after a mysterious liquid spilled near the Portland International Airport.
Crews received a call just after 8:30 Wednesday night from a man who noticed a leak coming from the back of his tractor trailer. He said he began to notice the leak near NE Glenn Widing Drive, just east of the Glenn Jackson Bridge. The caller also said people nearby were experiencing symptoms.
Portland Fire and Rescue sent a crew down to investigate with the assistance of the Oregon State Hazardous Material team. Once on scene, the sample was tested and was not found to be hazardous. Crews determined that there was no need to evacuate any nearby buildings.
None of the bystanders were found to have any symptoms related to the spill. Crews stayed on scene for several hours to clean up and prevent and further spillage.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT TEAMS RUSH TO AURORA URGENT CARE CENTER IN CHEMICAL SCARE
http://denver.cbslocal.com/2013/04/26/aurora-hazmat-urgent-care-center/
Tags: us_CO, public, release, injury, sodium_hydroxide
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - An urgent care center in Aurora was evacuated Friday morning and people there were being decontaminated after staff members found evidence of sodium hydroxide.
At approximately 10 a.m. a patient walked into the Concentra center at 3350 Peoria Street with suspicious burns on his body. That sent out a red flag to people working there, and they found the presence of the chemical by using a monitor.
Hazmat crews rushed to the scene and the building, which also contains two other businesses, was evacuated.
At noon crews were working to decontaminate the building and were making sure other patients and staff weren't exposed to the chemical.
"When he came in for care he came in contact with a handful of medical workers and those medical workers are considered to be exposed," said Aurora Fire Department Capt. Wendy Lippman.
---------------------------------------------
TEXAS EXPLOSION FACTS EMERGE
http://cen.acs.org/articles/91/i17/Texas-Explosion-Facts-Emerge.html
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, injury
Facts have slowly emerged over the past week about the devastating accident at West Fertilizer Co. in West, Texas. As federal and state investigators examined the scene, the exact cause remained unclear, as did the role proper regulatory oversight might have played in avoiding the tragedy.
At least 15 people, mostly firefighters, lost their lives, and 200 residents were injured in a fire and massive explosion that completely destroyed the facility on April 17. According to state and federal records, the retail facility stored some 270 tons of ammonium nitrate and 54,000 lb of anhydrous ammonia for sale to local farmers. Ammonium nitrate is an explosive sometimes used by terrorists and the source of numerous industrial accidents and thousands of deaths worldwide.
On the night of the accident, the facility caught fire. Some dozen firefighters and emergency responders fought unsuccessfully to control the fire. Conditions worsened and officials rushed to evacuate the area, which included a school, a nursing home, and private residences. The facility exploded before the evacuation was complete, leveling the surrounding area and leaving a 93-foot-wide crater, according to a reporter who gained access to the site.
The facility appeared not to segregate ammonium nitrate, nor did it have automatic sprinkler systems, structural fire barricades, or other mechanisms to limit fires. Whether first responders were aware of what was in the warehouse and its potential for explosion is unknown.
---------------------------------------------
PATRICK HARRAN TO FACE TRIAL ON FELONY LABOR CODE VIOLATIONS
http://cen.acs.org/articles/91/web/2013/04/Patrick-Harran-Face-Trial-Felony.html
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, death
Chemistry professor Patrick G. Harran will face trial on three felony counts of violating California state labor code, a Los Angeles County judge ruled today. The case stems from a 2008 fire in Harran's lab that led to the death of research assistant Sheharbano (Sheri) Sangji.
A trial date has not been set.
---------------------------------------------
NOTES FROM THE FIELD: EXPOSURES TO DISCARDED SULFUR MUSTARD MUNITIONS Ñ MID-ATLANTIC AND NEW ENGLAND STATES 2004-2012
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6216a7.htm?s_cid=mm6216a7_w
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, mustard_gas
Before the 1970s, the United States sometimes disposed of at sea excess, obsolete, or unserviceable munitions, including chemical munitions (1). Chemical munitions known to have been disposed of at sea included munitions filled with sulfur mustard, a vesicant (i.e., an agent that causes chemical burns or blisters of the skin and mucous membranes) (2). Signs and symptoms of exposure to a mustard agent can include redness and blistering of the skin, eye irritation, rhinorrhea, hoarseness, shortness of breath, and (rarely) diarrhea and abdominal discomfort. Since 2004, CDC has received notification of three separate incidents of exposure to sulfur mustard munitions. In one incident, a munition was found with ocean-dredged marine shells used to pave a driveway. The other two incidents involved commercial clam fishing operations. This report highlights the importance of considering exposure to sulfur mustard in the differential diagnosis of signs and symptoms compatible with expo!
sure to a vesicant agent, especially among persons involved with clam fishing or sea dredging operations.
---------------------------------------------
NOTES FROM THE FIELD: ACUTE PESTICIDE-RELATED ILLNESS RESULTING FROM OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO ACROLEIN Ñ WASHINGTON AND CALIFORNIA, 1993-2009
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6216a6.htm?s_cid=mm6216a6_w
Tags: us_WA, industrial, release, injury, acrolein
Acrolein is an aquatic herbicide used in the western United States to prevent impaired water flow in irrigation canals. Despite its toxicity, few cases of acrolein-related illness have been reported in the literature. On August 15, 2012, an irrigation district notified the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) of acrolein-related illness in one of its pesticide applicators. L&I inspected the site and interviewed the exposed worker, coworkers, and employer. The Washington State Department of Health assisted by obtaining medical records, interviewing the patient and hospital staff, and reviewing information obtained from L&I. To look for additional cases, CDC reviewed data from the SENSOR-Pesticides program* and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation for 1993-2009, the most recent years of data availability, and identified seven additional cases of acute acrolein-related illness.
---------------------------------------------
TRACTOR-TRAILER SPILLS HAZMAT MATERIAL ALONG I-85
http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/Part-of-I-85-blocked-after-hazmat-situation--204824961.html
Tags: us_NC, transportation, release, response, corrosives
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Part of I-85 southbound is blocked at Little Rock Road as hazmat crews work to clean up a corrosive liquid Friday morning.
Officials say a barrel fell off of a truck after midnight.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol said the left side of a tractor-trailer collapsed spilling barrels onto roadway. One barrel came open spilling corrosive material onto road.
Chemical is a corrosive chemical with a generic name of sodium bi-sulfate, according to officials.
The Charlotte Fire Department hazmat team contained the spill and a private cleanup company hired by the trucking company is continuing to clean up the interstate, officials said.
---------------------------------------------
PRELIMINARY HEARING FOR PATRICK HARRAN IN #SHERISANGJI CASE: MOTION TO DISMISS OR REDUCE THE CHARGES
http://cenblog.org/the-safety-zone/2013/04/preliminary-hearing-for-patrick-harran-in-sherisangji-case-motion-to-dismiss-or-reduce-the-charges/
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, response
University of California, Los Angeles, chemistry professor Patrick Harran returns to court tomorrow to conclude a preliminary hearing on felony charges of labor code violations. The charges stem from the death of researcher Sheharbano (Sheri) Sangji from injuries sustained in a 2008 fire in Harran's lab. The judge hearing the case is expected to rule whether to send the case forward to trial.
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Ralph Stuart
secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Secretary
Division of Chemical Health and Safety
American Chemical Society
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