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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 7:15:40 AM
A membership benefit of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
All article summaries and tags are archived at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas
Table of Contents (13 articles)
CITGO FINAL REPORT ON 2009 FIRE 'NOT REALISTIC'
Tags: industrial, follow-up, injury, hydrofluoric_acid
POTENTIAL HAZMAT SITUATION AT DOWNTOWN SALT LAKE CITY HOTDOG SHOP
Tags: us_UT, public, release, response, bleach, cleaners
FREDERICK HAZMAT SITUATION EVACUATES CLUBHOUSE EMPLOYEES
Tags: us_MD, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
LORRY DRIVER INJURED IN ACID SPILL
Tags: Malaysia, transportation, release, injury, sulfuric_acid
LOVELAND POLICE INVESTIGATE EXPLOSION
Tags: us_CO, public, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
WSU CHEMISTRY BUILDING EVACUATED DUE TO LIGHT HAZE
Tags: us_KS, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY CAMPUS EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL IN LABORATORY
Tags: Australia, laboratory, discovery, response, picric_acid
EPA: REMOVAL OF CHEMICALS SPILLED IN SPRINGBORO FIRE TO COST $125K
Tags: us_OH, public, follow-up, response, unknown_chemical, runoff
UW‰??S CHEMICAL ENGINEERING BUILDING SITE OF FIRE
Tags: us_WA, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical
HYDROCHLORIC ACID SPILLS ON BOISE STATE CAMPUS
Tags: us_ID, laboratory, release, response, hydrochloric_acid
FERGUSON ROAD IN MOUNT PLEASANT REOPENS AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, HCl
MASSIVE TANKER EXPLOSION HIGHLIGHTS WATER OIL AND CHEMICAL ISSUES / PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE
Tags: us_WV, transportation, explosion, response, petroleum
FIREFIGHTERS USED CHEMICAL TO STOP CHICOPEE CHIMNEY FIRE
Tags: us_MA, public, fire, response, unknown_chemical
---------------------------------------------
CITGO FINAL REPORT ON 2009 FIRE 'NOT REALISTIC'
Tags: industrial, follow-up, injury, hydrofluoric_acid
CORPUS CHRISTI ‰?? A federal agency tasked with investigating chemical accidents as a preventive measure for future mishaps last month voted to terminate a five-year probe on a fire at the Citgo East Refinery.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board closed the investigation on the July 19, 2009, fire that burned more than two days, severely injured a worker and released about 4,000 pounds of hydrofluoric acid into the air.
At a public Jan. 28 meeting, board member Manuel Ehrlich said ‰??there is no realistic opportunity to issue a (final) report.‰?? The motion was carried with a 2 to 1 vote.
In December 2009, the Chemical Safety Board released urgent safety recommendations to Citgo, which are released before final investigations in cases where the board believes safety hazards could exist. The board said multiple failures occurred in the refinery‰??s response to control the fire.
Robert Hall, the board‰??s lead investigator, called the incident a near miss for Corpus Christi during a news conference in Houston to release the recommendations. The wind was blowing away from the city at the time of the release, he said.
Video of the fire was posted on the Chemical Safety Board website despite Citgo‰??s petition it not be made public, citing it would sensationalize the incident.
The Chemical Safety Board recommended actions be taken by Citgo to ensure adequate water supply to the plant‰??s hydrofluoric acid mitigation system and a third-party audit of the plant‰??s alkylation unit operations be completed.
Citgo met those requirements in 2011.
---------------------------------------------
POTENTIAL HAZMAT SITUATION AT DOWNTOWN SALT LAKE CITY HOTDOG SHOP
Tags: us_UT, public, release, response, bleach, cleaners
Firefighters briefly evacuated the downtown Salt Lake City Hotdog on a Stick shop late Tuesday morning after an employee reportedly mixed two cleaning chemicals, resulting in a potentially toxic exposure situation.
Salt Lake City Fire Department spokesman Jasen Asay said the employee accidentally combined bleach with a drain cleaner, creating noxious fumes and triggering a 911 call from the Gateway Mall eatery.
Firefighters evacuated a small number of customers and employees about 11:05 a.m. from the 140 S. Rio Grande Street diner, while hazmat personnel cleared the business. By 11:15 a.m., the restaurant was back in business.
Asay said three customers who inhaled the fumes were checked out at the scene and cleared.
---------------------------------------------
FREDERICK HAZMAT SITUATION EVACUATES CLUBHOUSE EMPLOYEES
Tags: us_MD, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
FREDERICK, Md. ‰?? Reports of several sick employees with the Worman‰??s Mill Home Owner‰??s Association resulted in a hazmat situation Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
‰??We had three employees in the building that were sick,‰?? said Lt. Stitely, with the Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services. ‰??They sent a hazmat team to investigate, and we found 3 employees with flu like symptoms.‰??
Nearly 30 fire personnel with the Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services and Fort Detrick were on the scene investigating for hazardous leaks or chemicals in the building.
The preliminary investigation produced negative results for anything hazardous, but after a second search, officials determined the cause of the reported illnesses was cross contaminated mop heads and rags in a utility closet.
According to fire personnel, the affected employees felt symptoms including nausea and eye irritation at work on Monday. However, the symptoms cleared up when the staff members went home. This cycle repeated itself the following day at work.
---------------------------------------------
LORRY DRIVER INJURED IN ACID SPILL
Tags: Malaysia, transportation, release, injury, sulfuric_acid
KULIM: A lorry driver suffered minor burnt injuries when sulfuric acid spilled on his body while transferring the chemical from a lorry into a storage container at a factory in Kulim Hi-Tech Park here today.
State Fire and Rescue Department's Zone 3 operation officer Mohamad Akmal Mohamad Khairi said a Hazardous Material (Hazmat) engine and Emergency Medical Response Team (EMRS) were dispatched to the scene upon receiving a distress call at 3.50pm.
He said upon arrival at the scene, the 58-year-old victim suffered burnt injuries on his face, arms and body.
"We rushed the victim to Kulim Hospital after giving him an emergency treatment at the scene," he said.
Akmal said the victim was in stable condition and out of danger.
---------------------------------------------
LOVELAND POLICE INVESTIGATE EXPLOSION
Tags: us_CO, public, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
A small explosion in the U.S. 34 bike trail underpass Monday morning is now under investigation by #Loveland police.
On Tuesday officials were able to confirm that no injuries were suffered in the incident. Evidence has been collected from the scene for further investigation.
Police said the explosion may have been caused by a chemical reaction, one that is likely available on the Internet.
---------------------------------------------
WSU CHEMISTRY BUILDING EVACUATED DUE TO LIGHT HAZE
Tags: us_KS, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
Wichita, KS ‰?? Monday evening around 5:30p.m. fire crews were called to McKinley Hall, the Chemistry building, at Wichita State University for a potential fire after reports of a light haze on the fourth floor.
Crews evacuated everyone in the building as a precaution when they first arrived.
Hazmat crews were also called as a precaution due to the fact that there were chemicals inside the building.
After searching the building they found light haze on the fourth floor and got the situation under control within 10 minutes.
Dispatch reported the cause to be a piece of lab equipment overheating and there was no fire.
Because there were no chemicals involved, Hazmat was disregarded before arriving on scene.
KSN crews spoke with a professor inside the building who said a sterilizing machine was opened before it was finished cleaning the item inside which produced a large amount of steam setting off the smoke alarm.
Nobody was injured in the incident and the professor we spoke with said this is a somewhat common occurence.
---------------------------------------------
AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY CAMPUS EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL IN LABORATORY
Tags: Australia, laboratory, discovery, response, picric_acid
HUNDREDS of students have been evacuated from the Australian Catholic University campus after a chemical spill in a laboratory this morning.
Roads around the university in Edward St, North Sydney, were closed as fire crews rushed to the scene.
The spill is understood to have involved a acid-based chemical of an explosive nature.
Superintendent Ian Krimmer from NSW Fire and Rescue said firefighters were in the process of assessing the nature of the spill.
‰??Someone noticed the leak and did the right thing,‰?? Supt Krimmer said.
The entire campus has been evacuated and three fire crews are at the university with further experts on the way.
About 200 students had to leave the university and there were some classes in session at the time.
‰??Many university laboratories use this acid (picric acid), one of the technicians observed the container and he had some concerns about the seal,‰?? Supt Krimmer said.
‰??To his credit he‰??s done the right thing and enacted their emergency procedures.
‰??This particular acid can become unstable and can be explosive in certain circumstances.‰??
He said the chemical was used for the development of proteins as an etching agent.
---------------------------------------------
EPA: REMOVAL OF CHEMICALS SPILLED IN SPRINGBORO FIRE TO COST $125K
Tags: us_OH, public, follow-up, response, unknown_chemical, runoff
SPRINGBORO, Ohio ‰??Environmental Protection Agency officials say chemicals that burned in his Springboro home were improperly labeled or not labeled at all.
Four agencies were at a dentist‰??s home in Springboro Friday, trying to figure out why he had dozens of containers of unknown chemicals inside his house.
The fire burned a home on Jacamar Court on Feb. 4. The owner escaped without injury.
Investigators said the owner, Victor Dubel, was hoarding chemicals when the fire started. A hazardous materials team was called to limit the effect of the spilled chemicals.
EPA officials said they were not sure of the amount of chemicals that leaked during the fire. A swimming pool in the back yard of the home was partially filled with contaminated water runoff.
Workers have fenced off the home as they continue to remove the hazardous chemicals. They said there was a strong chemical odor in the air around the site.
The EPA will meet with residents on the street Tuesday night to discuss the cleanup efforts. Dubel and his insurance company said they could not pay for the removal of the chemicals.
Officials estimate the total site cleanup to cost $125,000. They still have not been able to identify all of the spill chemicals.
---------------------------------------------
UW‰??S CHEMICAL ENGINEERING BUILDING SITE OF FIRE
Tags: us_WA, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical
Benson Hall sustained a basement fire Monday morning. There were no injuries.
According to the Seattle Fire Department‰??s (SFD) Twitter account, the building was reopened at about 10:15 a.m. after the SFD dealt with the fire, which occurred in a chemistry lab.
‰??Haz-Mat team on scene of extinguished fire inside basement lab at UW Benton [sic] Hall,‰?? the tweet, timestamped 10:21 a.m., read. ‰??All fuel consumed. Everyone allowed back in building.‰??
The SFD later reported that the fire had been confined and was dealt with swiftly.
‰??Fire contained to small box, no one exposed to the smoke,‰?? the SFD tweeted. ‰??Firefighters clearing the scene[.]‰??
---------------------------------------------
HYDROCHLORIC ACID SPILLS ON BOISE STATE CAMPUS
Tags: us_ID, laboratory, release, response, hydrochloric_acid
BOISE -- A container of hydrochloric acid has spilled on Boise State's campus and crews are awaiting on HAZMAT before going in to assess and clean the spill.
"One of the instructors at BSU was working up on the third floor," said Steve Rasulo, Battalion Chief of the Boise Fire Department. "She entered the chemical storage room, and she noticed that there was a five gallon bucket of hydrochloric acid and it appeared to be leaking."
The second and third floors have been evacuated. Once the spill was found, the instructor evacuated students from those areas and called 911.
---------------------------------------------
FERGUSON ROAD IN MOUNT PLEASANT REOPENS AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, HCl
MOUNT PLEASANT, TX (KLTV) - Traffic is flowing freely through Mount Pleasant after police and fire crews responded to a chemical spill in the 2300 block of Ferguson Road on Monday.
Police say an 18-wheeler spilled hydrogen chloride, a corrosive chemical, around 5:50 p.m. Police closed Ferguson Rd. and blocked other roads near the spill as they worked to contain the small leak.
Several businesses were evacuated and closed as a precaution according to police.
---------------------------------------------
MASSIVE TANKER EXPLOSION HIGHLIGHTS WATER OIL AND CHEMICAL ISSUES / PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE
Tags: us_WV, transportation, explosion, response, petroleum
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The derailment and massive explosion of a crude oil tanker train highlights threats to drinking water, as well as concerns about shipping crude oil and chemicals, advocates say.
The train derailment in Fayette County on Monday forced American West Virginia Water to suspend tap water supplies to 2,000 residents of Montgomery, 28 miles upstream from Charleston.
Maya Nye, executive director of People Concerned About Chemical Safety, says a train on the same line - also carrying crude oil - derailed in Virginia last April. That accident caused a huge explosion that forced the evacuation of downtown Lynchburg.
"This is the second train derailment of crude oil shipment along this rail line in less than a year," says Nye. "There have been massive explosions. It just goes to show you how dangerous this stuff really is."
Officials say the derailment set 14 tankers on fire and spilled oil into the Kanawha River, set a house on fire and threated local drinking water. No serious injuries have been reported as a result of the accident.
---------------------------------------------
FIREFIGHTERS USED CHEMICAL TO STOP CHICOPEE CHIMNEY FIRE
Tags: us_MA, public, fire, response, unknown_chemical
(CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) ‰?? Chicopee firefighters were able to put out a dangerous chimney fire Monday night before it caused extensive damage to a century-old house in Chicopee Falls.
Acting Deputy Chicopee Fire Chief Wayne Lemay told 22News there were flames shooting out of the chimney at 356 Grove Street when his crews arrived at 7:00 p.m. Monday.
Deputy Lemay said the firefighters reached the chimney on a platform extended from a ladder truck. They extinguished the fire by pouring chemicals down the flue. He said water would have damaged the flue.
There was some smoke damage to the house, but the occupants will be able to stay there; and one was hurt. Grove Street was closed to traffic for about an hour.
Deputy Lemay told 22News chimney fires develop when creosote builds up in the flue. ‰??People stoke their fires in this very cold weather, and the fire ignites the creosote,‰?? Lemay said. ‰??On a cold night like this, the flue lights up, and Boom! It sounds like a freight train.
---------------------------------------------
Ralph Stuart
secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Secretary
Division of Chemical Health and Safety
American Chemical Society
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