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Previous by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Nitration, safe work with nitric acid Date: Saturday, April 4, 2015 8:03:51 AM Author: Harry J. Elston <helston**At_Symbol_Here**MIDWESTCHEMSAFETY.COM> |
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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, April 6, 2015 at 8:30:01 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 (11 articles)
PUBLIC MEETING SET IN VIENNA TO DISCUSS CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_OH, public, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
PLUG SMOLDERS WHEN REMOVED FROM BALANCE IN THE RADIOCHEMICAL PROCESSING LABORATORY GLOVE BOX
Tags: us_WA, laboratory, fire, response, other_chemical
STAFF MEMBER DISCOVERS REMNANTS OF OVERNIGHT FIRE IN THE APPLIED PROCESS ENGINEERING LABORATORY
Tags: us_WA, laboratory, fire, response
BERYLLIUM ARTICLE FOUND IN SCRAP METAL BIN
Tags: us_NY, industrial, discovery, response, metals, waste
SILICA EXPOSURE EXCEEDING 8-HOUR TIME WEIGHTED AVERAGE DURING INDOOR CONCRETE DEMOLITION
Tags: us_IL, industrial, discovery, response, other_chemical, dust
DRIVER AVERTS HAZMAT SITUATION WITH PROPANE TANK
Tags: us_MA, public, discovery, response, gas_cylinders, meth_lab, propane
HAZMAT SPILL CLEAN UP UNDERWAY IN THE BACK MOUNTAIN
Tags: us_TX, public, release, environmental, oils
CREWS WAIT FOR TANKS TO COOL AT VIESEL BIODIESEL
Tags: us_FL, industrial, follow-up, response, biodiesel
2 BURNED BY HASH OIL EXPLOSION INSIDE CAMPER IN SE PORTLAND
Tags: us_OR, public, explosion, injury, butane
SAN JOSE: POLICE UNCOVER SUSPECTED METH LAB IN APARTMENT AFTER NEIGHBOR REPORTS ODOR
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, meth_lab
COVINGTON EMS INVESTIGATING CHEMICAL SPILL ON MADISON PIKE
Tags: us_KY, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
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PUBLIC MEETING SET IN VIENNA TO DISCUSS CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_OH, public, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
VIENNA TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKBN) ‰?? Vienna Township Trustees will hold an emergency meeting on Monday, April 6, at 6 p.m. in the Mathews High School cafeteria in response to the oil/brine leakage on Sodom-Hutchings Road in Vienna.
The spill happened near 884 Sodom Hutchings Road near old Route 82, also known as Warren Sharon Road, Thursday evening.
Township Trustee Phil Pegg said the business responsible for the spill, oil and gas developers KDA Inc., voluntarily shut down operations the day of the spill.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources said the spill was reported by a neighbor and confirmed by an inspector Thursday night. The neighbor let WKBN‰??s news cameras on to his property to see the dead fish, turtles and muskrats that fill his pond.
KDA issued a statement last week saying the environment is their top priority and they are working closely with the EPA concerning the leak. They are also conducting their own internal investigation into the incident.
Many residents in the area have private wells for their water supply. Resident Diana Devline said she is worried about the safety of her water and hopes to get some answers soon.
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PLUG SMOLDERS WHEN REMOVED FROM BALANCE IN THE RADIOCHEMICAL PROCESSING LABORATORY GLOVE BOX
Tags: us_WA, laboratory, fire, response, other_chemical
Discussion: A researcher troubleshooting a malfunctioning balance located in a glove box at the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory noticed sparks when he unplugged the 12-volt cord from the back of the balance. Also seeing smoldering material at the tip of the plug, he placed the end of the cord into an empty beaker. The 12-volt transformer that supplied DC power to the balance was unplugged, and a call was placed to 375-2400 (PNNL Operations Center) to report the event.
Analysis: The glove box involved in this event has been used since the mid-1970s for work with larger processes, such as digesting plutonium and americium with acid. Used lately for smaller processes involving plutonium, americium and neptunium, it was recently removed from service temporarily to improve reduced airflow and replace a cracked window.
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STAFF MEMBER DISCOVERS REMNANTS OF OVERNIGHT FIRE IN THE APPLIED PROCESS ENGINEERING LABORATORY
Tags: us_WA, laboratory, fire, response
Statement: Place warning signs near operating lab furnaces and maintain a combustible material buffer zone around and above furnaces at all times. For furnace design and operational requirements regarding potentially hazardous atmospheres call the fire safety contact for your facility.
Discussion: When a researcher arrived at the Applied Process Engineering Laboratory (APEL), he smelled smoke and saw ash on a running bench-top furnace. The burnt material was probably a package of clean room wipes placed on the furnace during its cool cycle. Soot marks above indicated a fire, but the sprinklers had not activated. A "hot surface" sign had fallen off the furnace. The scientist turned it off and made appropriate notifications.
Analysis: A test of cobalt oxide-coated alumina pellet stability was running in a bench-top furnace cycling from room temperature to 975å¼C in APEL. Two scientists used a mill next to the furnace the afternoon before, clearing space for their work. They do not recall putting the wipes on top of the furnace, but did use wipes to clean the mill.
The scientist who discovered the burnt material on top of the furnace when he came to work noted the temperature was then 160å¼C. He saw no flames or smoldering. The paper apparently smoldered, burned and self-extinguished during the night as the furnace cycled to a higher temperature.
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BERYLLIUM ARTICLE FOUND IN SCRAP METAL BIN
Tags: us_NY, industrial, discovery, response, metals, waste
Statement: Beryllium is not easily distinguishable from other metals, so without intimate knowledge or inventory information, it may not be recognized and properly protected and disposed.
Discussion: The National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) is currently shutdown. Equipment is being removed for reuse at other facilities. On October 14, 2014, a beamline user was cleaning out a storage cabinet at their beamline in building 725 (NSLS). They were disposing of unwanted articles in the scrap metal collection bins located around the facility. They found a component they did not recognize, and didnñ« need and disposed of it in a scrap metal bin. Although the workers had been trained in the dangers and proper handling of beryllium, they didnñ« realize that it had a beryllium window. There was no indication that the window was beryllium. The component had been abandoned by a previous user. The beamline technicians have a good understanding of the beryllium locations, and are usually able to identify it. A technician noticed the beryllium article in the metals dumpster, and retrieved the component. It subsequently was disposed of properly. There were no injuries or e!
xposure to employees.
Beryllium is a light and brittle steel-grey metal. When it is installed in a component such as the detector pictured above, it is not obvious that the window is beryllium. Clean, intact beryllium articles pose no health hazard. However, damaged articles may release beryllium dust, which is a carcinogen. Beryllium is a hazardous material and therefore special handling and disposal methods are required.
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SILICA EXPOSURE EXCEEDING 8-HOUR TIME WEIGHTED AVERAGE DURING INDOOR CONCRETE DEMOLITION
Tags: us_IL, industrial, discovery, response, other_chemical, dust
Statement: Inadequately implemented wet methods result in exposure to respirable silica during indoor jackhammering operations.
10 CFR 851, Worker Safety and Health Program, invokes the 2005 American Conference of Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Values (TLV) for crystalline silica dust, establishing an 8-hour TLV exposure limit of 0.05 mg/m3 Wet methods to control respirable silica dust during the indoor operation involved the use of 1 to 2 gallon hand-operated, garden-type compression water sprayers. This application method was inadequate to control airborne silica below the ACGIH criteria. HEPA-filtered vacuums were utilized for clean-up activities, but were not used to supplement equipment during jackhammering operations. Respiratory protection was not understood to be required to supplement wet methods by the workers, since the specific type of respirator and cartridge was not included on the work control documents.
Discussion: Due to Subject Matter Expert (SME) recommendation based on an approved WPC document (WCD-14-WM-027 (26701.0), "the removal of the M wing tank supports", industrial hygiene (IH) staff conducted personal breathing zone (PBZ) air sampling during three of six days of indoor dismantling and removal of concrete blocks. The operation involved extensive use of rotary hammer drills, sledgehammers and powered jackhammers to dismantle 6 concrete tank supports. Wet methods were used to control airborne particulate. Although not formally specified in Argonne‰??s RPP to control respirable silica, personnel voluntarily used 3M 8511 N-95 face-piece filtering devices during the operation for control against nuisance level particulate.
Four of six personal breathing zone (PBZ) samples exceeded the (contractually bound) 2005 ACGIH TLV of 0.050 mg/m3 for an 8 hour time weighted average (TWA). These overexposures resulted in the issuance of ORPS, SC--ASO-ANLE-ANLENOD-2014-0003, and NTS, NTS-ASO-ANLE-ANLENWM-2014-0001, Silica Exposure Exceeding 8 Hour Time Weighted Average, which prompted a fact finding exercise.
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DRIVER AVERTS HAZMAT SITUATION WITH PROPANE TANK
Tags: us_MA, public, discovery, response, gas_cylinders, meth_lab, propane
YARMOUTH ‰?? A propane truck driver‰??s keen eye helped to avoid what police say could have been a dangerous situation.
Yarmouth Fire Department responded to Waterwheel Liquors at 1:45 yesterday on Route 28 in South Yarmouth for an unknown hazard involving a propane tank.
The driver of a propane cylinder exchange company noticed a discoloration around the valve of a 20-pound propane tank. Through his training he recognized an immediate hazard knowing that this discoloration comes from the making of illegal drugs, methamphetamine also known as meth.
Recognizing the hazard of a possible unexpected explosion of the valve from the cylinder the Police and Fire Departments evacuated and blocked off the area. Yarmouth Police called the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad as the Yarmouth Fire Department requested a Tier 1 Hazardous Materials Response Team.
Once all agencies were on location a plan was put into action to test for chemicals and the integrity of the valve and tank.
Anchor Ace Hardware quickly provided the needed tools to execute the plan safely. The tank was moved to the rear of the concrete block buildings and a valve was installed so the contents of the tank could be tested by the Hazardous Materials Team. The tank was found to be empty alleviating any further danger to the crews and public.
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HAZMAT SPILL CLEAN UP UNDERWAY IN THE BACK MOUNTAIN
Tags: us_TX, public, release, environmental, oils
Back Mountain, Luzerne County-Fire crews rushed to contain an oil spill in Luzerne County's Back Mountain.
Emergency officials say the oil leaked from a tank at a Dallas Township home on lower Demunds road.
Around 100 gallons poured into Trout Brook, prompting concerns about water contamination.
Thanks to firefighters' quick response, the oil was successfully removed with tools they call "pig mats."
The Department of Environmental Protection was notified of the oil spill.
It's unclear what caused the spill, but the investigation continues in Luzerne County.
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CREWS WAIT FOR TANKS TO COOL AT VIESEL BIODIESEL
Tags: us_FL, industrial, follow-up, response, biodiesel
STUART, Fla. - Firefighters are playing the waiting game Friday at the site of this week's huge biodiesel fire in Stuart.
Crews still need to remove chemicals from tanks at the Viesel facility, but it is a delicate situation.
The plan right now is to let the big tanks at Viesel cool off over the next couple of hours before resuming the chemical removal.
There were some tense moments Thursday when a hot spot flared up, but firefighters quickly extinguished the flames.
Officials said as long as there are chemicals in the tanks, the threat of flare-ups continues.
The cause of Wednesday‰??s initial fire and subsequent explosions is still unclear.
The state fire marshal still needs to inspect tanks, but they said they can't do that until the chemicals are removed.
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2 BURNED BY HASH OIL EXPLOSION INSIDE CAMPER IN SE PORTLAND
Tags: us_OR, public, explosion, injury, butane
PORTLAND, Ore. ‰?? Two people were burned in an explosion early Friday morning while making hash oil in a trailer camper in Southeast Portland, police officials said.
A woman was taken to the hospital with burn injuries. A man refused treatment and taken away in a cop car, officials at the scene said.
Arson investigators said the man and woman were inside the trailer, using a stove to heat butane while making hash oil.
No structures were damaged by the subsequent explosion.
A hazmat team stayed at the scene to make sure there were no chemical hazards after the fire.
A Portland Fire & Rescue spokesperson said these sorts of chemical-involved fires are particularly dangerous for firefighters.
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SAN JOSE: POLICE UNCOVER SUSPECTED METH LAB IN APARTMENT AFTER NEIGHBOR REPORTS ODOR
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, meth_lab
SAN JOSE -- Officers uncovered a suspected methamphetamine lab inside a South San Jose apartment after a neighbor smelled something suspicious in the building Friday morning, according to San Jose police.
A resident of an apartment complex in the 4900 block of Cherry Avenue called police about 10:10 a.m. to report a strong odor from a nearby unit, police said.
Police tried to contact anyone inside the apartment, but it appeared to be unoccupied.
"Officers made entry into the apartment after there was no response at the front door," police said in a news release. "Officers secured the apartment and, while doing so, they discovered material and chemicals consistent with a possible methamphetamine laboratory."
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COVINGTON EMS INVESTIGATING CHEMICAL SPILL ON MADISON PIKE
Tags: us_KY, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
COVINGTON, Ky. -- Covington emergency responders have determined a liquid spilled from a five-gallon container on Madison Pike Friday morning was not hazardous.
The container fell off the back of a truck near the White Castle factory located at 2009 Rolling Hills Drive around 4:30 a.m., according to a Kenton County dispatcher.
The container was then struck by a car, causing it to break open. A hazardous material unit cordoned off the area until they could determine what was spilled in the incident.
No evacuation of the mostly industrial park area was ordered during the investigation. By 6 a.m. the scene was cleared.
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