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From: "Stuart, Ralph" <Ralph.Stuart**At_Symbol_Here**keene.edu>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (16 articles)
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2015 16:06:12 +0000
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: EED6892A-C0DE-4EF0-BC3B-F2E7E44277AD**At_Symbol_Here**keene.edu
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Thursday, September 17, 2015 at 7:04:36 AM
A membership benefit of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
All article summaries and tags are archived at https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__pinboard.in_u-3Adchas&d=BQIGaQ&c=lb62iw4YL4RFalcE2hQUQealT9-RXrryqt9KZX2qu2s&r=meWM1Buqv4IQ27AlK1OJRjcQl09S1Zta6YXKalY_Io0&m=d2p4Mh-nPlaTqXJHTcFIbcisng2Eb2-1HnRztXm6TNE&s=xVhbLRBZaofnVdlAw_wuijmIpb610rald1jT25V-96A&e=
Table of Contents (16 articles)
TEXAS CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS MAY FACE CHARGES FOR FIRE STARTED BY CHEMICAL WEAPON
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, injury, unknown_chemical, illegal
BLAST, BLAZE AT POSSIBLE METH LAB IN NW HARRIS COUNTY
Tags: us_TX, public, explosion, injury, meth_lab
SASKATOON BUILDING EVACUATED DUE TO HAZARDOUS GAS LEAK
Tags: Canada, public, release, response, fluorine, gas_cylinders, irritant
CHEMICAL SPILL DRAWS RESPONDERS TO PERU SCHOOL
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
STATOIL FINED $223,000 OVER OHIO FRACKING-WELL FIRE
Tags: us_OH, public, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
GUANGDONG CHEMICAL FACTORY BLAZE COMES AMID NUCLEAR SAFETY CHECKS
Tags: China, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
WORKING WITH WIKIPEDIA
Tags: us_MA, public, follow-up, environmental
EHS TESTING OF PRODUCTS CONTAINING NANOMATERIALS: WHAT IS NANO RELEASE?
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, nanoparticles
UPDATE: EXCLUSION ZONE NOW CLASSED AS SAFE
Tags: Australia, industrial, release, response, corrosives, flammables
8 PEOPLE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER AMMONIA LEAK AT BRENTWOOD REC CENTER
Tags: us_MO, industrial, release, injury, ammonia
FIRE OFFICIALS CALLED TO AMMONIA LEAK AT MIT
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, release, response, ammonia, gas_cylinders
CHEMICAL EXPLOSION AT UNIVERSITY OF AKRON INJURES 1
Tags: us_OH, laboratory, explosion, injury, nitrogen
DROPPED THERMOMETER SPURS HAZMAT SCARE AT WATER PLANT
Tags: us_mi, industrial, release, response, mercury
COMMUNITY DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM CHEMICAL COMPANY
Tags: us_in, industrial, follow-up, environmental, dust
CHEMICAL LEAK AT PLANT NEAR PASADENA
Tags: us_tx, industrial, release, response, propylene
BALL MILL EXPLOSION
Tags: us_IA, laboratory, explosion, response, diethyl_ether, flammables, metals
---------------------------------------------
TEXAS CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS MAY FACE CHARGES FOR FIRE STARTED BY CHEMICAL WEAPON
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, injury, unknown_chemical, illegal
TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas ‰?? Officers with the Travis County jail could face charges after allegedly using an unauthorized chemical weapon against an inmate and starting a fire.
KVUE reports that officers wanted to search the cell of Dacious Parker for a potential weapon; when Parker refused to obey the officers‰?? commands, officers fired a chemical weapon into the cell that sparked a fire.
The fire burned a mattress and injured Parker. First responders also treated about 20 inmates.
The device used may have been a freebie given out at a law enforcement trade show; it‰??s unclear if the officers had permission or training to use it.
One officer involved in the incident has already resigned, and Travis County prosecutors are considering bringing criminal charges.
Parker was moved to a state prison south of San Antonio.
---------------------------------------------
BLAST, BLAZE AT POSSIBLE METH LAB IN NW HARRIS COUNTY
Tags: us_TX, public, explosion, injury, meth_lab
Investigators are on the scene after an explosion and fire early Wednesday morning at a home in northwest Harris County.
The fire broke out about 4 a.m. in the 11700 block of Snowbridge Court near Granberry Gate Drive, said Capt. Dean Hensley of the Harris County Fire Marhsal's Office.
Hensley said a man in the house at the time of the fire was burned and drove himself to a nearby hospital. His condition was not released but Hensley said he had third-degree burns.
A neighbor, Hensley said, told investigators she heard an explosion and saw the fire. She called 911. A surveillance camera captured images of the blast blowing out a back window of the home.
The fire was contained to the master bedroom. Investigators are trying to determine what sparked the flames.
However, Hensley said, the fire may be drug-related. Investigators noticed a strong chemical odor in the home and found evidence that appears to indicate the house may have been laboratory to produce drugs, possibly methamphetamine. But investigators were still trying determine if drugs were involved in the blast and blaze.
"There's a little more to it than just a house fire," Hensley said.
---------------------------------------------
SASKATOON BUILDING EVACUATED DUE TO HAZARDOUS GAS LEAK
Tags: Canada, public, release, response, fluorine, gas_cylinders, irritant
SASKATOON ‰?? A building in downtown Saskatoon was evacuated after a hazardous gas leak Wednesday. The Saskatoon Fire Department and Hazmat were called at 10:30 a.m. to 728 Spadina Crescent East.
Upon arrival, crews discovered that a small cylinder of premixed gas had accidentally been released as a result of clinic staff attempting to change the cylinder. The cylinder was filled with a gas used for laser eye surgery.
‰??There was a cylinder inside that‰??s used for a process for eye surgery. A gas used in a laser application,‰?? said assistant fire chief Dave Bykowy.
‰??That‰??s a mix of Fluorine and helium. It‰??s kind of an exotic gas. We looked it up and that family of gas is indicated that it‰??s an irritant and inhalation hazard.‰??
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL SPILL DRAWS RESPONDERS TO PERU SCHOOL
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
PERU ‰?? After classes were dismissed today, a chemical spill occurred in the chemistry room of Peru Junior/Senior High School.
The immediate area was quickly evacuated and Emergency Services was contacted, the School District said in a news release.
Given the nature of the spill, an evacuation was not ordered.
Peru Fire Department responded and neutralized the chemical spill.
The district then followed the cleaning procedures recommended by the Peru Fire Department.
No one was injured, the release said.
---------------------------------------------
STATOIL FINED $223,000 OVER OHIO FRACKING-WELL FIRE
Tags: us_OH, public, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
Ohio environmental regulators will fine an international oil and gas company about $223,000 for a blowout and fire last summer at a Monroe County fracking well that contaminated a nearby stream, killed fish for miles and forced about 25 people from their houses.
StatOil North America, the company that operated the well, can resume fracking there after it pays the fines, which were announced on Tuesday.
As much as $75,000 could go to first responders in eastern Ohio to help them deal with future oil and gas emergencies.
---------------------------------------------
GUANGDONG CHEMICAL FACTORY BLAZE COMES AMID NUCLEAR SAFETY CHECKS
Tags: China, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
As China's nuclear safety officials began nationwide checks of nuclear facilities across the country in the wake of massive chemical explosions in the northern city of Tianjin that left more than 160 dead, residents of Huizhou city in the southern province of Guangdong reported yet another blaze at a chemical plant near their homes.
The fire ripped through the Bolin Technology Chemical Co. paint manufacturing facility in Huizhou's Boluo county at around 8:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, local media reported.
Several fire engines and around 60 rescue workers were called to the scene, and took around three hours to extinguish the flames, Guangzhou's Southern Metropolis Daily newspaper reported.
The blaze pumped thick smoke into the sky, and residents some three kilometers (1.9 miles) away said the fire was clearly visible from their homes.
---------------------------------------------
WORKING WITH WIKIPEDIA
Tags: us_MA, public, follow-up, environmental
Although many still browse Wikipedia with a skepticism stemming from the fact that anyone can edit its content, people routinely rely on the free online encyclopedia for information. Wikipedia was the seventh-most popular website on the Internet this summer, according to the Web data company Alexa Internet.
This is‰??at least in part‰??also because anyone can edit the website. Wikipedia represents more than just an encyclopedia. It comprises a community of editors and experts who collaborate to share reliable information freely with the public.
Several chemists who moonlight as Wikipedia editors and writers‰??also known as Wikipedians‰??came together last month at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Boston. They discussed how chemists can contribute to this community in sessions hosted by the Division of Chemical Information.
Learning to work with the Wikipedia community, which has its own rules and norms, often presents the greatest challenges to new editors. The speakers in Boston outlined resources available to newbies who want to learn the ways of Wikipedia, including education programs and group editing sessions called edit-a-thons‰??one of which was organized by the ACS Office of Public Affairs at the national meeting. Once editors have assimilated to the culture, they can contribute to Wikipedia‰??s chemistry content in countless ways.
---------------------------------------------
EHS TESTING OF PRODUCTS CONTAINING NANOMATERIALS: WHAT IS NANO RELEASE?
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, nanoparticles
Instead, we present Figure 1 to ask the scientific community and regulators what aspects of nano release should be part of risk considerations and regulatory compliance decisions? If size-specific toxicity is a regulatory roadblock for products containing ENMs, should we also test for size-specific toxicity in other products that could release non-engineered nanoparticles during normal use? Or should regulation of ENM-containing products simply entail the same release and toxicity testing requirements as any other consumer product? The answers to these questions are not straightforward, but they will be essential to aid scientists and regulators alike in the search for balance between enabling distribution of novel technologies and ensuring that those new technologies do not pose significant risks to the public or the environment.
---------------------------------------------
UPDATE: EXCLUSION ZONE NOW CLASSED AS SAFE
Tags: Australia, industrial, release, response, corrosives, flammables
A MINOR leak from a coupling had released up to 15L of a highly toxic mixture of solvents at Auckland Point Shipping Terminal resulting in the evacuation of staff and a 100m exclusion zone this morning.
Gladstone Fire Station action station officer Mark Erridge said when the crew arrived at the terminal the container's labelling had them believe it was "extremely flammable, toxic and corrosive" substance.
"It was determined to be not as volatile as we expected," he said.
"It was highly toxic. It would have hurt us and cause serious respiratory issues if it was inhaled."
The leak was fixed, the spill was diluted around the train carriage and handed back to the management.
---------------------------------------------
8 PEOPLE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER AMMONIA LEAK AT BRENTWOOD REC CENTER
Tags: us_MO, industrial, release, injury, ammonia
BRENTWOOD ‰?˘ Eight people were taken to a hospital after an ammonia leak in a room with a refrigeration system for the ice rink at the newly renovated Brentwood Recreation Complex.
Of the eight, three were firefighters, four were construction workers and one was a city employee. The firefighters were treated and released from Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur; the city employee was treated and released from St. Mary's Hospital in Richmond Heights. One of the construction workers was treated for ammonia burns at Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur.
None of the injuries was life-threatening, according to a statement from Brentwood's city administrator.
Ammonia can burn skin and be toxic, even fatal, if inhaled. It is used as a refrigerant at many ice rinks.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE OFFICIALS CALLED TO AMMONIA LEAK AT MIT
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, release, response, ammonia, gas_cylinders
Cambridge fire officials have cleaned up the ammonia leak that caused a temporary evacuation of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology laboratory Tuesday afternoon.
The ammonia began to leak from near the valve of a small cylinder on a cart on the fourth floor of Building 6, a science and engineering facility on campus, according to Cambridge Fire Assistant Chief Gerard Mahoney.
The product was placed in a lab, with the door closed as occupants evacuated the building, Mahoney said.
As of about 4:30 p.m., Mahoney said, Cambridge fire had cleaned up the ammonia and were preparing to turn the building back over to MIT officials.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL EXPLOSION AT UNIVERSITY OF AKRON INJURES 1
Tags: us_OH, laboratory, explosion, injury, nitrogen
AKRON, Ohio -- A chemical explosion at the University of Akron sent one person to the hospital Tuesday night.
According to Dan Minnich, with the university, the explosion was a result of a chemical reaction that occurred inside of a research lab. The explosion happened inside of a laboratory hood in the engineering building.
A chemical was mixed with nitrogen and removed too quickly, according to Akron Police Lt. Richard Edwards.
The victim was taken to Akron General Medical Center with facial injuries.
---------------------------------------------
DROPPED THERMOMETER SPURS HAZMAT SCARE AT WATER PLANT
Tags: us_mi, industrial, release, response, mercury
A mercury spill caused by a dropped thermometer at the Northeast Water Treatment Plant in Detroit has caused no contamination, an official said Monday morning.
The spill briefly caused a Level 1 Hazmat situation but officials determined there was no danger to the public. The plant is located at 11000 E. Eight Mile Road.
Detroit Water and Sewerage Department spokeswoman Curtrise Garner said someone dropped a thermometer inside of an office. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, metallic mercury is a hazardous chemical that can cause serious health problems if in a large quantity.
"The mercury was contained," Garner said, adding that the spill was relatively small. "The important thing is nothing happened to our wonderful water system."
---------------------------------------------
COMMUNITY DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM CHEMICAL COMPANY
Tags: us_in, industrial, follow-up, environmental, dust
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) ‰?? A community is demanding answers from a chemical company after a white powder it released covered a neighborhood.
The substance was released Sunday from the Vertellus plant on the southwest side of Indianapolis.
Monday night the company held a town hall question and answer session with neighbors, and about two dozen of the affected community members went for answers.
....
The company reports the powder is made of earthen materials and doesn‰??t pose an immediate risk.
‰??The substance that was released is very much like clay and soil. In very small amounts it is non hazardous non toxic,‰?? Dir. of Global Operations for Vertellus Todd Donmoyer said.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL LEAK AT PLANT NEAR PASADENA
Tags: us_tx, industrial, release, response, propylene
HOUSTON -
Emergency crews are on the scene of a chemical leak at a chemical manufacturing plant near Pasadena.
The propylene leak happened Monday afternoon at the Flint Hills Resources Houston plant at 9822 La Porte Freeway. Hazmat and the Channel Industries Mutual Aid responded to the incident.
The plant is in the process of a controlled shutdown while the leak is being fixed, according to Flint Hills Resources.
The company sent a statement to KPRC 2 that read in part, "There are no reported injuries and all employees and contractors have been accounted for. FHR's number one priority is ensuring the safety of people and mitigating any potential effects to the environment."
According to the company's website, Flint Hills Resources operates "the world's largest propane dehydrogenation facility" at the plant.
The facility opened in 2010.
---------------------------------------------
BALL MILL EXPLOSION
Tags: us_IA, laboratory, explosion, response, diethyl_ether, flammables, metals
Discussion: On June 18, 2015, a catastrophic vessel failure occurred in a chemical fume hood in Spedding Hall, laboratory room 246, resulting in significant damage to the fume hood and associated equipment. At approximately 12:05 p.m., a laboratory assistant began a ball milling process involving two in-house constructed pressure vessels containing steel milling balls, 3 grams of aluminum-manganese (Al4Mn) powder and approximately 300 bar of hydrogen gas. One of the vials contained 5 ml of Vertrelë XF (decafluoropentane, C5F10H2), and the other vial contained 5 ml of diethyl ether (C2H5)2O. After the ball mill was loaded and started, it was programmed to operate for a run of 20 total hours, with 5-minute rest periods every 60 minutes. At approximately 12:45 p.m., a loud noise was heard from the hallway. Upon investigation broken glass was discovered in the hallway and debris was observed throughout the laboratory. A damaged chemical fume hood was discovered in the southeast !
corner of the laboratory. An emergency call was made to Ames Laboratory Security, who contacted Environment, Safety, Health, and Assurance (ESHA) and Facilities and Engineering Services (FES) for assistance. ESHA and FES responded, the area was secured with caution barrier tape, and cautious investigation and response activities were initiated.
The research group had been conducting pressurized hydrogen/metal powder ball milling for several years with no previous incidents. Ball milling utilizes motion and impact to finely divide materials, sometimes at ambient pressure, sometimes at elevated pressure. A powder sample is sealed in a metal vessel containing metallic or ceramic balls and the vessel is rotated at variable speeds and directions, causing the balls to mechanically pulverize the material. Organic liquids are routinely used to facilitate the milling process and prevent powders from clumping and cold welding. A fluorinated compound, Vertrelë?F, had only recently been added to the process. Vertrelë XF is in the same chemical family as Teflon, and is virtually nonflammable and largely inert. It was discovered during post event investigation that halogenated liquids, and especially fluorinated compounds, can be highly reactive with metal powders, specifically aluminum. During the ball milling the Vertrelë?F re!
acted exothermically with the aluminum to create aluminum trifluoride (AlF3), generating a rapid increase in pressure and heat, causing the ball mill vial to rupture and igniting the hydrogen in a secondary explosion.
This was a significant near-miss event. If the laboratory had been occupied at the time of the explosion, a serious injury or fatality could have occurred.
---------------------------------------------
Ralph Stuart, CIH, CCHO
Chemical Hygiene Officer
Keene State College
ralph.stuart**At_Symbol_Here**keene.edu
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