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From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (7 articles)
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 08:18:01 -0500
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: EDFE3E75-092A-4885-8B05-75A2B84FA216**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, December 28, 2015 at 8:17:48 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=BQIFaQ&c=lb62iw4YL4RFalcE2hQUQealT9-RXrryqt9KZX2qu2s&r=meWM1Buqv4IQ27AlK1OJRjcQl09S1Zta6YXKalY_Io0&m=_S2NDrdulJJCWO6IJqUIoSi9JNdsi-REuXL594TbIto&s=dRXJs6j_28QhkW2jGgYCxdbVTjv39Zo0u8bwNV6eILA&e=
Table of Contents (7 articles)
SEVEN SHARJAH WAREHOUSES CATCH FIRE
Tags: United_Arab_Emirates, industrial, fire, response, flammables, plastics
HOVERBOARD CATCHES FIRE IN LACEY ‰?? NEWSWORKS
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, fire, response
MAN, 76, TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER CHEMICAL CONTACT (FROM THE ARGUS)
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, injury, dust, mercury
CHINA'S LABORATORY SAFETY MUST BE HIGHLIGHTED, IMPROVED
Tags: China, laboratory, follow-up, death, gas_cylinders, hydrogen, waste
LATEST: REPORTS OF CHEMICAL EXPLOSION AT INDUSTRIAL ESTATE
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, explosion, response, gasoline
HAY FIRE A CLOSE CALL FOR FARM NEAR MEDINA
Tags: us_ND, industrial, fire, response, other_chemical
SAFETY CULTURE: NUCLEAR INDUSTRY NO MODEL FOR BIOSAFETY
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, discovery, environmental
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SEVEN SHARJAH WAREHOUSES CATCH FIRE
Tags: United_Arab_Emirates, industrial, fire, response, flammables, plastics
SHARJAH: Sharjah Civil Defence controlled a massive fire that broke out at seven warehouses at industrial area number 3.
All the contents of the warehouses were totally burnt causing huge financial losses. However, no one was injured.
Colonel Majid Salim Al Suwaidi, Deputy Director of Sharjah Civil Defence said that the fire occurred in the early morning hours of Saturday at around 6.30 am.
‰??The area has many warehouses and as soon as fire brigades and police patrols arrived, the area was cordoned to ensure the fire does not spread to neighbouring warehouse.
The blaze control process was conducted in cooperation with Dubai and Ajman Civil Defence in addition to the various civil defense centres in Sharjah.
Preliminary report showed that fire initially started at one of the warehouses where various flammable substances were stored. This led to the rapid spread of fire, other warehouses had car tyres, plastics and wooden items in it.
After completing the extinguishing process, the Sharjah Civil Defence handed over the warehouses premises to the forensic laboratory of Sharjah police. They have launched a probe to find out the main cause behind the incident.
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HOVERBOARD CATCHES FIRE IN LACEY ‰?? NEWSWORKS
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, fire, response
One of the most popular holiday gifts of the year that has become infamous across the county due to explosions and fires is reportedly responsible for a combustion at the Jersey Shore.
Lanoka Harbor firefighters responded to a call today for a hoverboard igniting in Lacey Township, according to a posting on the fire department's Facebook page.
"Do not leave them unattended monitor them while charging," the posting states. "Register them for warranties and check for manufacturer recalls."
A Facebook comment by a fire department spokesperson says that the device was charging while the residents were home and a portion of a room's carpet was burned. The fire remains under investigation.
A hoverboard, a cross between a skateboard and a segway, quickly became a trend this year, but at a cost.
Authorities have reported numerous fires and emergency room visits due to falls. Airlines have banned the toy, Amazon.com is no longer selling most brands, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is now investigating.
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MAN, 76, TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER CHEMICAL CONTACT (FROM THE ARGUS)
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, injury, dust, mercury
A 76-year-old man has been taken to hospital after coming into contact with potentially dangerous chemical powder.
Police said the incident at an address in Mill Bay Lane, Horsham, this afternoon was not suspicious.
It has been reported the powder was mercury iodide, which has some uses in veterinary medicine.
Emergency services were called to the property at around 1.15pm today.
Police closed the road up to the junction with Worthing Road and put a cordon in place as a precaution while they made sure the scene was safe.
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CHINA'S LABORATORY SAFETY MUST BE HIGHLIGHTED, IMPROVED
Tags: China, laboratory, follow-up, death, gas_cylinders, hydrogen, waste
A funeral ceremony was held today for post-doctoral researcher Meng Xiangjian who was killed in a laboratory explosion last week at Tshinghua University.
The tragedy has triggered public concerns on laboratory safety in colleges and universities.
CRI's Qian Shanming has more.
Tsinghua University released the initial investigation results provided by Haidian Public Security Bureau a few days ago, which revealed that a hydrogen cylinder exploded accidentally, and the whole lab then caught fire. Meng Xiangjian died as the result of severe injuries to his leg.
It is not clear whether the cylinder itself had quality problems or that it had been badly stored.
Professor Wang Xiaojun from South China University of Technology says staff must pay attention to the safety of gas cylinders.
"Such high-pressure cylinders must go through security checks annually. If a cylinder is due to expire or may have air leak, it should not be used anymore."
Laboratory accidents have become more common in recent years. Back in 2008, a doctor candidate in Yunnan University suffered severe disfigurement and lost his feet and in an explosion during a microbiological experiment. Six months ago this year, a laboratory explosion at China University of Mining and Technology left one student dead and five others injured.
Associate professor Li Zhihong from Public Security and Fire Fighting Forces Academy has carried out a survey into the causes of 100 typical laboratory accidents. The results show 58 percent of the accidents were caused by human error.
"Human error includes violation of operation rules, careless or wrong operation, improper handling of experiment waste, and the improper storage of chemical reagents."
Other laboratory accidents are caused by aging experiment equipment, equipment failings and short circuits.
Wu Yiqun, a researcher with the Chinese Center For Disease Control And Prevention, says that while many institutes have storage and distribution regulations on hazardous articles, the problem is that few of them strictly follow the rules.
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LATEST: REPORTS OF CHEMICAL EXPLOSION AT INDUSTRIAL ESTATE
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, explosion, response, gasoline
There have been reports of an explosion at an industrial estate in west Lancashire.
Former Lancashire Evening Post photographer Ian Robinson snapped this picture of plumes of smoke billowing from a unit at Burscough Industrial Estate this afternoon.
Thick black smoke is visible for some distance.
The explosion, which happened this morning, was caused by a fire which spread across several vehicles and burned through to their petrol tanks.. Police confirmed that the incident is not being treated as suspicious and that nobody was injured.
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HAY FIRE A CLOSE CALL FOR FARM NEAR MEDINA
Tags: us_ND, industrial, fire, response, other_chemical
The Stutsman County Communications Center alerted the Medina Fire Department about a possible barn fire around 8:30 a.m. Thursday at the Hieb farm at 2940 61st Ave. SE. The farm is roughly 32 miles northeast of Medina.
Gary's wife, Kathy, said she thought there was some kind of reflection coming from the barn. Gary said it looked more like a fire coming from the center of the hay bales next to the barn.
"It was a strange glow," Kathy said.
It was a fire coming from right in the center of some millet hay that had been ground and baled just three weeks ago, she said. The Hieb family went right into action putting water on the hay and pushing up piles of snow against the burning piles to try and separate them from unburned bales.
"We saved some of it," she said.
Neighbors came quickly with pickup trucks, Kathy said.
"Everybody was so good about it," Kathy said. "That is when you know you have good neighbors and a terrific fire department."
The neighbors and the fire department shared their concern about millet hay having a tendency to burn, she said. The stems can stay wet longer and the hay packs tight and can begin to smoulder after grinding, she said, noting that it is a difficult hay to grind.
She said the hay had not shown any indication of smouldering until Thursday. Spontaneous combustion can occur in millet hay from chemical reaction and microbial growth as moisture and oxygen levels change, which usually happens with warmer temperatures, and the Hiebs attributed it to friction in tightly packed, fresh, ground bales.
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SAFETY CULTURE: NUCLEAR INDUSTRY NO MODEL FOR BIOSAFETY
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, discovery, environmental
I applaud Tim Trevan's call to reform lab biosafety, but disagree with his argument for using the nuclear industry as a model (Nature 527, 155‰??158; 2015).
Nuclear facilities are strictly regulated and ensure that potential hazards arising from process changes are engineered out (see go.nature.com/qyzoth). Yet scientists are not process-driven: being autonomous and creative, they need freedom to change and require a dynamic safety culture that can accommodate new challenges. These include the replacement of humans by technology, reduced supervision and declining safety competencies ‰?? none of which applies to the nuclear industry.
Chasing a 'zero harm' mantra can actually promote a poor safety culture because it is an outcome rather than a goal (for examples of alternative approaches, see go.nature.com/xgupio and go.nature.com/gcjqfl). As Trevan points out, an effective safety culture is measured through engagement, understanding and care for everyone's well-being.
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