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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 (12 articles)
Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2016 07:45:52 -0500
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: B811AA80-CC96-4265-9371-4645B66AC5EA**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, February 8, 2016 at 7:45:27 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=0NHtseXlP77ALZs8JK9cVXu2IL33VtQ4LnopTi2A8Kg&s=tl7_CHbi4s2fwXNMUH2IVN51DgnkPC4hLMqFNXa7v6U&e=
Table of Contents (12 articles)
NO2 LEAK AFTER CONDENSATION IN GAS LINE
Tags: us_TN, laboratory, release, response, nitrogen_dioxide
PERSON SUFFERS FROM CHEMICAL FUMES AFTER GRAYS TANKER SPILL
Tags: United_Kingdom, transportation, release, injury, hydrochloric_acid
TEACHER LIFE-FLIGHTED AFTER CHEMISTRY LAB EXPLOSION AT SLATER HIGH SCHOOL
Tags: us_MO, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical, sodium_chloride
FIRE RAZES THREE SCIENCE LABORATORIES AT CRUTECH
Tags: Nigeria, laboratory, fire, response, fire_extinguisher, gas_cylinders
THREE-ALARM FIRE BREAKS OUT IN NORTHERN BUTLER COUNTY PLANT
Tags: us_PA, industrial, explosion, response, propane
CHINA PROBE IDENTIFIES STORED CHEMICAL BEHIND TIANJIN BLASTS
Tags: China, industrial, follow-up, death, ag_chems, ammonium_nitrate, flammables, illegal
TRUCK ACCIDENTS KEEP OHIO VALLEY FIRST RESPONDERS BUSY
Tags: us_WV, transportation, release, response, acids, propane
BROKEN MEDICAL DEVICE LEAKS MERCURY, PROMPTS EVACUATION
Tags: us_ID, public, release, injury, mercury
2 MEN ARRESTED AFTER I-75 CRASH UNCOVERS SUSPECTED ROLLING...
Tags: us_GA, public, discovery, response, meth_lab
CHINA PROBE SAYS STORED CHEMICAL CAUSED TIANJIN BLASTS
Tags: China, industrial, follow-up, death, ag_chems, ammonium_nitrate, flammables
AN ADORABLY EARNEST SAFETY LAB IS GOING TO START CERTIFIYING HOVERBOARDS
Tags: US, public, discovery, response
SPRINGFIELD PETROLEUM LEAK CREATED EXPLOSION RISK
Tags: us_TN, public, release, response, gasoline
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NO2 LEAK IN AFTER CONDENSATION IN GAS LINE
Tags: us_TN, laboratory, release, response, nitrogen_dioxide
Statement: Engineered controls and safeguards should be a primary means of worker protection and should be commensurate with the hazards. Design reviews should take into account all potential deviations to process parameters whether expected or not. In this event, the design of the nitrogen dioxide gas delivery system did not take into account the potential for corrosive liquid condensing in delivery system tubing and components. Therefore, the material of construction of the gas delivery system (including the autovalve) was not compatible with these corrosive materials.
Discussion: On October 2, 2015, a nitrogen dioxide (NO2) sensor in a laboratory in Building 4505 alarmed, indicating the presence of high levels of highly toxic NO2 gas in the lab. NO2 is used in the lab and is sourced from a gas cylinder containing liquid NO2 and dinitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) in equilibrium. Two workers were in the area and they evacuated immediately. The ORNL Hazardous Material (Hazmat) Spill Response Team responded to the alarm and performed a planned entry into the lab using fully-encapsulated, supplied-air Level A personal protective equipment. Readings taken within the room indicated abnormally high levels of NO2. Hazmat team members isolated the gas cylinder by manually closing cylinder valve. Shortly thereafter, the NO2 levels in the lab returned to below the alarm set point. The NO2 alarm and notification system worked as designed and no workers were injured. However, a leak of NO2 was not expected and the automatic isolation valve intended to shut of!
the gas supply in the event of an alarm did not function properly.
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PERSON SUFFERS FROM CHEMICAL FUMES AFTER GRAYS TANKER SPILL
Tags: United_Kingdom, transportation, release, injury, hydrochloric_acid
FIREFIGHTERS responded to a chemical (hydrochloric acid) spilling from a tanker in Grays yesterday morning (Friday).
Seven crews, including one new Hazmat unit, were called to the incident at 7.50am on Oliver Road, which had already been handled by site staff on arrival.
One casualty suffered the effects of chemical fumes. He was left in the care of the Ambulance Service by 8.14am.
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TEACHER LIFE-FLIGHTED AFTER CHEMISTRY LAB EXPLOSION AT SLATER HIGH SCHOOL
Tags: us_MO, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical, sodium_chloride
UPDATE: As of Saturday morning, the teacher, Katherine James, 33, is in fair condition at University Hospital.
The teacher's husband, Joseph James, told ABC 17 News his wife was treated for chemical burns and had surgery to remove glass shards from the explosion.
ORIGINAL STORY: ABC 17 News has confirmed one teacher was injured after a chemical explosion at Slater High School Friday afternoon.
The Saline Co. Sheriff told ABC 17 News the 33-year-old teacher was life-flighted to University Hospital in Columbia. But hospital officials could not release the teacher's condition as of Thursday night.
School officials told ABC 17 there was an explosion in the chemistry lab.
No students were in the room at the time of the incident. It happened around 1:30 p.m.
School officials and Slater police did not know the exact cause of the explosion.
About 60 students were evacuated from the building as a precaution, according to Superintendent Dr. Terry Lorenz.
Many students and faculty heard a loud bang come from the lab, even from other parts of the building.
"It was enough concussion to blow out a window across the room," Lorenz said. "There was, smoke filled that hallway. We evacuated the students off of that floor, pulled them all the way off of that floor and took them to other wings."
Several staff members rushed to the lab to help the teacher and put her under water quickly to stop any chemical reactions, according to Lorenz.
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FIRE RAZES THREE SCIENCE LABORATORIES AT CRUTECH
Tags: Nigeria, laboratory, fire, response, fire_extinguisher, gas_cylinders
Mystery fire has razed down 3 Science laboratories belonging to the Faculty of Basic Medical Science in Okuku, Ogoja campus of the Cross River University of Science Technology CRUTECH.
National Mirror learnt that the incident occurred at the early hours of last Tuesday. The fire also affected Histology, Biochemistry and Physiology Departments of the school. The inferno is said to have disrupted academic activities and at the moment, carcases of the burnt equipment were seen littered all over the place of the once adoring laboratory. However, about 20 expended cylinders of fire extinguishers used by the university community to tackle the inferno were seen around littering around the building. Students of the institution were also seen milling around the area counting the huge loss their school had suffered due to the fire incidence while lamenting how the incident is going to hamper their academic pursuit.
According a fourth year student, Christopher Adie, the pathetic situation was capable of retarding the progress of the academic calendar adding that the incident was a bad omen for them. However, the Dean of the school, Dr Esebonu Ugochukwu put the value of the loss at several millions of Naira stressing that the labs gutted by fire were demonstration facilities for 1st year students describing the inferno as the worst in the history of the institution. As at the time of filing this report, the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained but there were speculations that the fire may have broken out due to electricity fault from public power supply.
Dr Ugochukwu averred it was unfortunate that all efforts made by the university community to quench the fire was to no avail as the fire service station complained of lack of equipment. Assessing the disaster, the DG SEMA Mr John Inaku described the disaster as very unfortunate and assured of govt intervention. However, the Vice Chancellor of the institution Prof. Anthony Owan who was contacted on phone via a text message to react on the issue, said that he is yet to lay fingers on the necessary details and as such he cannot comment on anything for now. His words; "I will be in Okuku on Monday to find out the true situation. I cannot place my fingers on anything at the moment. You will be contacted as soon as the facts becomes clear" The institution Vice Chancellor maintained.
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THREE-ALARM FIRE BREAKS OUT IN NORTHERN BUTLER COUNTY PLANT
Tags: us_PA, industrial, explosion, response, propane
Emergency crews were called to the scene around 8 a.m., and the Butler Eagle reports that firefighters had the fire under control after about an hour, but were still at the scene around 10 a.m.
The building, located on Route 38, was a processing plant for Oxbow Activated Carbon, which acquired the plant from Superior Adsorbents in July 2015.
Firefighter Brady Louise strapped a GoPro camera to his fire helmet before climbing a ladder truck to force water inside the roof of the building.
There was concern that the fire would ignite thousands of wood pallets inside the building.
"The issue was hot embers falling down onto the pallets that"s why we used the aerial truck to peel the roof back," Louise said.
At one point a propane tank exploded on the back of a forklift, releasing a large cloud of black smoke out of the building.
"Our crew happened to be in another portion of the warehouse not in danger of the explosion, but we backed out the crews to make sure there were no more explosions," Louise said.
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CHINA PROBE IDENTIFIES STORED CHEMICAL BEHIND TIANJIN BLASTS
Tags: China, industrial, follow-up, death, ag_chems, ammonium_nitrate, flammables, illegal
BEIJING (AP) " Deadly warehouse blasts that killed 165 people in a Chinese port city in August were triggered when a chemical stored in an unlicensed facility became too dry and caught fire, investigators announced Friday.
Twenty-five officials will face prosecution over the blasts on suspicion of dereliction of duty, abuse of power and bribery, the official Xinhua News Agency reported, citing the Supreme People's Procuratorate.
An investigative team assembled by the State Council, China's Cabinet, said flames spread among stocks of nitrocellulose, a flammable compound used as a binding agent with medical applications and as an ingredient of lacquer. The flames then spread to illegal stores of the combustible fertilizer ammonium nitrate, touching off two massive explosions.
The 165 people killed in the Aug. 12 blasts in Tianjin included 99 firefighters who responded to the fire and 11 police officers. Eight more people went missing, and 798 were injured.
Investigators previously have ruled that regulators failed to enforce safety rules, including keeping hazardous materials at the Ruihai International Logistics warehouses a proper distance away from residences. Authorities arrested several dozen people, including warehouse executives and local government officials.
The investigators said stocks of nitrocellulose at the Ruihai warehouses became too dry because of the loss of humidifying agents, and began to heat up in the hot summer weather. The material then started to burn, they said.
---------------------------------------------
TRUCK ACCIDENTS KEEP OHIO VALLEY FIRST RESPONDERS BUSY
Tags: us_WV, transportation, release, response, acids, propane
WHEELING -Reports of accidents involving large trucks related to the Marcellus and Utica shale industry continue, as a tractor-trailer carrying propane crashed along U.S. 250 in Wetzel County Thursday, just one day after a water truck wrecked in Marshall County.
Another tanker truck leaving a Utica Shale drilling site on McClainesville Road near Bellaire spilled 20 gallons of hydrochloric acid Saturday night.
According to West Virginia State Police First Sgt. James Stout, the driver of the propane truck lost control of the vehicle near the U.S. 250 intersection with Long Drain Road near Littleton Thursday. This caused the road to be closed for several hours, forcing motorists - including Wetzel County school bus drivers - to use detours.
---------------------------------------------
BROKEN MEDICAL DEVICE LEAKS MERCURY, PROMPTS EVACUATION
Tags: us_ID, public, release, injury, mercury
POCATELLO, Idaho -
The Pocatello Fire Department responded to a hazmat situation Friday after a medical device broke and leaked mercury.
The incident occurred at a medical office 1151 Hospital Way Suite A Friday. According to the fire department's report a large sphygmomanometer, a blood pressure measurement device, broke and leaked out the mercury the device uses.
An employee initially tried to clean up the spill but then contacted Poison Control who directed them to contact the fire department. To prevent further contamination the building was evacuated.
Crews verified there was a mercury spill in one room of the building. Assistant Chief Williams called for Engine 2 to bring up testing equipment from the HazMat Truck and contacted the State Communications Center to initiate a Bridge Call with DEQ, State /Local health agencies, BHS, and the EPA.
All personnel in the building were tested and contaminated clothing and items collected for cleaning or disposal. Investigation revealed the potential of cross contamination to other sites. All known sites and clothing were tested and the contaminant was either mitigated when found or items were collected for disposal.
---------------------------------------------
2 MEN ARRESTED AFTER I-75 CRASH UNCOVERS SUSPECTED ROLLING...
Tags: us_GA, public, discovery, response, meth_lab
Two men were arrested Thursday after a single-vehicle crash uncovered a suspected rolling meth lab and led to northbound lane closures on I-75 that lasted for hours, the Lamar County Sheriff"s Office said.
About 6:25 a.m., the sheriff"s office learned of the accident, which occurred on southbound I-75 at Mile Marker 200, the agency said in an emailed statement.
The driver told officials he fell asleep and ran into a guardrail on the interstate, according to Channel 2 Action News. The vehicle ended up in northbound lanes of I-75. The driver and the passenger were not injured.
Police investigate an alleged rolling meth lab crashed on I-75 in Lamar County. (Credit: Channel 2 Action News)
"Upon further investigation," the sheriff"s office said in the statement, "officers found containers with possible hazardous materials inside which raised suspicions of a possible mobile meth lab."
Authorities shut down northbound lanes and traffic delays stretched up to 7 miles at one point, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
---------------------------------------------
CHINA PROBE SAYS STORED CHEMICAL CAUSED TIANJIN BLASTS
Tags: China, industrial, follow-up, death, ag_chems, ammonium_nitrate, flammables
BEIJING (AP) " Deadly warehouse blasts that killed 165 people in a Chinese port city in August were triggered when a chemical stored in an unlicensed facility became too dry and caught fire, investigators announced Friday.
Twenty-five officials will face prosecution over the blasts on suspicion of dereliction of duty, abuse of power and bribery, the official Xinhua News Agency reported, citing the Supreme People's Procuratorate.
An investigative team assembled by the State Council, China's Cabinet, said flames spread among stocks of nitrocellulose, a flammable compound used as a binding agent with medical applications and as an ingredient of lacquer. The flames then spread to illegal stores of the combustible fertilizer ammonium nitrate, touching off two massive explosions.
The 165 people killed in the Aug. 12 blasts in Tianjin included 99 firefighters who responded to the fire and 11 police officers. Eight more people went missing, and 798 were injured.
Investigators previously have ruled that regulators failed to enforce safety rules, including keeping hazardous materials at the Ruihai International Logistics warehouses a proper distance away from residences. Authorities arrested several dozen people, including warehouse executives and local government officials.
The investigators said stocks of nitrocellulose at the Ruihai warehouses became too dry because of the loss of humidifying agents, and began to heat up in the hot summer weather. The material then started to burn, they said.
The official report did not explain the high casualties among firefighters, but Du Lanping, a leading investigator, told state broadcaster CCTV that firefighters were not informed of the existence of the 800 tons of ammonium nitrate.
---------------------------------------------
AN ADORABLY EARNEST SAFETY LAB IS GOING TO START CERTIFIYING HOVERBOARDS
Tags: US, public, discovery, response
Last year was the year of the hoverboard. The non-hovering, self-balancing scooters seemed to be in the news just about everywhere as some new celebrity or other tried one out, made their own version, or fell off one. But the devices were just as often in the news for blowing up and setting houses"and people" on fire.
Shoddy manufacturing standards in an industry that sprang up pretty much overnight were likely to blame, but one very earnest safety lab in the US Midwest is trying to ensure that the next generation of hoverboards are actually safe to use at home.
---------------------------------------------
SPRINGFIELD PETROLEUM LEAK CREATED EXPLOSION RISK
Tags: us_TN, public, release, response, gasoline
An investigation is underway to find the source of petroleum that was detected in Springfield"s sewer system during Tuesday"s rainfall that created a risk of explosion near a busy intersection.
The smell of gasoline penetrated through several blocks of manholes near the busy intersection of Memorial Boulevard and Central Avenue at around 8 p.m. that night, prompting a quick response from fire crews to reduce the threat of petroleum fumes igniting.
Springfield Fire Chief Jimmy Hamill said fire crews sprayed a foam vapor suppressant into the sewers for three to four blocks surrounding the intersection.
"Just the flipping of a cigarette or a cigar, or even the spark from a machine could have been enough to ignite an explosion," Hamill said. "Without flushing the system, the 100-pound manhole covers could blow up into the air and possibly kill someone. That"s in addition to a fire that could have affected any structures nearby."
The fire department"s water hoses flushed the foam vapor suppressant into the sewer system, creating a film over the chemical, Hamill said
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