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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, December 7, 2016 at 7:51:50 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 (16 articles)
IPHONE ENVY MAY HAVE FELLED GALAXY NOTE7
Tags: Republic_of_Korea, industrial, follow-up, environmental, batteries
CHINA‰??S CABINET KICKS OFF THREE-YEAR REVIEW OF HANDLING OF DANGEROUS CHEMICALS
Tags: China, industrial, follow-up, environmental
ENGLISH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION CLOSES SPORTS PITCHES AT FIVE SCHOOLS FOR ‰??CHEMICAL SAFETY TESTING‰??
Tags: Hong_Kong, education, discovery, environmental, unknown_chemical
ENGINE ROOM FIRES ARE NEVER MERRY
Tags: us_TX, transportation, follow-up, environmental
AFTER PAULSBORO CRITICISM, RAILROADS ADOPT FEDERAL STANDARDS FOR CHEMICAL SPILL RESPONSE
Tags: us_NJ, transportation, follow-up, response
1 KILLED, 2 INJURED IN ACCIDENT AT DAK PLANT IN CALHOUN COUNTY, SC
Tags: us_SC, industrial, discovery, death, unknown_chemical
FIRE ABOARD CHEMICAL TANKER CAUSES CLOSURE OF HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL
Tags: us_TX, transportation, fire, response, petroleum
CHEMICAL FIRE CLOSED CRAWFORD COUNTY LANDFILL MONDAY
Tags: us_OH, industrial, fire, response, other_chemical
‰??SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION‰?? BLAMED IN TAMPA SCRAP METAL FIRE
Tags: us_FL, industrial, fire, response, metals, waste
OSCE HELPS ALBANIA DISPOSE OF TOXIC CHEMICAL
Tags: Albania, public, discovery, environmental, explosives, toxics
2 HURT IN CHEMICAL SPILL NEAR BILTMORE RESORT
Tags: us_CA, public, release, injury, other_chemical
8 INJURED IN TAI PO LAB CHEMICAL SPILL Šü¬ HK
Tags: Hong_Kong, laboratory, release, injury, hydrogen_peroxide
CHEMICAL EXPLOSION AT AUCKLAND HIGH SCHOOL
Tags: New_Zealand, laboratory, explosion, response, bromine
AJANSA NÌ?Ì?EYAN A FIRATÌ?
Tags: Iraq, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
WEST VIRGINIA CHEMICAL PLANT CITED FOR SAFETY VIOLATIONS
Tags: us_WV, industrial, follow-up, response, chlorine, gasoline
HAZMAT INVESTIGATION PROMPTS EVACUATIONS, ROAD CLOSURES IN WOODBRIDGE
Tags: us_CT, transportation, release, response, other_chemical
---------------------------------------------
IPHONE ENVY MAY HAVE FELLED GALAXY NOTE7
Tags: Republic_of_Korea, industrial, follow-up, environmental, batteries
Samsung's desire to match the iPhone 7 Plus led it to implement an aggressive design and manufacturing approach that led to problems with its Galaxy Note7 -- including some instances of the smartphones bursting into flames -- and eventually its global recall, Instrumental reported last week.
Instrumental engineers tore down a Galaxy Note7, and found "evidence in the design of an intellectual tension between safety and pushing the boundaries," CEO Anna Shedletsky revealed.
Samsung engineers "designed out all of the margin in the thickness of the battery," she noted.
It "sits within a CNC-machined pocket -- a costly choice likely made to protect it from being poked by other internal components," Shedletsky speculated.
"For something that is innovative and new, you design the best tests that you can think of, and validate that the design is OK through that testing," she said.
However, battery testing "takes a notoriously long time, and thousands of batteries need to be tested to get significant results," Shedletsky pointed out. "It's possible that Samsung's innovative battery manufacturing process was changing throughout development, and that the newest versions of the batteries weren't tested with he same rigor as the first samples."
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CHINA‰??S CABINET KICKS OFF THREE-YEAR REVIEW OF HANDLING OF DANGEROUS CHEMICALS
Tags: China, industrial, follow-up, environmental
China has announced a three-year nationwide inspection of the handling of dangerous chemicals following a series of deadly accidents that claimed hundreds of lives.
The government plan calls for a clear delineation of responsibilities among regulators and greater accountability to help ensure public safety.
Deadly Tianjin warehouse explosion: review leads to China moving 10 chemical plants
The survey will evaluate the risks of dangerous chemicals during their production, storage, transport use and disposal and draw up a risk distribution map before March 2018, according to a plan released by the State Council on Tuesday.
Hazardous chemicals like ammonium nitrate, nitrocellulose and sodium cyanide will be on a special watch list, while broader information on other chemicals will be shared among regulators.
The plan calls for dedicated industrial zones where chemicals can be produced or stored, and to set up an integrated platform to reduce risks, manage safety and environmental protection, and coordinate rescue efforts.
---------------------------------------------
ENGLISH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION CLOSES SPORTS PITCHES AT FIVE SCHOOLS FOR ‰??CHEMICAL SAFETY TESTING‰??
Tags: Hong_Kong, education, discovery, environmental, unknown_chemical
Five Hong Kong schools run by the English Schools Foundation have closed their artificial sports pitches due to safety concerns over chemicals exceeding international health standards, the Post has learnt.
The ESF yesterday would not confirm the reason for keeping students away from the rubber-crumb, artificial pitches at Discovery College, King George V School, Renaissance College, Sha Tin College and South Island School, saying only that they were closed to ‰??allow for ongoing safety testing and investigation‰??.
But a source told the Post: ‰??The pitches are being tested due to safety concerns over chemicals exceeding international health standards.
‰??The problem is there are so many different standards.‰??
The ESF said no other pitches at its schools would be closed, and there was no suggestion that any other pitches across Hong Kong might be affected.
---------------------------------------------
ENGINE ROOM FIRES ARE NEVER MERRY
Tags: us_TX, transportation, follow-up, environmental
Engine room fires account for up to 50 percent of all fires on vessels with 70 percent of those engine room fires being caused by leaks from pressurized systems. Just this week, the chemical tanker Jo Kiri was inbound for a terminal in the Houston area when smoke was reported in the engine room. The Houston ship channel was blocked for about an hour before the vessel was moved to a berth.
That engine room fires are so prevalent should come as no surprise as engine rooms contain all sides of the fire triangle in abundance - namely, the fuel and lubricants, the air containing oxygen that is being forced into the engine room in great quantities to supply the engines and of course the heat that is associated with engine rooms and machinery.
It's when these sides of the fire triangle are allowed to interact, such as the fuel leak on the dredge Arco Avon that came in contact with sparks from a grinding wheel in August 2015 that bad things happen. Bad things such as fire, that is! This was additionally seen on Gunde Maersk in December 2015 when a leaking o-ring sprayed pressurized fuel onto a hot exhaust manifold.
Remember, the three sides of the fire triangle can coexist, as long as one side is adequately segregated from the others.
---------------------------------------------
AFTER PAULSBORO CRITICISM, RAILROADS ADOPT FEDERAL STANDARDS FOR CHEMICAL SPILL RESPONSE
Tags: us_NJ, transportation, follow-up, response
WASHINGTON -- Freight railroads have agreed to rely exclusively on federal safety response recommendations, rather than their own guidelines for accidents involving dangerous chemicals, drawing praise from New Jersey lawmakers who sought that change after a Conrail derailment caused a toxic spill in Paulsboro in 2012.
The shift, the lawmakers said, will help eliminate confusion that might result from differences in federal recommendations and railroad protocols, and ensure that federal standards are used in the event of spills. The guidelines give emergency responders information about fire risks, immediate steps to respond to a spill and evacuation distances, among other information.
‰??When a train accident happens and every second counts, it makes no sense to have two sets of emergency response information on board ‰?? especially if that information is contradictory,‰?? said Sen. Bob Menendez (D., N.J.). ‰??At best, it‰??s confusing for first responders. At worst, less protective information could result in serious consequences for public health and human life."
---------------------------------------------
1 KILLED, 2 INJURED IN ACCIDENT AT DAK PLANT IN CALHOUN COUNTY, SC
Tags: us_SC, industrial, discovery, death, unknown_chemical
CALHOUN COUNTY, SC
A Columbia man was killed and two others injured in an accident at a Calhoun County chemical plant Tuesday, officials said.
The accident happened around 12:15 p.m. at the DAK Americas plant on K Avenue, according to Calhoun County Coroner Donnie Porth. The man killed in the accident was identified as Alton Zeigler, 63, of Columbia. An autopsy is pending.
Site manager Mark Leonhardt said three employees were performing annual maintenance on a polymer pump. He couldn‰??t provide specifics on the incident or confirm if an explosion occurred.
‰??We have a very good safety record,‰?? Leonhardt said. ‰??This is just a very, very unfortunate incident. We‰??re all just heartbroken by this.‰??
---------------------------------------------
FIRE ABOARD CHEMICAL TANKER CAUSES CLOSURE OF HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL
Tags: us_TX, transportation, fire, response, petroleum
The Houston Ship Channel, one of the world‰??s busiest waterways, was closed for an hour on Monday when a fire broke out on a chemical tanker, according to Reuters.
The 2003-built Jo Kiri, operated by Norwegian firm Jo Tankers, reported fire in its engine room while on its way north to the Vopak terminal in the Port of Houston.
It blocked traffic in the channel until it could be safely moved to a berth. No injuries or spillages were reported from the incident.
The vessel, which usually carries cargo of petrochemicals, was near Eagle Point when the fire happened.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL FIRE CLOSED CRAWFORD COUNTY LANDFILL MONDAY
Tags: us_OH, industrial, fire, response, other_chemical
BUCYRUS - A chemical fire Monday morning at the Crawford County Sanitary Landfill closed the 5128 Lincoln Highway East facility for the day, according to Whetstone Township Fire Chief Mike Motter.
The landfill was re-opened Tuesday, according to an employee at the site. No one was injured.
Motter said fires at a landfill are not uncommon and usually stem from a hot load dumped at a site, but Monday's fire was calcium oxide or lime, that was dumped. The fire spread over about one-third of an acre at the landfill.
"When we arrived at the landfill, trash in the bin was openly burning," said Motter. Employees were trying to smother it, he added.
"It (calcium oxide) reacts with the ground and it started a fire," he said.
A third-party contractor was hired to come in and deal with it, Motter said.
---------------------------------------------
‰??SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION‰?? BLAMED IN TAMPA SCRAP METAL FIRE
Tags: us_FL, industrial, fire, response, metals, waste
TAMPA, FL ‰?? A Friday night fire that sent a plume of black smoke into the air above Port Sutton Road has been attributed to spontaneous combustion by Hillsborough County Fire Rescue officials.
The fire at Trademark Metals Recycling‰??s Port Sutton facility broke out around 5 p.m. Dec. 2. The first crews to respond found about 20 tons of metal on fire, county officials said. The fire was upgraded to a two-alarm blaze shortly thereafter and took an estimated 11 hours to clear completely; nine of which were spent getting the blaze under control.
‰??Great care was taken to protect all exposures surrounding the facility including several very large diesel fuel tanks located next door to the recycling facility,‰?? a Monday email from fire rescue said. ‰??Firefighters used a mix of foam and water to put the fire out.‰??
Once the fire was under control, investigators began looking into the cause. The county says interviews from the scene and thermal imaging surveillance cameras pointed to spontaneous ignition.
---------------------------------------------
OSCE HELPS ALBANIA DISPOSE OF TOXIC CHEMICAL
Tags: Albania, public, discovery, environmental, explosives, toxics
TIRANA, Albania (AP) -- A European security organization says it has helped Albania's army dispose of 140 metric tons of hazardous military chemicals.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe office in Albania says Tuesday that 140 tons of two napalm components - aluminum oxide and xylenol - were packed and ready to be taken by ship to France for destruction.
OSCE Ambassador Bernd Borchardt urged other Western Balkan countries to follow Albania's model of demilitarization and "make best use of (its) existing infrastructure and experienced workforce."
The OSCE, with assistance from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Norway and Turkey, has helped Albania dispose of some 300 metric tons of toxic chemicals and excess ammunition.
---------------------------------------------
2 HURT IN CHEMICAL SPILL NEAR BILTMORE RESORT
Tags: us_CA, public, release, injury, other_chemical
MONTECITO, Calif. - Cleanup efforts continued after midnight at the Biltmore Hotel and Resort in Montecito following the spill of a sanitizing chemical in the loading dock area. Two people were taken to the hospital after the midday incident at one of the most prestigious hotels in the region.
Neighbors who live near the resort were disrupted as Hill Street was blocked and monitored during the cleanup.
More than 20 people from agencies including the Montecito Fire Protection District responded to the call just after 11:30 a.m. Monday. Other responding agencies included Santa Barbara's Fire Department, the California Highway Patrol and the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire District.
About 30 gallons of "Oxonia Active" leaked from a 300-gallon container. According to online information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the substance is used to sanitize food processing equipment and utensils. It can be hazardous when inhaled or touched in concentrated amounts.
---------------------------------------------
8 INJURED IN TAI PO LAB CHEMICAL SPILL Šü¬ HK
Tags: Hong_Kong, laboratory, release, injury, hydrogen_peroxide
HONG KONG ‰?? Eight people were injured in a suspected chemical spill at a lab in Tai Po Industrial Estate in Hong Kong on Tuesday morning.
Among them, one man had direct contact. He was injured in the face and ear. One woman felt sick after inhaling the gas leaked by the spill.
The two were sent to hospital around 13:15 pm after being disinfected in a mass decontamination pod. The other six felt unwell but recovered after they were given first aid.
A total of 112 people were evacuated from the building.
The Fire Services Department (FSD) had mobilized 13 fire engines and seven ambulances, according to a spokesman.
An investigation was launched in this regard, according to the department.
The police received a call at 11:33 am about a suspected chemical explosion on the second-floor lab of Beijing Genomics Institute-Hong Kong on Tai Fu Street, according to the spokesman.
He said it is suspected the incident was caused by a spill of expired hydrogen peroxide. Whether an explosion happened remains to be confirmed, the spokesman said.
Three medical workers were decontaminated after contracting injuries.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL EXPLOSION AT AUCKLAND HIGH SCHOOL
Tags: New_Zealand, laboratory, explosion, response, bromine
Westlake Boys High School in Auckland has been evacuated after a chemical explosion in one of its laboratories.
Firefighters were called to the school shortly after 2pm after a jar of bromine exploded.
Fire Service shift manager Jaron Phillips said the chemicals had now been isolated inside a hazardous materials drum.
Fire crews were still at the scene, including a hazardous materials unit, which was decontaminating the area and airing the building.
Mr Phillips said there were no reports of injuries.
---------------------------------------------
AJANSA NÌ?Ì?EYAN A FIRATÌ?
Tags: Iraq, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
110 workers got injured during an explosion that took place in Sulaymaniyah‰??s Bazyan neighborhood this morning. The injured workers were rushed to the hospital, and the site of the explosion continues to be examined.
No statement has been made on the reason for the explosion, but local sources say that chemical materials in a factory may have caused the explosion.
---------------------------------------------
WEST VIRGINIA CHEMICAL PLANT CITED FOR SAFETY VIOLATIONS
Tags: us_WV, industrial, follow-up, response, chlorine, gasoline
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -
A Northern Panhandle chemical plant where chlorine gas spilled from a leaking tank car has been cited for alleged workplace safety violations.
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration issued $25,500 in fines against Axiall Corp.'s Eagle Natrium LLC subsidiary. The Aug. 27 spill occurred at the company's New Martinsville plant.
The Charleston Gazette-Mail (http://bit.ly/2h0rCpo">http://bit.ly/2h0rCpo ) reports Westlake Chemical Corp. bought the plant in September and that the citations were issued last month.
OSHA says three citations involved rules for safely managing hazardous chemicals. A fourth was for communicating such hazards to employees.
A preliminary report issued in October by the National Transportation Safety Board described a crack on one end of the tank car that leaked.
A Westlake spokesman didn't immediately return an email seeking comment on the citations.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT INVESTIGATION PROMPTS EVACUATIONS, ROAD CLOSURES IN WOODBRIDGE
Tags: us_CT, transportation, release, response, other_chemical
WOODBRIDGE - A hazmat investigation in Middlesex County led to several evacuations and closed Route 1 for a time.
Officials say that a tanker belonging to Crestwood Energy had a partially open valve and was giving off a strong odor of fuel.
The Days Inn, Value City and the Ivy Stone Restaurant were evacuated. Traffic on Route 1 shut down and diverted to Route 9, where the two roads split in Woodbridge.
Officials say a closer investigation of the tanker led to the realization that the tanker had already unloaded its fuel. There was no danger to the public.
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