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Previous by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] laboratory located next to cafeteria Date: Thursday, March 2, 2017 at 7:41:15 AM Author: Monona Rossol <0000030664c37427-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**LISTS.PRINCETON.EDU> |
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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, March 3, 2017 at 7:49:18 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 (18 articles)
WARD DECONTAMINATED AFTER FORMALDEHYDE SPILL ' BORNEOPOST ONLINE
Tags: Malaysia, public, release, injury, formaldehyde
CHEMICAL LAB INCIDENT EVACUATES 'GROVE HIGH
Tags: us_PA, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical
UPDATE: FIRE, POLICE CREWS AT SCENE OF CHEMICAL SPILL ON MAIN AVENUE
Tags: us_IA, public, release, response, flammables
TOLEDO FIREFIGHTERS USE WATER ON CHEMICAL FIRE
Tags: us_OH, industrial, fire, response, other_chemical
FLARING TO CONTINUE AT SARNIA CHEMICAL FACTORY
Tags: Canada, industrial, fire, environmental
MUM'S WARNING OVER 'UNICORN SLIME' PLAYGROUND CRAZE AFTER DAUGHTER SUFFERS SERIOUS CHEMICAL BURNS
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
WILLCOXRANGENEWS.COM
Tags: us_AZ, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
HAZMAT TEAM INVESTIGATES CHEMICAL SPILL IN CLINTON
Tags: us_IA, public, release, response, tetrahydrofuran
OLD DHAKA EXPOSED TO CHEMICAL HAZARDS
Tags: Bangladesh, industrial, follow-up, environmental, acetone, flammables
BREDA: HAZMAT RESPONDS TO BIN COLLAPSE
Tags: us_IA, industrial, release, response, propane
SALINA EVACUATION ISSUED AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_KS, industrial, release, response, ammonia
VIDEO: FIRE DEVASTATES INDUSTRIAL PARK
Tags: us_VT, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
BPA-FREE WATER BOTTLES MAY CONTAIN ANOTHER HARMFUL CHEMICAL
Tags: us_MO, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
TIGHTENED EPA CHEMICAL SAFETY REGS AT RISK
Tags: us_IN, public, discovery, environmental
OFFICIALS INVESTIGATING AFTER SEVERAL FALL ILL AT YALE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Tags: us_CT, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical
BLOUNT DEPUTIES, ALCOA OFFICERS SETTLE SUIT AGAINST CSX IN CHEM FIRE
Tags: us_TN, public, follow-up, injury, acrylonitrile, toxics
HAZMAT, FIRE CREWS INVESTIGATE POTENTIAL CHEMICAL SITUATION AT DAVISON HOME
Tags: us_MI, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
2 FIREFIGHTERS SUSTAIN CHEMICAL BURNS AFTER FIRE IN CECIL COUNTY
Tags: us_MD, industrial, fire, injury, unknown_chemical
---------------------------------------------
WARD DECONTAMINATED AFTER FORMALDEHYDE SPILL ' BORNEOPOST ONLINE
Tags: Malaysia, public, release, injury, formaldehyde
KUCHING: A Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) team from the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) was called into action yesterday after a report of spilt formaldehyde was received from the Sarawak General Hospital yesterday.
The spillage, which occured near the staff toilet at the surgical ward on the seventh floor, was reported to have caused skin and eye irriation to one hospital worker, who was then subjected to immediate decontamination by Hazmat personnel.
'Several other staff and patients were also found to display symptoms of contamination, resulting in all of them being ordered by firemen to immediately shower as a way to decontaminate themselves,' said a Bomba spokesperson when commenting on the incident.
The Hazmat team then proceeded to ventilate the ward of the resulting gas by spraying water into the air and utilising a ventilation fan, while at the same time cleaning and drying the area affected by the spilt chemical.
'We were later informed that the spillage had happened the night before, although it was only reported to Bomba at 10.49am today (yesterday),' added the spokesperson. The operation was ended at 1.35pm after firemen and Hazmat personnel ensured the situation had been dealt with and no longer posed a danger.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL LAB INCIDENT EVACUATES 'GROVE HIGH
Tags: us_PA, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical
LOWER POTTSGROVE PA ' A chemical reaction 'that sent a smoke plume' across a laboratory Wednesday (March 1, 2017) at 1:05 p.m. in Pottsgrove High School set off fire alarms there and prompted the building to be temporarily evacuated, Pottsgrove School District officials reported. Two students, neither of whom were identified, received medical attention and were taken to Pottstown Memorial Medical Center 'for precautionary measures,' the district said.
Township Fire Marshal Lew Babel cleared the building to be re-occupied at about 2 p.m., and students were allowed to return to class. However, the high school 'upper science wing has been closed off for clean up,' the district added. There was no immediate indication when it would also be re-opened.
Babel reported a mixture of chemicals in the lab overheated and created a flash, followed by smoke the district said was promptly detected by building sensors.
Responding to the incident within minutes were volunteers of the Sanatoga, and Ringing Hill fire companies, and Goodwill Ambulance. Township police also were on the scene.
---------------------------------------------
UPDATE: FIRE, POLICE CREWS AT SCENE OF CHEMICAL SPILL ON MAIN AVENUE
Tags: us_IA, public, release, response, flammables
CLINTON ' Clinton police and fire departments, with the assistance of a hazardous material team from Davenport, are currently at the scene of a chemical spill on Main Avenue in Clinton.
Joel Atkinson, of the Clinton Fire Department, said firefighters were called to the scene around 5 p.m. after a property owner, who was cleaning at 85 Main Ave., reported a spill in the basement. Crews arrived at the scene to find a 55 gallon drum that was leaking a chemical described as highly flammable.
Atkinson says the area was evacuated one block in all directions and Alliant was called to disconnect electricity and turn off gas to the building. No one was injured as a result of the spill, he said. The Clinton Police Department assisted with evacuation of the area.
Davenport hazardous materials teams removed the hazard and placed it in containers. The area was deemed safe around 9:30 p.m. and residents were allowed to return to the area.
---------------------------------------------
TOLEDO FIREFIGHTERS USE WATER ON CHEMICAL FIRE
Tags: us_OH, industrial, fire, response, other_chemical
Toledo firefighters and a hazardous material team tonight are using water in an attempt to douse a chemical fire at an industrial building near Nebraska Avenue at Junction Avenue.
Officials also said it was safe for residents ' some of whom had voluntarily evacuated ' to return to their homes.
The fire was reported about 2:45 p.m. at Lithium Innovations in the 1300 block of Campbell Street, Toledo Fire and Rescue Department spokesman Pvt. Sterling Rahe said.
PHOTO GALLERY: Toledo firefighters respond to fire
The building evacuated its six employees. Toledo police set up a perimeter for voluntary evacuations from Campbell to Hamilton and Hawley to Pulaski streets.
Some residents elected to stay inside their homes while the fire burns, which could last for days. Ohio EPA spokesman James Lee said an on-scene manager was en route to the scene to provide technical assistance to local authorities as needed.
Early this evening, crews started to use water on the fire, something they originally thought they could not do because of the presence of lithium in the building. But they later learned there wasn't as much lithium present in the structure.
Lithium Innovations, owned by Toledoan Ford Cauffiel and incorporated as a limited liability company in 2010, does highly technical work with lithium, developing energy-saving window coatings and processing the metal for pharmaceutical use.
---------------------------------------------
FLARING TO CONTINUE AT SARNIA CHEMICAL FACTORY
Tags: Canada, industrial, fire, environmental
Port Huron residents will continue to see big flares burning across the river in Sarnia, Ontario this week.
Imperial Oil spokesman John Harding says last Thursday, a mechanical failure forced the shutdown of several processing units.
The company used flares to burn off the released gas and chemicals.
Harding says, "You need to continue to flare during the restart process as well," so flaring will continue for at least the next few days.
Harding says there was ' and is ' no emergency.
"The disruption that we've seen and the operational issue and the the flaring again that is continuing ' it's not an emergency situation for the community," according to Harding.
---------------------------------------------
MUM'S WARNING OVER 'UNICORN SLIME' PLAYGROUND CRAZE AFTER DAUGHTER SUFFERS SERIOUS CHEMICAL BURNS
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
A schoolgirl suffered serious chemical burns to her hands after making polymer 'slime'.
Deejay Jemmett, 10, has been referred to a plastic surgeon after making playground craze 'unicorn slime' also known as 'rainbow slime' or 'tie-dye slime.'
Her mum now wants to warn other parents about the dangers of making the children's fad.
Rebekha D'Stephano, from Prestwich, said the tactile goo is the biggest craze since loom bands at and revealed her daughter's hands were left 'red raw' and covered with blisters after she followed an online guide to make batches.
She said the guide suggested using the powerful chemical borax, also known as sodium borate and usually sold in powder form for laundry or household cleaning uses.
---------------------------------------------
WILLCOXRANGENEWS.COM
Tags: us_AZ, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
A possible hazardous material situation caused traffic closures at the Willcox Travel Centers of America (TA) on Fort Grant Road last Sunday afternoon.
Willcox Police Chief Jose Rios said a truck driver noticed something leaking from the load in his trailer. The truck contained four pounds of one hazmat item, listed as 'matches.' Rios said a hazmat placard was not required, as there was less than 100 pounds of hazardous material.
'We erred on the side of caution and called an Arizona Department of Public Safety hazmat team from Tucson,' Rios said.
'The team tested for hazmat material and the air was monitored. They determined that a container of ink was punctured or ruptured and it was not hazardous,' he said. 'We opened the scene up from there, as we had the downwind area blocked off and traffic had been diverted' on the Circle I Road side.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT TEAM INVESTIGATES CHEMICAL SPILL IN CLINTON
Tags: us_IA, public, release, response, tetrahydrofuran
CLINTON, Iowa (KWQC) ' The Clinton Fire Department and a Davenport hazmat team are investigating a chemical spill that shut down a street Wednesday.
Officials with the Davenport hazmat team tell KWQC that some barrels holding Tetrahydrofuran began leaking, and the odor forced crews to evacuate the area of 85 Main Avenue.
Initial reports indicate that the barrels had been undisturbed for a long time, perhaps decades, and now rust has caused at least one barrel to start leaking.
---------------------------------------------
OLD DHAKA EXPOSED TO CHEMICAL HAZARDS
Tags: Bangladesh, industrial, follow-up, environmental, acetone, flammables
Seven years after the deadly chemical fire claiming 124 lives in Nimtoli, parts of densely-populated Old Dhaka still have extremely hazardous stocks of flammable chemicals without any safety measures whatsoever.
'The highly flammable chemicals are stocked and handled in such an unsafe way that any of them may erupt like a volcano anytime, leading to huge fire and devastation,' said Major AKM Shakil Newaz, director of Fire Service and Civil Defence.
All of the surveyed 360 stores, warehouses, factories and shops with the chemicals were found highly hazardous in terms of fire safety, handling of the chemicals and explosion management, according to the findings of a recent fire inspection.
For example, Shakil said, Acetone, a highly flammable chemical, is supposed to be preserved under 23 degrees Celsius for avoiding any explosion. However, it was found left under the sun, exposing it to around 36 degrees Celsius.
All the stores and shops were found lacking even the basic fire safety equipment, like extinguishers, let alone a complete fire fighting system.
---------------------------------------------
BREDA: HAZMAT RESPONDS TO BIN COLLAPSE
Tags: us_IA, industrial, release, response, propane
BREDA ' Corn that spilled out of a collapsed 90,000 bushel grain bin shut off power, forced the closure of a major road and ruptured a 2,000-gallon propane tank in Breda, according to Capt. Steve Hergenreter, of the Fort Dodge Fire Department.
No injuries were reported.
The Region V Hazardous Materials Response Team, part of the Fort Dodge Fire Department, responded to the emergency Wednesday morning at Breda Feed and Grain Inc., 104 Maple St. in Breda.
The collapsed bin destroyed four other bins and another building on the property, Hergenreter said.
The corn spread across the road and caused Carroll County Road E16 to close for about seven hours.
Utility poles and transformers were also damaged by the flood of corn, causing the town to lose power.
Power has since been restored to the area, according to Hergenreter.
The ruptured propane tank caused propane vapors to blow across the road, Hergenreter said.
Six members of the Hazmat team arrived on scene at about 8 a.m., according to Hergenreter.
---------------------------------------------
SALINA EVACUATION ISSUED AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_KS, industrial, release, response, ammonia
A voluntary evacuation for some Salina residents was issued Wednesday morning following a chemical leak of anhydrous ammonia at the Schwan's plant.
Saline County officials said on its Facebook page that it was not mandatory and was for residents west of the facility. The plant is located on the city's southwest side at 3019 Scanlan Ave.
The Facebook post, which went up just before 6 a.m., said an evacuation center was in the process of being set up.
---------------------------------------------
VIDEO: FIRE DEVASTATES INDUSTRIAL PARK
Tags: us_VT, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
White River Junction ' A massive fire early Tuesday morning destroyed three buildings in a small industrial park next to railroad tracks in White River Junction, and a fourth appeared to sustain heavy damage.
One or more fuel containers located in a truck garage exploded around 3:30 a.m., adding significantly to the flames that threatened a variety of businesses housed in six buildings on the property, according to Hartford Fire Chief Scott Cooney.
Authorities said no one was hurt.
Estimates varied as to the number of businesses and employees directly affected, but one of the property owners, Kenny Keith, said there were four to five companies and roughly 40 workers displaced.
'It sucks,' Keith said, standing outside the ruins of his former office building that afternoon. 'You can't keep a good face on it.'
---------------------------------------------
BPA-FREE WATER BOTTLES MAY CONTAIN ANOTHER HARMFUL CHEMICAL
Tags: us_MO, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
Talk about unintended consequences. A compound called BPA is being phased out of plastic packaging due to fears it may disrupt our hormones ' but a replacement for it may be just as harmful.
BPA, or bisphenol A, is often found in disposable water bottles and babies' milk bottles and cups. Small amounts can dissolve into the food and drink inside these containers.
This is a concern because a host of studies have shown that BPA can mimic the actions of oestrogen, binding to the same receptor in the body. Oestrogen is normally involved in breast development, regulating periods and maintaining pregnancies. Animals exposed to BPA develop abnormal reproductive systems, but it is unclear if people are exposed to high enough doses to be affected.
Due to public pressure ' and bans in a few countries ' many manufacturers have started replacing BPA. One substitute, fluorene-9-bisphenol, or BHPF, is already widely used in a variety of materials.
But Jianying Hu of Peking University in Beijing and her team have found that BHPF also binds to the body's oestrogen receptors. Unlike BPA, it does this without stimulating them, instead blocking their normal activity. In tests on female mice, BHPF caused the animals to have smaller wombs and smaller pups than controls, and in some cases miscarriages.
If BHPF binds to the same receptor in humans, it has the potential to cause fertility problems. 'That's pretty scary,' says Frederick vom Saal of the University of Missouri.
---------------------------------------------
TIGHTENED EPA CHEMICAL SAFETY REGS AT RISK
Tags: us_IN, public, discovery, environmental
Environmental health advocates are pressing Sen. Mitch McConnell to make sure Congress doesn't throw out new chemical safety rules that were adopted in the waning days of the Obama administration.
McConnell's spokesman, Rob Steurer, declined to say whether the Senate Majority Leader from Louisville wants those U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules killed, as an Oklahoma lawmaker has proposed under a procedure that allows Congress to nullify certain regulations.
"Nothing to report at this time," Steuer wrote in an email.
The Courier-Journal on Dec. 27 reported that the EPA had completed a promised revamping of its risk-management requirements for businesses that store large quantities of dangerous chemicals. Indiana and Kentucky have dozens of such plants, including nearly two dozen in Louisville, some of which have had mishaps with deadly results. The risk-management plans show that people could be sickened or killed within a few miles of some facilities in the event of a worst-case scenario release, and require safety precautions be taken.
---------------------------------------------
OFFICIALS INVESTIGATING AFTER SEVERAL FALL ILL AT YALE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Tags: us_CT, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical
Officials with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) tell News 8 they responded to 333 Cedar Street in New Haven Tuesday afternoon for a report of two unconscious females. The building is a part of the Yale School of Medicine.
DEEP officials took air samples and hazmat crews were been called to the scene after at least three people fell ill. New Haven Fire Chief John Alston says just before 2:40 p.m., the call came in for three people feeling sick. Responders found two people in a lab and one in a clerical office. One person fainted and one person felt faint and weak. Chief Alston says another person had already left sick and went home. They were brought back to be examined.
'Anytime you have more than two to three people experiencing the same symptoms in the workplace, it's a little bit suspicious for us,' said Alston.
Assistant Fire Chief Orlando Marcano tells News 8 all of the victims drank from the same coffee maker. Water testing is being done.
The Board of Health, New Haven Fire, Yale Police and New Haven Police are all investigating.
---------------------------------------------
BLOUNT DEPUTIES, ALCOA OFFICERS SETTLE SUIT AGAINST CSX IN CHEM FIRE
Tags: us_TN, public, follow-up, injury, acrylonitrile, toxics
All but one person in a group of Blount County deputies and Alcoa police officers have settled a lawsuit they filed against rail operator CSX Transportation Inc. after a July 2015 chemical spill.
Beecher Bartlett, among the attorneys representing the plaintiffs, told 10News on Monday the settlement between the men and CSX is confidential.
One Blount County Sheriff's Office deputy, Brad Butler, remains a plaintiff against CSX.
All continue in their pursuit of damages against defendant Union Tank Car Co.
The law officers, many of whom have returned to work, allege they suffered medical problems from exposure while responding to the rail accident late July 1 and early July 2, 2015, in Maryville.
A train tank car ruptured and caught fire, emitting a toxic chemical called acrylonitrile.
The responders allege they had breathing and other health problems after helping evacuate residents in the area.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT, FIRE CREWS INVESTIGATE POTENTIAL CHEMICAL SITUATION AT DAVISON HOME
Tags: us_MI, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
DAVISON, MI -- Firefighters in hazmat suits searched through a Davison home Monday afternoon after a call earlier in the day for a potential chemical contaminant.
A call was received Monday, Feb. 27, for possible contaminants after an odor was coming from a home in the 600 block of North Genesee Street, between Flint and Bay streets. Police and firefighters responded to the home.
Fire crews and the county's hazmat team were dispatched to the scene before 1 p.m. for a potential mercury spill. However, officials at the scene were vague about what they found when they responded and have not confirmed any spill.
"We don't know at this point (what the issue is)," Mike Wright, Davison-Richfield fire chief, told reporters outside the home. "Until we come up with something concrete, we're all kind of at a loss right now as to where we're at with this."
There were some concerns over family members being in the home, Wright said, but those concerns were "eliminated" when a male and female resident were located.
---------------------------------------------
2 FIREFIGHTERS SUSTAIN CHEMICAL BURNS AFTER FIRE IN CECIL COUNTY
Tags: us_MD, industrial, fire, injury, unknown_chemical
ELKTON, Md. (WBFF) ' A one-story wood-framed commercial building caught fire in Elkton on Tuesday afternoon.
Crews were dispatched around noon, to Colonial Metals Inc. on Blue Ball Road.
According to the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM), two firefighters were transported to a hospital with chemical burns.
Their injuries are said to be non-life-threatening.
The fire reached two alarms and was contained in approximately two hours.
The cause remains under investigation.
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