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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 (14 articles)
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2017 07:25:44 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 42883758-A5B0-4B4A-AC1C-2572CFBD034E**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, March 17, 2017 at 7:25:32 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 (14 articles)
DAILY EXPRESS NEWSPAPER ONLINE, SABAH, MALAYSIA.
Tags: Malaysia, laboratory, discovery, environmental
FIRE IN PURDUE LABORATORY EXTINGUISHED
Tags: us_IN, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical
UPDATE: OFFICIALS GIVE ALL CLEAR AFTER SOUTH BEND HAZMAT INCIDENT
Tags: us_IN, industrial, release, injury, adhesives, epoxy
MONSANTO UNDER FIRE OVER ALLEGED RISKS OF ROUNDUP
Tags: us, public, discovery, enviromental, ag_chems
HAZMAT SITUATION PROMPTS EVACUATION OF NEAR NORTH SIDE BUILDING
Tags: us_IL, industrial, release, response, carbon_monoxide, gasoline
STUDENTS INJURED IN CHEMISTRY CLASS EXPLOSION AT GLENDALE SCHOOL
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
RAILCAR FIRE LEADS TO HAZMAT CALL AT MEMPHIS COMPANY
Tags: us_TN, transportation, fire, response, other_chemical
FLAMMABLE CHEMICAL LEAKS AT BUSINESS IN NORTH ST. LOUIS
Tags: us_MO, transportation, release, response, flammables, peroxide
HOW COMMON ARE CHEMICAL SPILLS INVOLVING TRUCKS?
Tags: Canada, transportation, discovery, environmental
LYONDELLBASELL REFINERY CATCHES FIRE IN EAST HOUSTON
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
EXPLOSION AND CHEMICAL REACTION REPORTED AT ROYAL ADHESIVES & SEALANTS
Tags: us_IN, industrial, explosion, response, adhesives
UNKNOWN CHEMICAL SPILL AT PLANNED PARENTHOOD CAUSES EVACUATION
Tags: us_MO, public, release, injury, irritant
EPA CHIEF DELAYS INDUSTRIAL CHEMICAL SAFETY REGULATION
Tags: industrial, follow-up, environmental
MANCHESTER FIREFIGHTERS INJURED IN FIRE SUPPRESSION MISHAP
Tags: us_NH, industrial, fire, injury, halon, water_treatment
---------------------------------------------
DAILY EXPRESS NEWSPAPER ONLINE, SABAH, MALAYSIA.
Tags: Malaysia, laboratory, discovery, environmental
Kota Kinabalu: Kota Kinabalu Public Health Laboratory officials are taking no chances when it comes to safety.
This is especially because various types of chemicals and gas with some even considered hazardous are being stored in the laboratory, making it a high risk premises by fire and rescue officials.
With this in mind, Kota Kinabalu Public Health Laboratory has taken numerous initiatives to conduct safety drills to make sure those working in the premises are prepared for any possibility.
"Health and safety has always been our priority and the exercise is part of a preparation for any event that may occur in the workplace," said Kota Kinabalu Public Health Laboratory Deputy Director Dr Anisah Jantim during a safety fire drill held at the premises in Bukit Padang, here, Wednesday.
"We understand that the premises contains significant risks and prevention of laboratory accidents requires great care and constant vigilance," she said.
Dr Anisah said the preparations are also meant to test their ability to act and the effectiveness of the existing safety features in the premises during fire emergency cases.
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FIRE IN PURDUE LABORATORY EXTINGUISHED
Tags: us_IN, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. ‰?? Purdue firefighters rushed to Wetherill Hall on Oval Drive about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday after receiving a report of a fire, which was extinguished within minutes after the fire department arrived.
Purdue fire Capt. Shane Jones said the fire caused moderate damage, which was contained to the fire hood area in the second-floor laboratory. The fire activated the sprinkler system, so there also was some water damage in the area.
The facility was evacuated when the alarm went off, and people were directed to the nearby Stewart Center and Purdue Memorial Union, Jones said.
Building services staff assisted in the clean up, and people were allowed back into the building about 2:15 p.m. However, the room where the fire happened and the room directly below it remained closed, Jones said.
---------------------------------------------
UPDATE: OFFICIALS GIVE ALL CLEAR AFTER SOUTH BEND HAZMAT INCIDENT
Tags: us_IN, industrial, release, injury, adhesives, epoxy
Firefighters in South Bend gave the all clear after an overnight chemical fire on the city's west side.
It happened at Royal Adhesives and Sealants on Washington Street Wednesday night. According to a release issued by the president of the company, the problem was caused when a mixer producing epoxy adhesive overheated. The smoke filled most of the plant.
Initially first responders were concerned about chemicals leaking into the air, and people from nearby homes were evacuated and roads were closed. However, a representative from the emergency response section of IDEM verified there was no chemical issue and the smoke was not a threat to the public.
Two employees were taken to the hospital to be evaluated and were released. Operations within the production room have been discontinued until the investigation is finished, according to Ted Clark, Royal Adhesives president and CEO.
---------------------------------------------
MONSANTO UNDER FIRE OVER ALLEGED RISKS OF ROUNDUP
Tags: us, public, discovery, enviromental, ag_chems
(NEWSER) ‰?? Monsanto has had a big‰??and mostly bad‰??week, with lots of headlines revolving around something called glyphosate, the key ingredient in its popular herbicide Roundup. Here's what's happening:
On Friday, Monsanto lost a court fight to prevent California from labeling glyphosate a carcinogen, reports the Fresno Bee.
But then came good news for the company. On Wednesday, the European Chemical Agency announced that its assessment of glyphosate on behalf of EU countries found that it was safe for public use, per the Guardian. The decision will be reviewed by the European Commission before a final decision is made. (Greenpeace isn't happy.)
Meanwhile, another lawsuit is unfolding involving hundreds of Americans who say glyphosate caused their cancer. CBS News talks to one of them, a mother with stage 4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma who used to spray Roundup on her lawn every week.
Lawyers for those suing Monsanto allege "highly suspicious" ties between the company and the (now retired) EPA official charged with policing the company. Court documents unsealed this week show that the EPA official once told a company manager, "If I can kill this, I should get a medal," referring to a study on the dangers of glyphosate. See Bloomberg.
Those same documents also point to emails suggesting that Monsanto ghostwrote parts of two scientific reports claiming Roundup doesn't cause cancer. The EPA reviewed both before deciding glyphosate was safe, reports Reuters.
However, Monsanto says an email from an executive‰??reading, "We would be keeping the cost down by us doing the writing and [scientists] would just edit & sign their names so to speak"‰??was taken out of context, and it accuses opposing attorneys of "cherry-picking" one email out of millions of pages.
The perspective of the Chicago Sun-Times' editorial board: The EPA "should conduct a thorough and uncompromising review of the herbicide's potential dangers," while the public should "be wary of industry-supported research."
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT SITUATION PROMPTS EVACUATION OF NEAR NORTH SIDE BUILDING
Tags: us_IL, industrial, release, response, carbon_monoxide, gasoline
A hazardous materials situation prompted the evacuation of a Near North Side office building early Thursday afternoon.
The Chicago Fire Department responded to a Level One HazMat situation at 770 N. LaSalle, Fire Media Affairs tweeted at 12:14 p.m.
The carbon monoxide was initially measured at 200 ppm and the HazMat was elevated to a Level Two, according to Fire Media.
The building was evacuated, according to Fire Media. The source of the carbon monoxide was a gasoline-operated air-conditioning generator being used on the first floor of the building by a construction crew.
About 12:50 p.m., air quality returned to normal and crews were released from the scene.
---------------------------------------------
STUDENTS INJURED IN CHEMISTRY CLASS EXPLOSION AT GLENDALE SCHOOL
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
GLENDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- Five high-school students were injured in a chemistry lab explosion during an after-school class in Glendale, officials said.
A beaker exploded during an experiment, and glass shards injured the students, according to Glendale Unified School District officials.
The class was held at Toll Middle School, but the injured students all attend Hoover High School across the street, according to the district. The STEM class involves both middle-school and high-school students.
Two students were said to have serious cuts, while three had minor scratches, officials said.
The two students with serious cuts were being evaluated at the scene for medical treatment.
---------------------------------------------
RAILCAR FIRE LEADS TO HAZMAT CALL AT MEMPHIS COMPANY
Tags: us_TN, transportation, fire, response, other_chemical
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (localmemphis.com) - The Memphis Fire department and Hazmat crews were called to Valley Products in the 300 block of E. Brooks Road Wednesday afternoon.
Valley Products makes industrial soaps and soap products. The call came in about 2:45 p.m., when a railcar carrying 40,000 gallons of soybean oil caught fire. Crews were welding at the top of the tank at the time. No one was hurt.
It took about 30 minutes to put out the fire. Memphis fire crews cooled the tank to bring down the pressure and keep it from reigniting.
---------------------------------------------
FLAMMABLE CHEMICAL LEAKS AT BUSINESS IN NORTH ST. LOUIS
Tags: us_MO, transportation, release, response, flammables, peroxide
NORTH ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) -
Firefighters were on the scene of a chemical leak at a business in north St. Louis Wednesday night.
A container with 300 gallons of organic peroxide was leaking aboard a trailer at XPO Logistics in the 8300 block of Hall. Firefighters said the chemical is highly flammable.
---------------------------------------------
HOW COMMON ARE CHEMICAL SPILLS INVOLVING TRUCKS?
Tags: Canada, transportation, discovery, environmental
Two hazardous chemical spills Tuesday caused by pile-ups on major highways in Ontario and Quebec are being described as rarities by transportation industry representatives.
A 30-vehicle crash on Hwy. 401 east of Kingston left one person dead and 27 others in hospital after fluorosilicic acid being transported by one of the trucks spilled from the vehicle.
Some people were treated at a decontamination bay after being exposed to the hazardous material, which is commonly used in water fluoridation, and can cause irritation to the nose, throat and respiratory system, swelling of the skin and severe eye irritation.
Spills are unusual when trucks are carrying dangerous materials, according to Stephen Laskowski, president of the Ontario Trucking Association.
He said there are about 2,200 products classified as ‰??dangerous‰?? under federal transportation regulations, ranging from household goods such as soap or paint to more dangerous chemicals such as those spilled on Tuesday around 2 p.m. on Hwy. 401.
---------------------------------------------
LYONDELLBASELL REFINERY CATCHES FIRE IN EAST HOUSTON
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
HOUSTON - Crews were on the scene of a LyondellBasell chemical refinery on Wednesday night, according to reports.
The smoke was seen for miles, and was coming from a cooling tower at the 12000 Lawndale Street plant.
\The company said the cooling tower chills down hot water to a lower temperature and does not come in contact with any hydrocarbons
---------------------------------------------
EXPLOSION AND CHEMICAL REACTION REPORTED AT ROYAL ADHESIVES & SEALANTS
Tags: us_IN, industrial, explosion, response, adhesives
SOUTH BEND ‰?? South Bend firefighters were called to the scene of an apparent explosion and chemical reaction at Royal Adhesives & Sealants at 2001 W. Washington St. on Wednesday night.
Haz-Mat was called in at 9:30 p.m. because of reports that a chemical reaction inside the building was producing what was called toxic smoke. Later, Jim Luccki, assistant chief of operations for the South Bend Fire Department, said the smoke was not dangerous but was an irritant to eyes and mucous membranes. Luccki also said nobody was injured.
A company employee said everyone was evacuated except for some safety personnel. He said there were about 20 to 25 people in the plant at the time.
According to employees, a chemical reaction started taking place about 9 p.m. The reaction apparently caused a gas that employees said started to fill an area in the plant.
Royal Adhesives, which is based in South Bend, manufactures and markets high-performance adhesives, sealants and polymer coatings for a wide variety of industries.
---------------------------------------------
UNKNOWN CHEMICAL SPILL AT PLANNED PARENTHOOD CAUSES EVACUATION
Tags: us_MO, public, release, injury, irritant
COLUMBIA ‰?? A small, unknown spill at the Columbia Planned Parenthood caused a building evacuation Wednesday afternoon.
Assistant Fire Chief Brad Fraizer of the Columbia Fire Department said he did not know what caused the spill or how many people were in the building at the time.
A hazmat team was sent into the building just before 5 p.m. and discovered an unknown irritant in the air, Fraizer said. A second examination by the team found that the chemical's presence in the air had decreased after members of the department ventilated the building with fans.
Four employees experienced eye irritation and coughing, Fraizer said. The employees refused medical treatment at the scene.
---------------------------------------------
EPA CHIEF DELAYS INDUSTRIAL CHEMICAL SAFETY REGULATION
Tags: industrial, follow-up, environmental
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has backed an industry request for delay and review of a new chemical safety regulation that sprang from the deaths of 15 people in a calamitous 2013 accident in Texas.
The new regulation would toughen requirements for industry-prepared risk management plans (RMP) intended to protect communities and workers from chemical-related accidents.
Pruitt‰??s decision will delay implementation of the rule for 90 days, EPA says, adding that further extensions may be needed.
‰??As an agency, we need to be responsive to concerns raised by stakeholders regarding regulations so facility owners and operators know what is expected of them,‰?? Pruitt said on March 13, as he directed the agency to delay the effective date of the final regulation until June 19.
Seven trade associations sought the EPA review, including the American Chemistry Council, a trade group of chemical manufacturers. In a petition, they said the regulation was unnecessary and insufficient time had been provided for comments. They also objected to new provisions for third-party safety audits after a chemical release or accident and sections calling for companies to consider implementing inherently safer processes.
---------------------------------------------
MANCHESTER FIREFIGHTERS INJURED IN FIRE SUPPRESSION MISHAP
Tags: us_NH, industrial, fire, injury, halon, water_treatment
MANCHESTER - Two firefighters were treated at Elliot Hospital after a fire suppression chemical lowered the oxygen level in an electrical control room at the water treatment plant.
Fire crews answered an alarm at the 1581 Lake Shore Road plant at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The two firefighters entered the electrical control room to check the alarm, began having difficulty breathing and had to leave.
District Fire Chief Hank Martineau said a fire suppressant agent, similar to Halon that is used in areas of electrical equipment, had gone off.
When activated, the suppression system lowers the oxygen level in the room.
The system, he said, malfunctioned. When activated, it is supposed to flash a warning on the door so no one will enter. That didn't happen, Martineau said, and the firefighters were unaware that the suppressant had been set off when they entered the room.
Both were taken by ambulance to the hospital, where they were treated and later released.
Both are expected to return for their next shift, Martineau said.
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