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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 (21 articles)
Date: Fri, 19 May 2017 07:56:42 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 33B7811A-A887-4AD5-A925-BBCCDCC102E6**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, May 19, 2017 at 7:56:25 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 (21 articles)
STUDENTS TREATED AFTER SCHOOL CHEMICAL DRAMA
Tags: Australia, laboratory, release, injury, sulphur
HAZMAT CREWS ON WINDSOR STREET IN COLUMBIA
Tags: us_MO, transportation, release, response, cleaners, waste
PRINCIPAL: SOUTH LAKES HIGH SCHOOL EVACUATION WAS DUE TO APPARENT AEROSOL DISCHARGE
Tags: us_VA, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical, illegal
GE WORKERS PAYING PRICE FOR DECADES OF EXPOSURE TO TOXIC CHEMICALS: REPORT
Tags: Canada, industrial, discovery, environmental
STORAGE COMPANY VOPAK FINED FOR CHEMICAL EMISSIONS
Tags: us_TX, public, discovery, environmental, acetone, benzene, illegal, water_treatment
FEDS: DELAWARE CITY REFINERY DID NOT TAKE PROPER PRECAUTIONS BEFORE FIRE
Tags: us_DE, industrial, follow-up, injury, ethanol
OBAMA-ERA CHEMICAL INDUSTRY SAFETY RULES IN LIMBO
Tags: us_LA, industrial, discovery, environmental
NIH IS FIRM ON PLAN TO LIMIT PER-PERSON GRANT AWARDS
Tags: laboratory, discovery, environmental
ARTIFICIAL PITCHES ‰?? SAFE, NOT PERFECT
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental, metals
EMA: SEED SPILL UNLIKELY TO CAUSE MUCH DAMAGE
Tags: us_IN, transportation, release, response, ag_chems, pesticides
OIL SPILL LESSONS
Tags: us_CA, public, follow-up, environmental, petroleum
VICTIMS OF HAZARDOUS WASTE IN MOJOKERTO ASK FOR KOMNAS HAM'S HELP
Tags: Colombia, public, discovery, environmental, wastes
UPDATE: TRUCK DRIVER WAS ILL, BUT SHIPMENT WAS ROUTINE, POSED NO THREAT TO PUBLIC
Tags: us_TN, transportation, discovery, injury, radiation, waste
SCHOOL UNDER FIRE FOR PEPPER-SPRAYING STUDENTS AS PART OF CRIMINAL SCIENCE CLASS
Tags: us_OH, education, discovery, injury, pepper_spray
CHEMICAL ODOR FROM HOUSE DEMOLITION SHUTS DOWN HAWAII SCHOOL
Tags: us_HI, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical
LEAKING TRUCK STREAKS CHEMICAL ONTO PORTLAND ROAD
Tags: us_ME, transportation, release, response, plastics
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A CHEMICAL SPILL?
Tags: us_NC, public, discovery, environmental
RATE OF EPA CHEMICAL REGULATION RAMPS UP SINCE TOXICS LAW UPDATE
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
EXPLOSION AS BOMB SQUAD BRINGS END TO ALERT INVOLVING 'UNSTABLE' CHEMICAL IN HENLEAZE
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, discovery, response, picric_acid, time-sensitive
AUTHORITIES CAUTION AGAINST USE OF SCIENCE EXPERIMENT THAT INJURED 12 STUDENTS
Tags: us_TX, education, follow-up, environmental, methanol
OSHA ISSUES CHEMICAL PROCESS SAFETY MANAGEMENT REPORTS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND STORAGE FACILITIES
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental
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STUDENTS TREATED AFTER SCHOOL CHEMICAL DRAMA
Tags: Australia, laboratory, release, injury, sulphur
UPDATE: Twenty-four students and a teacher were treated by paramedics after a chemical incident at a Darling Downs school.
Emergency services were called to Millmerran P -10 State School just after 10am to reports of the chemical incident as a result of a science experiment involving the use of sulphur gas.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services entered the school in breathing apparatus and conducted atmospheric testing before ventilating the area.
A Department of Education and Training spokesperson said the incident took place in a science laboratory and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services was called as a precaution.
"Firefighters conducted atmospheric testing and did not detect any dangerous chemicals in the classroom," the spokesperson said.
They said the parents of all students were contacted and the affected area was ventilated with large fans to avoid further safety concerns or disruptions.
Queensland Ambulance Service senior operations supervisor Glen Barron said the teenagers were all taken to Millmerran Health Service in a stable condition, with many returning to school the same day.
"A couple of the children had been affected by some fumes, so off-gasses from one of their science experiments," he said.
"So we attended to that and as it progressed we gradually had more students who presented with some minor symptoms."
Mr Barron said symptoms included nausea and light headedness and one girl was treated for pre-existing asthma.
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HAZMAT CREWS ON WINDSOR STREET IN COLUMBIA
Tags: us_MO, transportation, release, response, cleaners, waste
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Columbia Fire Department confirms there was a small chemical reaction in the 1500 block of Windsor street.
According to CFD, members of Columbia's Solid Waste Department found a trash bag with light smoke coming from it.
The hazardous materials truck (hazmat) was requested for the call.
Crews found the trash bag with light, white smoke coming from it. Firefighters used specialized protective gear and determined the smoke was caused by a mixing of two household chemicals. A toilet bowl cleaner and another household cleaner had spilled from their containers and mixed in the bottom of the bag.
Crews applied an absorbing, neutralizing agent to the liquid and safely disposed of it.
Five units from the Columbia Fire Department responded to this call. There were no reported injuries.
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PRINCIPAL: SOUTH LAKES HIGH SCHOOL EVACUATION WAS DUE TO APPARENT AEROSOL DISCHARGE
Tags: us_VA, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical, illegal
Students and staff at South Lakes High School were evacuated Thursday morning after a chemical scare that administration says may result in criminal charges.
In a statement Thursday afternoon, Principal Kim Retzer said the evacuation just after 10 a.m. was prompted after ‰??some type of aerosol was apparently discharged in the hallway in the vicinity of the library.‰??
‰??As a precaution, five students and one teacher were taken to Reston Hospital for treatment. They have all been released. Others affected by the spray were treated at the scene. The fire department quickly responded and we were allowed to return to the building about 50 minutes later to resume normal operations. The fire department and hazmat team determined that the odor was not related to our on-going construction.‰??
Retzer said her office, with the assistance of a school resource officer and the Fairfax County Public Schools Office of Safety and Security, is conducting a ‰??thorough investigation‰?? of the incident to ‰??identify the individual or individuals responsible.‰??
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GE WORKERS PAYING PRICE FOR DECADES OF EXPOSURE TO TOXIC CHEMICALS: REPORT
Tags: Canada, industrial, discovery, environmental
Working conditions at General Electric‰??s Peterborough factory between 1945 and 2000 played a significant role in an ‰??epidemic‰?? of work-related illnesses among employees and retirees, according to a comprehensive study of chemical exposures at the plant.
The 173-page report, to be released Thursday, confirms what the community has been saying for years and will be used to support occupational disease claims previously denied by Ontario‰??s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, say the workers and Unifor, Canada‰??s largest private sector union, which sponsored the report.
‰??For many years, workers and their family members were forced to provide proof as to their working conditions, only to be told this is anecdotal,‰?? said Sue James, whose father Gord worked at the plant for 30 years and died of lung and spinal cancer, diseases his family believes were caused by his exposure to workplace chemicals.
‰??This report is a true depiction of the working conditions of the GE plant from its very beginnings until approximately 2000, when safety measures were finally being mandated,‰?? said James, who was also employed by the company for 30 years and is among 11 retirees who worked as advisers on the report.
‰??It honours and recognizes the struggles and grief of a working community and gives validation to an historic past,‰?? she added.
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STORAGE COMPANY VOPAK FINED FOR CHEMICAL EMISSIONS
Tags: us_TX, public, discovery, environmental, acetone, benzene, illegal, water_treatment
Vopak Logistics Services USA, part of the Dutch chemical storage company Royal Vopak, was fined $2.5 million for violations of the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Wednesday.
The EPA claims the company‰??s mismanagement of equipment released chemicals ‰?? including acetone and benzene ‰?? into a wastewater treatment system. EPA also alleged that Vopak didn‰??t follow federal regulations for flaring.
As part of the settlement with the EPA, Vopak will install infrared cameras to detect pollution coming from chemical storage tanks at its Deer Park facility in Harris County.
Chemical emissions, such as chemical solvents or car exhaust, can interact with the atmosphere in the presence of sunlight to create ozone, which can be harmful to human health. The Clean Air Act regulates ozone amount present in the atmosphere.
Vopak‰??s fine will be split between federal government and the state of Texas. The settlement is still subject to final court approval and a 30-day public comment period. Click here for information on how to comment.
---------------------------------------------
FEDS: DELAWARE CITY REFINERY DID NOT TAKE PROPER PRECAUTIONS BEFORE FIRE
Tags: us_DE, industrial, follow-up, injury, ethanol
The Delaware City Refining Co. failed to take adequate precautions to prevent a 2015 flash fire that seriously injured one of its workers, a federal safety board announced Thursday.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board found the refinery did not have procedures in place to evaluate the risk of last-minute changes to maintenance plans that ultimately led to the industrial accident, the agency announced at a press conference in Wilmington.
"If DCRC had identified and addressed potential hazards before commencing this work, this incident would not have happened," said Johnnie Banks, a supervisory investigator for the safety board.
While the Chemical Safety Board investigates the causes of chemical accidents at industrial facilities, the agency does not issue citations or levy fines.
Instead, the board on Thursday released a "safety bulletin" with five lessons the refinery and other industrial facilities should learn from the 2015 incident, including the need to re-evaluate of safety hazards when the scope of work is amended.
---------------------------------------------
OBAMA-ERA CHEMICAL INDUSTRY SAFETY RULES IN LIMBO
Tags: us_LA, industrial, discovery, environmental
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is reconsidering chemical facility disclosure requirements issued during the tail end of the Obama administration. Public comments about the decision are due tomorrow.
Supporters say the EPA‰??s Risk Management Program should be updated to protect communities near plants that produce dangerous chemicals. But industry representatives fear the changes could put confidential business information and public safety at risk.
‰??We support the public‰??s right to know,‰?? says Ed Flynn, vice president and director of health, safety and security for the Louisiana Chemical Association. ‰??But some of the additional public disclosure elements in the revised rules could have some unintended consequences.‰??
Under current law, Local Emergency Planning Committees develop emergency response plans and release information about chemicals manufactured at local facilities. LEPCs include elected officials, first responders, community groups and facility representatives, and supporters say the rules update will improve coordination among those groups.
‰??The modest improvements to the RMP rule, which in reality are best practices, should take effect now,‰?? argued Yogin Kothari, with the Union of Concerned Scientists, at a Washington, D.C. public hearing.
But the new rules would require far more disclosure than is needed for an effective emergency response, Flynn says. The information could fall into the wrong hands, he says‰??possibly leading to business interruption, espionage or even a terrorist act.
---------------------------------------------
NIH IS FIRM ON PLAN TO LIMIT PER-PERSON GRANT AWARDS
Tags: laboratory, discovery, environmental
Despite facing protests, the National Institutes of Health promised Wednesday to move ahead with a plan to impose a general limit of three major grants per researcher, persuaded by data linking quantity to declining effectiveness.
"We are determined to take some action now that we have this data," the NIH‰??s director, Francis S. Collins, told a House appropriations subcommittee. "When you‰??ve seen that data," he added after the hearing, "you can‰??t just walk away and say, ‰??Oh, that‰??s fine.‰??"
Dr. Collins was referring to statistics compiled in recent months by Michael S. Lauer, the top NIH official in charge of external grant awards, showing that researcher productivity as measured by journal citations tends to decline once a scientist holds at least three major NIH grants.
The proposed three-grant limit is the latest in a series of attempts by the NIH, made over the years with limited success, to help younger researchers compete against more senior colleagues who have both the personal connections and the scientific experience to win relatively larger shares of federal grant support.
---------------------------------------------
ARTIFICIAL PITCHES ‰?? SAFE, NOT PERFECT
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental, metals
For many years, sports players have been able to use all-weather pitches for football, rugby, lacrosse and gaelic sports. These playing surfaces often use rubber granules as infill. But are these granules safe? ECHA evaluated the health risks and our findings were published at the end of February 2017. The Commission is now deciding whether to take any further action. We spoke with Mark Blainey, Senior Scientific Officer in ECHA‰??s Risk Management Unit to ask what the findings in the report mean and what follow-up may be needed.
A low level of concern
Artificial sports pitches are used by a wide range of people ‰?? from children playing on them to professional athletes plying their trade. The safety of pitches has hit the headlines following concerns that exposure to rubber granules was linked with health risks including increased rates of cancer.
‰??When assessing chemicals that could cause cancer, the risk is never totally zero,‰?? Mr Blainey explains and continues, ‰??this is because very small amounts can theoretically cause an effect. Cancer risk is therefore expressed as the extra number of cancers that might statistically be expected from a measured exposure to the chemical‰??.
For example, rubber does contain some substances that are carcinogenic, and so do rubber granules. Substances commonly found in the recycled rubber granules include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals, phthalates, volatile organic hydrocarbons (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic hydrocarbons (SVOCs).
---------------------------------------------
EMA: SEED SPILL UNLIKELY TO CAUSE MUCH DAMAGE
Tags: us_IN, transportation, release, response, ag_chems, pesticides
PENDLETON ‰?? A farming accident dumped about 200 acres worth of seed treated with fertilizer and pesticide into a creek near Pendleton Baptist Church on Wednesday.
Madison County Emergency Management Agency and hazardous materials teams worked to stop chemicals from the seeds, a mix of soybean and corn seeds pretreated with Beck‰??s Escalate Yield Enhancement System, from making their way into Fall Creek from the spill site near 207 W. Old Indiana 132.
The company transporting the seed is financially responsible for the spill.
Fish in the tributary, which feeds into Fall Creek, are the most susceptible to harm because of the spill, though because the spill was into a moving waterway, the threat to wildlife was diminished.
‰??From everything we read, there was no threat to humans, though there was a risk that in high concentrations could have negative impact on water wildlife,‰?? said Todd Harmeson, deputy director and public information officer for EMA. ‰??There actually was tadpole swimming around right where the spill was, so that really shows the lowered impact."
---------------------------------------------
OIL SPILL LESSONS
Tags: us_CA, public, follow-up, environmental, petroleum
Two years after the Refugio Oil Spill, county supervisors are still second-guessing the emergency response they thought could have spared the state beach from 142,000 gallons of crude oil. They pointed to several ways cleanup vessels could have worked faster and more efficiently.
Framing the discussion was a healthy dose of party politics. First out of the gate, Peter Adam, arch-conservative county supervisor, complained the board had already discussed the incident ad nauseam. He argued the oil spilled in the 2015 incident was a tiny fraction of that in Santa Barbara‰??s infamous 1969 spill. County Supervisor Das Williams, an outspoken environmentalist who worked on state legislation to enhance emergency oil response, objected: ‰??If this small of a spill could create this much damage, what would happen to our community with a catastrophically large spill?‰?? County Supervisor Janet Wolf, who headed response efforts, added, ‰??It was a nightmare. The impact was huge.‰??
The exchange perfectly embodied the polarization of oil drilling in Santa Barbara. While North County conservatives say oil drilling provides necessary revenues for strapped county coffers, the environmental community on the South Coast has become increasingly hostile to any new drilling.
---------------------------------------------
VICTIMS OF HAZARDOUS WASTE IN MOJOKERTO ASK FOR KOMNAS HAM'S HELP
Tags: Colombia, public, discovery, environmental, wastes
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Villagers of Lakardowo in Mojokerto district, East Java, are asking for help from the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) over alleged hazardous waste pollution in the village. Hazardous waste management company PT Putra Restu Ibu Abadi (PRIA) allegedly has stockpiled hazardous materials since 2010, polluting local wells in the process.
‰??We hope that the Komnas HAM would visit Lakardowo, hold dialogues with residents and hear our testimony and former plant workers who were involved in stockpiling hazardous waste in PT PRIA plant area,‰?? Lakardowo Resident Presidium (Pendowo Bangkit) chairman Nurasim.
Pendowo Bankit also asks Komnas HAM to question the central government, East Java provincial government and Mojokerto administration over fresh water supply to the people. The people view that water pollution is attributable to the negligence of local agencies, namely the Environment and Forestry Office (LHK) and the Environment Agency of the province and regency.
‰??We also urge government institutions to prevent pollution from spreading further and mitigate its impacts on people‰??s health,‰?? he said.
Data from Pendowo Bangkit said that at least 500 head of household in three villages have been affected by land, water and air pollution. Stockpiles of hazardous wastes allegedly polluted local wells, whereas the smoke from burning waste has led to respiratory problems.
---------------------------------------------
UPDATE: TRUCK DRIVER WAS ILL, BUT SHIPMENT WAS ROUTINE, POSED NO THREAT TO PUBLIC
Tags: us_TN, transportation, discovery, injury, radiation, waste
Authorities investigated a truck shipment labeled radioactive after a driver was reported ill on Wednesday afternoon, and they found the shipment was routine and posed no threat to the public, the Oak Ridge Fire Department said.
The Oak Ridge Fire Department responded to the call of the truck driver who was ill on Oak Ridge Turnpike near Newport Drive at about 11:50 a.m. Wednesday.
When they arrived, firefighters saw the truck and its flatbed trailer were transporting hazardous waste, so as they evaluated the patient, the Fire Department said in a City of Oak Ridge press release.
Firefighters also followed procedure to evaluate the shipment to ensure there was no association with the truck driver‰??s illness, the press release said.
‰??Officials closed that section of the Oak Ridge Turnpike as a precautionary measure until the patient could be evaluated and transported to the local hospital,‰?? the press release said. ‰??The truck was relocated off of the state highway to a city parking lot for additional evaluation and the highway was re-opened.‰??
---------------------------------------------
SCHOOL UNDER FIRE FOR PEPPER-SPRAYING STUDENTS AS PART OF CRIMINAL SCIENCE CLASS
Tags: us_OH, education, discovery, injury, pepper_spray
A group of Ohio high school students learned the hard way how painful pepper spray can be.
Read: Doctor Explains Teen's Caffeine Overdose Death: 'A Perfect Storm of Stimulation'
The teenagers were heard screaming in agony as the effects of the spray kicked in.
The group of teens at Barberton High School in Ohio willingly participated with their parents' consent on how effective and potent pepper spray can be.
‰??It's like a volcano in my eyes!‰?? one student shouted.
The shocking video, shot by a parent, is causing a firestorm on social media.
‰??Horrifying,‰?? one person called it.
‰??No one should have to go through this,‰?? said another.
Another added: ‰??They're being sprayed with a toxic substance."
It happened during a class on criminal science technology, and the teacher is the town‰??s former police chief.
The parents of each participating student signed waivers that warned: ‰??Each student will receive a quick ‰??burst‰?? with this chemical agent. It will cause irritation and a burning sensation to the eyes and nasal area for approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour."
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL ODOR FROM HOUSE DEMOLITION SHUTS DOWN HAWAII SCHOOL
Tags: us_HI, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical
HONOLULU (AP) ‰?? An elementary school in Honolulu was closed Tuesday after the demolition of a nearby house released a noxious chemical odor.
Kahala Elementary School students and faculty were instructed to shelter in place in climate-controlled classrooms while fire crews investigated, Honolulu Fire Capt. David Jenkins said. School officials then called parents to pick up their children.
First responders assessed 17 students and three adults at the school for complaints of headaches, nausea and dizziness.
No patients had to be taken to the hospital.
"No one was actually poisoned by the chemical, it's just the fumes are noxious and they make you feel like upset stomach and a little dizzy," Battalion Chief Geoffrey Chang said.
Class were expected to resume Wednesday.
"The demolition company should have asked first if the homeowner was aware of anything," said Chris Forbes of Island Construction and Demolition. "They can come out, check for any contaminants and file a report prior to demolition."
---------------------------------------------
LEAKING TRUCK STREAKS CHEMICAL ONTO PORTLAND ROAD
Tags: us_ME, transportation, release, response, plastics
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- A chemical leak not only stopped a commercial box truck from making its rounds, it also stopped the traffic around it as well.
Emergency crews strung warning tape along Congress Street in Portland on Wednesday morning to keep the public a safe distance away from a truck belonging to Anderson Insulation.
A police officer stopped the truck near the fire station on Munjoy Hill after noticing it had sprung some sort of a leak. After initial work by firefighters to contain the leak, the operation was turned over to a hazardous material team in protective gear.
Warning tape limited the flow of traffic on Congress Street in Portland until crews cleaned up the chemical that was leaking from an Anderson Insulation truck
Assistant Fire Chief Keith Gautreau identified the chemical as a polymer used to make insulation. It was being stored in a 55 gallon drum that was found to have cracked, leaking 10 gallons into the truck and another 15 onto the ground. Gautreau said only the liquid form of the chemical is hazardous and only when released into an enclosed space.
---------------------------------------------
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A CHEMICAL SPILL?
Tags: us_NC, public, discovery, environmental
The Local Emergency Planning Committee met Tuesday and got a rundown on some chemicals in various parts of Boone County and reactions necessary in an emergency.
Harrison Fire Department training officer Jeremy Sansing said local businesses are required to submit a list of chemicals ‰?? such as fuels, acids and the like ‰?? they have at their locations. They are compiled on a Tier II list, supplied to the Office of Emergency Management and then to the LEPC.
Sansing gave committee members an example of a chemical called ‰??styrene,‰?? a precursor to polystyrene.
Thorpe Plant Services, the former Tankinetics, uses styrene and had listed 25,000 pounds of the chemical on hand at the plant, Sansing said.
He said that if the entire supply of the chemical spilled at one time, although unlikely, it would require evacuations of people within a half-mile radius.
However, if winds began to spread the vapor, the evacuation area could be expanded in a linear fashion to up to two miles or more with varying degrees of danger in the area.
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RATE OF EPA CHEMICAL REGULATION RAMPS UP SINCE TOXICS LAW UPDATE
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
The Environmental Protection Agency has been regulating more new chemicals since the Toxic Substances Control Act was overhauled than it did before, according to a snapshot of its work over the past 11 months.
‰??It‰??s definitely harder to get a new chemical to market,‰?? Charles Auer, a former senior EPA chemicals official told Bloomberg BNA. Auer now is a senior regulatory and policy adviser for the Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. law firm.
Auer, who spent 32 years working on chemicals at EPA, said he had expected the new law to double or triple the number of regulations the agency would impose on new chemicals, Instead the agency‰??s regulation rate is vastly exceeding his expectations.
Prior to the law‰??s update, about 10 percent of new chemicals were regulated in some way, Auer said. A snapshot of information the EPA released May 17 suggests about 50 percent of new chemicals are being regulated since TSCA was amended, he said.
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EXPLOSION AS BOMB SQUAD BRINGS END TO ALERT INVOLVING 'UNSTABLE' CHEMICAL IN HENLEAZE
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, discovery, response, picric_acid, time-sensitive
A controlled explosion has been carried out to dispose of an 'unstable substance' in Henleaze.
Fire crews were called to Park Grove shortly before 3.30pm today, when what was described as an ‰??unstable substance‰?? was found at a house in the street.
Nearby Henleaze Infant and Junior schools - which were already finishing for the day - were evacuated and residents were told to keep their distance, as police and firefighters set up a 50-metre safety perimeter.
Remaining pupils were ushered out of a side entrance to avoid the cordoned-off area.
Bomb squad truck in Park Grove, Henleaze, scene of an alert over an 'unstable substance'
The school later confirmed that all the pupils were safe.
Eventually the cordon was relaxed and Park Grove residents were allowed to re-enter their homes, but they were told to ensure all windows and doors were shut.
One mother, who had been waiting for around an hour, said: "We were all told to leave very quickly.
"It was a bit frustrating because I've got a cake in the oven. I did manage to turn the oven off before I left."
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit were called to tackle the mystery substance and arrived on the scene shortly before 6.40pm.
Royal Logistic Corps bomb disposal unit truck at the scene of today's alert in Park Grove, Henleaze
At around 7.05pm a loud bang was heard as the soldiers carried out a controlled explosion to make the chemical safe.
Avon Fire and Rescue service said that the substance had been taken into the school playing field and surrounded by sand bags before the controlled explosion.
It was later revealed that the substance was picric acid, a volatile chemical which caused a similar alert when some was discovered at Clifton College last year.
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AUTHORITIES CAUTION AGAINST USE OF SCIENCE EXPERIMENT THAT INJURED 12 STUDENTS
Tags: us_TX, education, follow-up, environmental, methanol
Five-year-old Kate Earnest remembered a bang, a flash and then screaming.
She and her classmates at The Yellow School, a day school at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in the Memorial Villages area, had been watching their teacher conduct a seemingly innocuous science experiment Tuesday.
The teacher poured an accelerant - in this case methanol - onto chemical salts in bowls, said David Foster, police chief with the Village Police Department.
The salts would burn at different light frequencies, creating a rainbow.
But when the teacher didn't see an undetected flame already in one of the bowls, the teacher poured in more methanol from a plastic bottle, Foster said.
The results were frightening. The additional methanol onto the flame essentially created a rocket effect, shooting fire out of the bottle and into Kate and her classmates, seated about 10 feet away.
The so-called Rainbow Fire experiment is common nationwide as a way to show differences in atomic structures, said Kristen Kulinowski, a board member of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board.
The safety board has been asking teachers since 2013 to question whether the experiment is really necessary in their classrooms. And, in a setting like The Yellow School, where students are between 3 and kindergarten, Kulinowski questioned whether it was worth the risk.
Students were sitting outside watching the experiment around 12:30 p.m. , supervised by at least half a dozen teachers, Foster said.
"It appeared they took as many precautions as they could," Foster said. "Short of not doing the experiment."
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OSHA ISSUES CHEMICAL PROCESS SAFETY MANAGEMENT REPORTS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND STORAGE FACILITIES
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued two reports on the safe management of hazards by small businesses and storage facilities that use highly hazardous chemicals in business processes.
In 1994, OSHA outlined the requirements for the management of hazards associated with processes using highly hazardous chemicals in its Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals (HHC) standard (29 CFR 1910.119). OSHA said the standard is intended to help prevent or minimize unexpected releases of toxic, reactive, or flammable liquids and gases associated with these processes. The agency said the standard emphasizes the establishment of a ‰??comprehensive management program that integrates technologies, procedures, and best management practices.‰??
In its small businesses report, OSHA said, ‰??Catastrophic HHC release events continue to occur among smaller companies.‰?? It said one study estimated that employers with 1-25 employees are 47 times more likely to have a release and 17 times more likely to suffer an injury, per employee, than facilities with 1,500 or more employees. It said that the release of highly hazardous chemicals not only risks worker safety, but the safety of surrounding populations and structures because small businesses often are located in populated areas.
In its report for storage facilities, OSHA said that, between 1997 and 2013, ‰??numerous‰?? incidents at storage facilities have caused serious injuries and fatalities to employees. It said storage facilities typically have considerably less complex process safety issues than facilities with large chemical manufacturing operations, which may make compliance easier and less costly.
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