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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, June 4, 2018 at 7:48:03 AM
A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Connecting Chemistry and Safety at http://www.dchas.org
All article summaries and tags are archived at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas
Table of Contents (12 articles)
IMPROVE CONSISTENCY OF PPE REQUIREMENTS TO IMPROVE CONSISTENCY OF PPE USE
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, release, response, methanol
PHOTOS: 'HAZMAT INCIDENT' AT CORNISH CARAVAN PARK
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, injury, batteries
FIVE TAKEAWAYS: TOXIC RISKS IN THE TWIN PORTS
Tags: us_MN, industrial, follow-up, environmental, hydrofluoric_acid
TANALITH CHEMICAL SPILL AT NORTHERN TIMBER FACILITY
Tags: Fiji, industrial, release, response, toxics
U.S. INDUSTRIES ASK TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO ENDORSE GLOBAL HYDROFLUOROCARBON DEAL
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, hvac_chemicals, ozone
GREENSBORO OFFICIALS ARE STILL ON THE TRAIL OF CHEMICAL CONTAMINANT PFOS, WHICH HAS BEEN FOUND IN CITY'S WATER SUPPLY
Tags: us_NC, public, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
5 FIREFIGHTERS INJURED IN PUTNAM COUNTY CHEMICAL FIRE
Tags: us_FL, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD FINALIZES INVESTIGATION INTO ARKEMA FIRES FOLLOWING TROPICAL STORM HARVEY•ÈÀ
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental
FIRE CREWS RESPOND TO REPORTED HAZMAT INCIDENT
Tags: us_MD, public, release, response, hydrochloric_acid
IN IRKUTSK THE SEC KOMSOMALL IN THE EXPLOSION INJURED EIGHT CHILDREN ‰?? VIDEO
Tags: Russia, education, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE 65TH ANNUAL WHAS CRUSADE FOR CHILDREN
Tags: us_KY, public, follow-up, injury, propane
MICHIGAN HEALTH ADVOCATES APPLAUD LOWE'S DECISION TO PHASE OUT HAZARDOUS PAINT STRIPPERS
Tags: us_MI, public, follow-up, environmental, methylene_chloride
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IMPROVE CONSISTENCY OF PPE REQUIREMENTS TO IMPROVE CONSISTENCY OF PPE USE
https://opexshare.doe.gov/lesson.cfm/2018/5/30/21369/Improve-Consistency-of-PPE-Requirements-to-Improve-Consistency-of-PPE-Use
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, release, response, methanol
A droplet of methanol splashed into a student's eye while using a 500-ml poly squirt bottle to clean resin out of a vial. The student was not wearing eye protection at the time, having failed to re-don safety glasses upon reentering the lab after a break. All appropriate follow-up actions, including rinsing the affected eye, reporting, and medical examinations, were completed and the student was released with no apparent eye injury.
The requirement to wear safety glasses in this lab is task-dependent - IF work involving certain materials is going to be performed, THEN specified PPE is required. It is left to the individual to be knowledgeable about the work controls, identify the need, and don safety glasses when appropriate. Some other labs, including the only other laboratory this student works in, have mandatory PPE requirements.
All personnel entering these labs are required to don the specified PPE upon entry regardless of the work location or task. Recommendation: Implement donning some level of PPE into the process for entering any lab that routinely uses potentially hazardous chemicals or materials, or potentially hazardous forms of chemicals or materials.
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PHOTOS: 'HAZMAT INCIDENT' AT CORNISH CARAVAN PARK
https://www.piratefm.co.uk/news/latest-news/2597067/photos-hazmat-incident-at-cornish-caravan-park/
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, injury, batteries
A woman has been taken to hospital after a hazmat incident at a Cornish caravan park.
Firefighters from Lostwithiel got the call on Sunday evening.
It was thought that gas was leaking from a fridge inside a caravan but crews found it was actually a faulty battery.
It was removed and teams made the scene safe. One woman was taken to Treliske as a precaution.
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FIVE TAKEAWAYS: TOXIC RISKS IN THE TWIN PORTS
https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/business/energy-and-mining/4455256-five-takeaways-toxic-risks-twin-ports
Tags: us_MN, industrial, follow-up, environmental, hydrofluoric_acid
The News Tribune on Sunday took a long, hard look at the use of hydrogen fluoride at the Husky Energy refinery in Superior and other chemical risks in the Twin Ports. Here are five key takeaways to get caught up on the issue.
Hydrogen fluoride, also known as hydrofluoric acid, is used to raise the octane on gasoline at 50 refineries around the country, including Husky's facility in Superior. It's the most dangerous chemical handled in the Twin Ports, and emergency planning for the refinery is based on the worst-case scenario of a massive, sudden release that could affect up to a 25-mile radius.
There are safer alternatives to hydrogen fluoride, but it could be difficult and costly to switch to the other common catalyst, sulfuric acid. It would also take years, meaning hydrogen fluoride is here to stay barring any sudden moves or the discontinuation of gasoline production by Husky.
A Chevron refinery in Salt Lake City is implementing a new alternative called ionic fluids, which will completely replace the hydrogen fluoride the company has long used. Distributor Honeywell said refineries are in "wait-and-see mode" before making their own investment in the technology.
Since 1987, accidental hydrogen fluoride releases at refineries around the country have caused injuries but no deaths, and there is no record of a significant release at the Superior refinery. Even as the April 26 fire raged within sight of 15,000 pounds of hydrogen fluoride, the chemical was kept safe, as the refinery assures it will continue to be.
A total of seven facilities around the Twin Ports handle toxic chemicals that pose a risk to nearby residents under extremely unlikely though technically possible worst-case scenarios. After hydrogen fluoride, a potential chlorine release at Cloquet Pump Station No. 2 and a possible propane explosion at a Superior storage facility put the most people at risk. Western Lake Superior Sanitary District eliminated one of the greatest worst-case risks when it abandoned the use of chlorine in 2006.
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TANALITH CHEMICAL SPILL AT NORTHERN TIMBER FACILITY
http://www.fijitimes.com/tanalith-chemical-spill-at-northern-timber-facility/
Tags: Fiji, industrial, release, response, toxics
THE chemical that spilled at the Malau Port in Labasa last Monday has been identified by the Ministry of Environment as Tanalith.
Considered as a very toxic chemical to aquatic organisms, the United Kingdom‰??s Safety Data Sheet revealed that Tanalith could have lasting effects on the marine ecosystem; the chemical classified as ‰??able to cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment‰??.
The chemical product, which according to the datasheet is a mix of chromium, copper, and arsenic, should not be allowed to enter drains, watercourses or the soil.
Fiji‰??s Ministry of Environment‰??s permanent secretary Joshua Wycliffe said they had received a report from Fiji Forest Industries (FFI) that one of its Tanalith storage tanks had burst and that this chemical had spilled onto the surrounding environment at the facility.
He said a coordinated approach had been taken by three agencies ‰?? Ministry of Environment, National Fire Authority and Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji ‰?? to mitigate the spillage.
‰??The chemical Tanalith is used to treat sawn timber while the facility is located at Malau, Labasa on an elevated lot from the sea,‰?? Mr Wycliffe said.
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U.S. INDUSTRIES ASK TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO ENDORSE GLOBAL HYDROFLUOROCARBON DEAL
https://cen.acs.org/environment/greenhouse-gases/US-industries-ask-Trump-administration/96/i23
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, hvac_chemicals, ozone
group of unlikely allies wants the Trump administration to require reduced U.S. use of a class of synthetic chemicals that are potent greenhouse gases, in line with an international agreement.
The organizations lobbying for the restrictions include rival international chemical producers Arkema, Chemours, Honeywell, and Mexichem Fluor as well as a U.S. business that builds refrigerated trailers for shipping. Then there are environmental advocates, domestic manufacturers of home refrigerators, and a company that makes aerosol tire-inflating products.
Related: The global push against hydrofluorocarbons
The organizations hold different views on how the U.S. should implement a 2016 treaty on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)‰??chemicals used as refrigerants, aerosol propellants, and blowing agents that puff up plastic into foams. But they are delivering a unified appeal to the Trump administration, which has generally disparaged international deals, from trade pacts to the Paris Agreement to combat climate change. Their message is simple: Back the global accord on HFCs.
HFCs replaced chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons, two classes of chemicals that were used for the above applications and that break down stratospheric ozone. In contrast, HFCs are harmless to the ozone layer but have large potential to contribute to global warming.
---------------------------------------------
GREENSBORO OFFICIALS ARE STILL ON THE TRAIL OF CHEMICAL CONTAMINANT PFOS, WHICH HAS BEEN FOUND IN CITY'S WATER SUPPLY
http://www.greensboro.com/news/government/greensboro-officials-are-still-on-the-trail-of-chemical-contaminant/article_44175ef1-369c-5853-97a6-5a404acecebb.html
Tags: us_NC, public, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical
GREENSBORO ‰?? Confronting a recent spike of a chemical compound in part of the city water supply, officials are continuing their search near the airport for a possible source.
With higher levels of perfluorinated chemicals detected at one of its treatment plants, Greensboro‰??s water department has collected samples of groundwater from test wells at Piedmont Triad International Airport. Local administrators are looking for the source of problems with perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS, a component of some firefighting foams.
The city took the groundwater samples in late April from 11 monitoring wells at an airport test site on Greensboro‰??s western outskirts where city officials believe the bulk of their PFOS problem is centered, said Mike Borchers,
---------------------------------------------
5 FIREFIGHTERS INJURED IN PUTNAM COUNTY CHEMICAL FIRE
https://www.news4jax.com/news/chemical-fire-sends-5-firefighters-to-the-hospital
Tags: us_FL, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. - An explosion and fire at a chemical plant in Putnam County on Saturday injured five firefighters .
The blast happened just after 2 p.m. at a chemical plant on Janice Drive located in the western part of Putnam County known as Frances.
Capt. Hancel Woods with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said the fire is under control.
"So far, there have been five firefighters that have been transported. One got overheated;.four as a precautionary measure because they were potentially exposed to some sort of chemical. We don't know what that is," Woods said.
"The fire was reported. We responded, there are some chemicals involved in this manufacturing facility where the fire occurred. At this point in time, I don't have information about a cause of the fire. Quite a few units from Palatka and Putnam counties responded and also Clay County sent a few units. The Department of Environmental Protection has responded as well as the State Fire Marshal's Office," said Woods.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD FINALIZES INVESTIGATION INTO ARKEMA FIRES FOLLOWING TROPICAL STORM HARVEY•ÈÀ
https://cen.acs.org/safety/industrial-safety/Chemical-Safety-Board-finalizes-investigation/96/i23
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental
The U.S. Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is calling on chemical companies to better prepare for the growing likelihood of a future of flooding, hurricanes, and extreme weather events. The board‰??s recommendation springs from fires last year at the Arkema chemical facility in the Houston area during Tropical Storm Harvey.
CSB released its guidance and final report on the Arkema fires on May 24. The Arkema plant makes organic peroxides used to produce consumer goods, such as polystyrene cups and plates.
A facility warehouse stored some 159,000 kg of reactive organic peroxides that needed to be kept at temperatures below freezing to avoid decomposition and combustion. Peroxides are held in relatively small containers to allow for heat dissipation and to prevent self-ignition.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE CREWS RESPOND TO REPORTED HAZMAT INCIDENT
http://www.mymcmedia.org/fire-crews-respond-reported-hazmat-incident/
Tags: us_MD, public, release, response, hydrochloric_acid
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue crews responded to a hazmat incident on New Hampshire Avenue near Norbeck Road.
Crews were dispatched Friday morning for reports of Muriatic Acid, a chemical used for pool cleaning, on the roads.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesperson Pete Piringer said the product was removed and the situation has mitigated and washed down.
---------------------------------------------
IN IRKUTSK THE SEC KOMSOMALL IN THE EXPLOSION INJURED EIGHT CHILDREN ‰?? VIDEO
https://koztimes.com/in-irkutsk-the-sec-komsomall-in-the-explosion-injured-eight-children-video/18708/
Tags: Russia, education, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
The explosion occurred while conducting chemical experiments in the science adventure center
On Friday, June 1, in the Russian city of Irkutsk, an explosion occurred in the shopping center Komsomall.
This is with reference to the EMERCOM of the Russian Federation reports irk.ru.
Reportedly, the accident injured eight children.
‰??On the third floor was an explosion of steam-air mixture. Now established that it was in liquid‰?| Kids got burns first and second degree. Some of the victims received burns to 40% of the body‰??, ‰?? stated in the message.
According to reports, the incident occurred during chemical experiments in science adventure center of gravity.
It is noted that the alert system Komsomall the arrival of the rescuers did not work.
---------------------------------------------
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE 65TH ANNUAL WHAS CRUSADE FOR CHILDREN
https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/cause-of-lexington-ups-facility-explosion-released/417-560597213
Tags: us_KY, public, follow-up, injury, propane
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WHAS11) -- The cause of an accidental explosion in Lexington at a UPS maintenance facility was released by the fire department.
Investigators with the Lexington Fire Department said a spark from a propane torch ignited a leaky tank on Wednesday. It contained a chemical often used as a fuel.
The explosion hurt eight people, including a UPS driver and the operator of the torch, and damaged the building.
None of the tanks exploded, but the blast was felt in nearby Lexington neighborhoods.
---------------------------------------------
MICHIGAN HEALTH ADVOCATES APPLAUD LOWE'S DECISION TO PHASE OUT HAZARDOUS PAINT STRIPPERS
http://michiganradio.org/post/michigan-health-advocates-applaud-lowes-decision-phase-out-hazardous-paint-strippers
Tags: us_MI, public, follow-up, environmental, methylene_chloride
Lowe's Home Improvement will stop selling hazardous paint stripper products by the end of the year, and replace them with safer, greener alternatives. That's in response to a nationwide petition campaign by groups including Michigan health advocates.
The products contain methylene chloride and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). Methylene chloride in particular is considered extremely hazardous. About fifty people have died from exposure to methylene chloride vapors in the U.S. since 1980, according to Ken Rosenman, an epidemiologist at Michigan State University whose research focuses on workplace fatalities. He says that exposure to even a small amount of methylene chloride can be deadly, whether it‰??s through vapors or skin exposure.
‰??It‰??s very heartening that Lowe‰??s has taken this on a voluntary basis. I‰??m hoping to see this as a regulatory standard across the country,‰?? says Rosenman.
Jeff Gearhart is with the Ann Arbor Ecology Center. He called Lowe's decision a victory for consumers and workers. But he says this is just the first step in getting hazardous paint strippers off the market. He wants the government to step in and regulate the chemicals.
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