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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, July 4, 2018 at 5:38:49 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 (17 articles)
UPDATE: HAZMAT TEAM HAS REFRIGERANT LEAK, AMMONIA SMELL UNDER CONTROL; EVACUATION ORDER RESCINDED
Tags: us_OK, public, release, response, ammonia, hvac_chemicals
RAILCAR LEAKING DANGEROUS CHEMICALS CONTAINED, HIGHWAY 30 REOPEN
Tags: us_OR, transportation, release, response, solvent
SOLOMON STAR NEWS
Tags: Solomon_Islands, education, discovery, response, flammables, oxidizers
SYMPOSIUM UNITES FEMALE CHEMISTS, ENCOURAGES CHEMICAL SCIENCE VOICE
Tags: Canada, public, discovery, environmental
FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORK INJURIES DOWN BUT HAZARDS REMAIN
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, fireworks
TOXIC GAS LEAK, FIRE KILL 5 WORKERS NEAR IRANIAN CAPITAL
Tags: Iran, industrial, explosion, death, petroleum
HAZMAT SITUATION AT HARVARD LAB CLOSES ROADS: CAMBRIDGE FIRE
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
WANDTV.COM, NEWSCENTER17, STORMCENTER17, CENTRAL ILLINOIS NEWS-
Tags: us_IL, public, fire, response, pool_chemicals
POOL CHEMICAL SPILL SHUTS DOWN ROAD IN PENSACOLA
Tags: us_AL, transportation, release, response, chlorine, dust
FIRE OFFICIALS: 1 PERSON TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK A
Tags: us_SC, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
1 DEAD, 11 INJURED AFTER CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSION
Tags: Japan, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
HAZMAT SITUATION DISPLACES FOUR FAMILIES IN MANCHESTER
Tags: us_NH, public, release, injury, solvent
SMOKING POWDERED SOAP CAUSES HAZMAT RESPONSE, CLOSES CENTER ROAD
Tags: us_IL, industrial, release, response, dust
FEDS SEEK WARRANT TO ENTER ABANDONED PATERSON CHEMICAL FACTORY
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, follow-up, environmental, flammables
AVOID SAFETY PITFALLS DURING PLANT EXPANSION AND MODIFICATION
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental, natural_gas
9 YEAR-OLD NAPA BOY RECOVERING AFTER CHEMISTRY CAMP ACCIDENT
Tags: us_CA, education, fire, injury
MISHANDLING RADIOACTIVE SOURCES AND SAMPLES
Tags: industrial, discovery, response, radiation
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UPDATE: HAZMAT TEAM HAS REFRIGERANT LEAK, AMMONIA SMELL UNDER CONTROL; EVACUATION ORDER RESCINDED
https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/update-hazmat-team-has-refrigerant-leak-ammonia-smell-under-control/article_7c13bece-f862-53d1-94f1-1ac82b74efa5.html
Tags: us_OK, public, release, response, ammonia, hvac_chemicals
A hazmat team and a Tulsa Fire Department crew responding to an ammonia leak at a midtown business have the situation under control, and fire officials have rescinded an evacuation order, Fire Department Capt. Stan May said.
Firefighters were responding to an unrelated car wreck nearby when they detected a strong odor of ammonia. Some businesses near 44th Street and 70th East Avenue were evacuated.
A hazmat team located the leak at Windsor Foods, a cold-storage facility at 4477 S. 70th East Ave., and identified it as refrigerant.
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RAILCAR LEAKING DANGEROUS CHEMICALS CONTAINED, HIGHWAY 30 REOPEN
http://www.kptv.com/story/38568911/rail-car-leaking-dangerous-chemical-forces-evacuations-shuts-down-highway-in-portland
Tags: us_OR, transportation, release, response, solvent
PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) -
Fire crews responded to reports of a railcar leaking a chemical similar to paint-thinner Tuesday afternoon in northwest Portland.
Firefighters rushed to Northwest Yeon Avenue, also known as Highway 30, just after 3 p.m. and closed the road to traffic.
The road was temporarily closed between Northwest Kittridge Avenue and Northwest 35th Avenue and reopened around 5:30 p.m. Nearby buildings were evacuated, Portland Fire & Rescue said.
A hazmat team also responded. The team stopped the leak a bit before 5 p.m
---------------------------------------------
SOLOMON STAR NEWS
http://www.solomonstarnews.com/index.php/news/national/item/20660-chemical-scare
Tags: Solomon_Islands, education, discovery, response, flammables, oxidizers
RESIDENTS of Tuvaruhu, central Honiara are urgently appealing to responsible authorities to immediately remove exposed bottles of chemicals, which were discovered behind the Tuvaruhu community high school (CHS), Monday.
The Solomon Star was at the scene yesterday to witness the scary discovery, and have noticed that more than 10 different types of cartons of chemicals were being dumped there.
The chemicals were identified as; Tin (ll) Chloride hydride, Ethanol absolute, Sulfuric acid, Ammonium Hydrogen difluride, Acetic acid, Ammonium fluoride, Ammonium persulfate, Ammonium nitrate, Potassium iodide, Potassium hydroxide, and Potassium nitrate.
Those that were familiar with the chemicals said these were dangerous chemicals and how they were being dumped has caused high risks to humans and the environment.
They were normally used by mining companies.
A community representative told this paper at the scene that, the cartons of chemicals were believed to be dumped there, last Thursday.
He said the alleged suspects wanted to bury the cartons of chemicals behind the Tuvaruhu school, for unknown reason.
‰??In fact, they already buried quite a number of bottles of chemicals in three holes they dug,‰??‰?? he said.
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SYMPOSIUM UNITES FEMALE CHEMISTS, ENCOURAGES CHEMICAL SCIENCE VOICE
https://homelandprepnews.com/stories/29274-symposium-unites-female-chemists-encourages-chemical-science-voice/
Tags: Canada, public, discovery, environmental
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the Canadian government recently joined forces to gather female chemists, during the Symposium on Women in Chemistry in Ottawa, Canada.
OPCW officials said the two-day effort involved discussing how the women support each other professionally and they could project their voices more prominently in chemical science.
‰??Canada firmly believes that promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls, including, but by no means limited to, strengthening women in chemistry for peaceful purposes, is the single most effective action we can take to build a more peaceful, more inclusive and more prosperous world,‰?? Mark Gwozdecky, assistant deputy minister, International Security and Political Affairs, Global Affairs of Canada, said.
The endeavor also sought to highlight the role of women in the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, including chemical safety and security management.
‰??Women have contributed to the peaceful uses of chemistry throughout history, but they still remain underrepresented in this field,‰?? Xiaohui Wu, head of the OPCW‰??s International Cooperation Branch, said.
---------------------------------------------
FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORK INJURIES DOWN BUT HAZARDS REMAIN
https://www.bna.com/fourth-july-firework-n73014477074/
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, fireworks
In 1976, U.S. consumers used 29 million pounds of fireworks, and there were roughly 38.3 fireworks-related injuries per 100,000 pounds of fireworks. In 2017, that number decreased to 5 despite Americans using nearly nine times the amount of fireworks they did in 1976, according to a report by the American Pyrotechnics Association, a group that promotes the use of fireworks.
Federal regulators don‰??t tally the number of workers injured or killed by fireworks-related incidents each year, but high-profile accidents over the past decade have left several workers maimed or dead.
‰??The products are safer. You see most of the injuries now are due to misuse and abuse rather than product malfunction,‰?? Bill Weimer, vice president of Phantom Fireworks in Youngstown, Ohio, said. ‰??You have a smarter buying public, because of all the educational information companies like Phantom are providing.‰??
About 67 percent of fireworks-related injuries in 2017 occurred in the 30-day period surrounding the holiday, Elizabeth Klinefelter, public affairs specialist for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, told Bloomberg Environment.
---------------------------------------------
TOXIC GAS LEAK, FIRE KILL 5 WORKERS NEAR IRANIAN CAPITAL
http://www.startribune.com/toxic-gas-leak-fire-kill-5-workers-near-iranian-capital/487135461/
Tags: Iran, industrial, explosion, death, petroleum
TEHRAN, Iran ‰?? The Iranian media say a toxic gas leak and a fire have killed five workers in two separate incidents at plants near the capital, Tehran.
The official IRNA news agency says four of the workers were killed in the gas leak at a paper mill about 20 kilometers, or 12.5 miles, southeast of Tehran.
And west of Tehran, an explosion following a fire at a chemical plant killed one worker and injured dozens. Several cars were also burnt in the blaze.
Monday's reports say authorities are investigating the incidents.
Fires and similar incidents occur occasionally in Iran's aging oil-related facilities and other plants that were hit hard by years of Western sanctions.
A worker was killed last Wednesday when a fire broke out at a petrochemical complex in southern Iran.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT SITUATION AT HARVARD LAB CLOSES ROADS: CAMBRIDGE FIRE
https://patch.com/massachusetts/cambridge/hazmat-situation-harvard-lab-closes-roads-cambridge-fire
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
CAMBRIDGE, MA ‰?? Cambridge Fire officials said they're investigating a potential gas leak in a cabinet at a Harvard Chemistry lab and it's prompted police to close down Oxford Street and nearby roads.
If you're in or around Harvard Square, and you noticed a few Cambridge fire vehicles, that's what's going on. You may want to avoid driving in that area.
Fire officials are calling it at Level 1 hazmat response, which merits an engine truck, a ladder truck a rescue and a hazmat truck as well as a squad car response.
Edward Mallinckrodt Chemical Laboratory is one of four research buildings in the Cabot Sciences Complex. The Mallinckrodt lab features lecture halls and cutting-edge technology, such as scanning probe microposy, according to Harvard Chemistry Department's website.
---------------------------------------------
WANDTV.COM, NEWSCENTER17, STORMCENTER17, CENTRAL ILLINOIS NEWS-
http://www.wandtv.com/story/38558858/trash-can-catches-fire-in-front-of-store
Tags: us_IL, public, fire, response, pool_chemicals
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) ‰?? A trash can caught fire at a Champaign business, drawing the attention of firefighters on Monday.
Crews say employees at Rural King (913 W. Marketview Drive) threw away pool chemicals in a trash can at the front of the store, which caught fire at about 12:17 p.m. A chemical reaction led to the flames.
Deputy Fire Marshal Randy Smith says the Mahomet Fire Department‰??s Mobil Ventilation Unit was needed to get smoke out of the store.
A person could be seen carrying the destroyed remains of the trash can from the front of Rural King.
---------------------------------------------
POOL CHEMICAL SPILL SHUTS DOWN ROAD IN PENSACOLA
https://www.wkrg.com/news/northwest-florida/pool-chemical-spill-shuts-down-road-in-pensacola/1279714985
Tags: us_AL, transportation, release, response, chlorine, dust
Crews have shut down a portion of Bauer Road south of Ailanthus Drive to the Tarklin Bayou State Park parking lot. Powdered chlorine fell into the roadway. An official with Escambia County Fire Rescue says approximately 20 buckets of the chemical fell off a flatbed truck. That's about 1,000 pounds of powdered chlorine. Officials do not believe the powdered chlorine made its way into any storm drains or waterways. There are light fumes in the area, but officials believe there are no impacts to people in the area.
A contractor has been called to come in and clean up the spill. Bauer Road is closed to traffic until the chemical can be removed.
---------------------------------------------
FIRE OFFICIALS: 1 PERSON TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK A
http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/38559319/fire-officials-1-person-taken-to-hospital-after-chemical-leak-at-spartanburg-plant
Tags: us_SC, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical
SPARTANBURG, SC (FOX Carolina) -
Officials with the Westview Forest Fire Department says crews are currently responding to a gas leak in Spartanburg.
The leak occurred at a plant on Fairforest Clevedale Road.
Chief Scott said a cleaning process at the plant had a chemical reaction and started sending off fumes.
Everyone was then evacuated from the building.
According to Chief Scott, one person was injured and transported to Spartanburg Regional.
Crews are not sure what type of chemicals caused the reaction.
Chief Scott said there is no threat to the public.
---------------------------------------------
1 DEAD, 11 INJURED AFTER CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSION
http://www.powderbulksolids.com/news/1-Dead-11-Injured-After-Chemical-Plant-Explosion-07-02-2018
Tags: Japan, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
An explosion Monday at the Protein Chemical Co. Ltd. chemical plant in the Japan reportedly killed one person and injured about a dozen others.
Firefighters arrived the plant, located in Wakasa Town in the Fukui prefecture, after the explosion occurred at about 1:45 p.m., finding yellow smoke coming from the plant, The Japan Times reported. Images and footage broadcast from the scene following the blast showed damages to the plant‰??s roof and windows.
‰??A total of 12 people were sent to hospitals after the explosion. One died and another is seriously injured,‰?? fire officials told the Times.
A man in his 40s died in the incident and a man in his 20s was rendered unconscious, Chinese state news organization Xinhua said in its coverage.
Protein Chemical produces pharmaceutical intermediates and chemicals used as food additives and in manufacturing, according to information on the company‰??s website.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT SITUATION DISPLACES FOUR FAMILIES IN MANCHESTER
http://www.wmur.com/article/hazmat-situation-displaces-four-families-in-manchester/22011735
Tags: us_NH, public, release, injury, solvent
MANCHESTER, N.H. ‰??
Manchester fire crews responded to a hazardous materials situation at a home on Merrimack Street Saturday night.
At about 9:40 p.m., firefighters arrived at 289 Merrimack St. to find an unknown odor throughout the three-story home. Air monitoring indicated high levels of volatile organic compounds.
The building was evacuated, and five gallons of an unknown solvent spill was discovered in the basement. The building was ventilated and the contaminated soil removed, but the odor and VOC levels could not be reduced to safe levels.
Four families were displaced, and one resident went to Elliot Hospital to check higher levels of carbon monoxide in his blood.
The Red Cross was notified and the families provided temporary housing until the contaminated soil could be removed by a hazardous waste company.
---------------------------------------------
SMOKING POWDERED SOAP CAUSES HAZMAT RESPONSE, CLOSES CENTER ROAD
https://patch.com/illinois/frankfort/smoking-powdered-soap-causes-hazmat-response-closes-center-road
Tags: us_IL, industrial, release, response, dust
FRANKFORT, IL ‰?? A hazardous materials team responded Sunday night to an unusual case of a pallet of powdered soap that began smoking at a Frankfort chemical manufacturer, according to the Frankfort Fire Protection District. Although the smoldering substance didn't release anything toxic, the incident at Blachford Corp. briefly shut down Center Road between Pfaff Drive and Laraway Road.
The fire district received a call just after 7 p.m. Sunday, July 1, of white smoke coming from Blachford's building, 401 Center Road, Battalion Chief Jeremy Stukel said. The smoking unknown substance eventually was determined to be powdered soap that had somehow become heated and began to smolder, he said.
After consulting with the hazmat team, firefighters took the powdered soap outside and separated it in order to stop the smoldering, Stukel said. The process took about 90 minutes, and the heated powdered soap wasn't considered toxic or hazardous, he added.
Stukel said he wasn't sure how the substance became overheated, but he didn't believe the recent high temperatures had anything to do with it. The powdered soap had not been on the pallet long, and it either had been recently delivered to the building or was waiting to be picked up, he said.
---------------------------------------------
FEDS SEEK WARRANT TO ENTER ABANDONED PATERSON CHEMICAL FACTORY
http://patersontimes.com/2018/07/01/feds-seek-warrant-to-enter-abandoned-paterson-chemical-factory/
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, follow-up, environmental, flammables
The federal government has filed in court seeking an administrative warrant to enter the former Galaxie Chemical Corporation building on Piercy Street that contains hundreds of drums of chemicals and has been the site of multiple fires over the past months.
Federal officials need entry into the building at 6-34 Piercy Street to further investigate ‰?? including taking samples ‰?? the chemicals left behind in 500 drums inside the building, according to court documents.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection referred the case to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for investigation following a fire on May 12, 2018. State and Passaic County investigators inspected the site following the fire.
‰??The drums contain various hazardous substances like acid, including hydrochloric acid and acetic acid, and flammable material, including xylene and oxidizers. Some drums were labeled as containing 3,3‰??-dichlorobenzidine, a known hazardous substance and a probable human carcinogen. Xylene, 3,3‰??-dichlorobenzidine, hydrochloric acid and acetic acid are listed hazardous substances under 40 C.F.R. ĺ¤ 302.4. Most of the drums are in poor condition; improperly stored, leaking, and rusting,‰?? read court documents filed on Jun. 21, 2018.
Investigators from the EPA observed conditions at the site that poses ‰??a risk to human health and the environment,‰?? says the filing. There is also a threat of another fire at the building that could cause the airborne release of hazardous substances from the drums and expose nearby residents and businesses. The building sits in a residential neighborhood.
---------------------------------------------
AVOID SAFETY PITFALLS DURING PLANT EXPANSION AND MODIFICATION
http://www.chemengonline.com/avoid-safety-pitfalls-plant-expansion-modification/
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental, natural_gas
In 2015, construction in the chemical process industries (CPI) soared. Capital spending surged 18.4% and 255 new chemical production projects were announced, according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC) [1]. Since that year, the market has backtracked due, in part, to falling natural gas prices. However, capital spending still increased by 6% in 2017 according to the ACC [2]. That means some projects are moving forward. As CPI plant operators consider how to proceed in the coming years, many may opt to increase capacity or yield, or to add new product streams through the use of more modest expansions or upgrades to existing plants, rather than new construction. Plant expansions and renovations can be an effective way to increase capacity without incurring the higher costs associated with grassroots construction.
To make such site improvements as successful and cost-effective as possible, they must be executed carefully, with special attention paid to process engineering and plant safety considerations. Even seemingly minor upgrades can create safety issues if not executed properly. Meanwhile, larger projects may require significant changes to plant layouts and complex engineering adjustments that can make them as challenging from a safety standpoint as greenfield construction.
One of the most famous and unfortunate examples of a plant modification leading to a safety disaster happened in 1974 at a chemical processing plant in Flixborough, U.K. Twenty-eight workers were killed and 36 others were injured in an explosion that was traced back to a modification made two months prior. A leak in one of the plant‰??s reactors had been discovered. To avoid a plant shutdown, engineers installed a temporary pipe intended to bypass the leaking reactor until it was repaired.
A later investigation found that both the pipe that was used and the installation process were substandard. The project was hastily executed without proper consideration for the overall engineering implications. The incident sent shockwaves through the international chemical engineering community, and it led to significant regulatory reforms across Europe, and broader initiatives around the world, focused on improving process safety.
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9 YEAR-OLD NAPA BOY RECOVERING AFTER CHEMISTRY CAMP ACCIDENT
http://abc7news.com/amp/boy-burned-at-science-camp-in-napa/3675344/
Tags: us_CA, education, fire, injury
NAPA, Calif. - A 9-year-old Napa boy is recovering in stable condition at UC Davis burn center in Sacramento. Authorities from Napa's Parks and Recreation Department say the child was burned during a chemistry experiment demo, part of a week-long chemistry camp for kids.
The boy and eight other kids were watching instructors conduct the "sugar snake" combustion experiment, a reaction which happens when baking soda, sugar and alcohol is mixed and lit on fire.
But something went terribly wrong.
"Something happened, there was a fire and the 9-year-old boy got burned," said Napa Parks and Rec spokesperson John Coates.
The injured boy was taken to Queen of the Valley Hospital, then airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center.
The class was taught by the Scientopia Discovery Center. Its director says science experiments have never gone wrong before.
"The kids were standing about 5 feet away from the experiment, the boys shirt caught on fire and staff reacted, made him stop, drop and roll," said Scientopia Director Michelle Dahlberg.
Chemistry camp was canceled Friday, along with future camps this summer through the city of Napa.
"Obviously, this was a tragic accident. We want to understand what caused it to prevent it from happening in the future," said Coates.
he Napa Fire Department is investigating. Officials don't believe there was any criminal wrongdoing but staff will be re-creating the sugar snake experiment to find out what might have happened.
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MISHANDLING RADIOACTIVE SOURCES AND SAMPLES
https://opexshare.doe.gov/lesson.cfm/2018/6/27/21425/Mishandling-Radioactive-Sources-and-Samples
Tags: industrial, discovery, response, radiation
This summary is being issued to review requirements for Radiation Protection Programs, recent mishandling of radioactive sources and samples events, and the lessons learned from these events. This OES emphasizes the value of training and communication to promote safe behaviors and support an effective safety culture.
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