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From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (11 articles)
Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2019 07:45:46 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 05B57426-59D8-411A-A03E-5B1A4A257B2A**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, July 29, 2019 at 7:44:20 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 (11 articles)
PUNE: 28 MONTHS ON, INVESTIGATIONS INTO NCL LAB FIRE REMAIN INCONCLUSIVE
Tags: India, laboratory, follow-up, environmental
CONFIRMATION BIAS INFLUENCING ERROR DETECTION
Tags: us_WA, industrial, discovery, environmental
MORE THAN HALF A MILLION AMERICANS EXPOSED TO TOXIC AIR POLLUTION FACE CANCER RISKS ABOVE EPA GUIDELINES. CHECK THE TRIBUNE‰??S INTERACTIVE MAP TO SEE IF YOU MIGHT BE ONE OF THEM.
Tags: us_MI, public, discovery, environmental, ethylene_oxide
CLOUD OF POWDER FROM OVERFILLED CEMENT TRUCK TRIGGERS HAZMAT RESPONSE IN BOSTON ‰?? BOSTON NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS
Tags: us_MA, industrial, release, response, dust
FLORIDA MAN SETS OFF BUG BOMBS INSIDE HOME, TRIGGERS HAZMAT RESPONSE
Tags: us_FL, transportation, release, injury, pesticide
CHEMICAL SPILL CAUSES ROAD CLOSURES IN SUGAR LAND
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
MELB MYSTERY LIQUID LEAK UNDER CONTROL
Tags: Australia, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
FIREFIGHTERS RESCUE WATER PARK WORKER OVERCOME BY CHLORINE FUMES
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, injury, chlorine
ONE PERSON TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER FIRE AT BARIUM AND CHEMICALS, INC.
Tags: us_OH, industrial, fire, injury, waste
PFAS ASSESSMENT THE FIRST STEP IN UNDERSTANDING CHEMICAL'S EXPOSURE IMPACT
Tags: us_WV, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
VEHICLE FIRE AT OLEAN KWIK FILL SETS OFF FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM
Tags: us_NY, public, fire, response, dust, gasoline
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PUNE: 28 MONTHS ON, INVESTIGATIONS INTO NCL LAB FIRE REMAIN INCONCLUSIVE
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/pune-28-months-on-investigations-into-ncl-lab-fire-remain-inconclusive-5859574/
Tags: India, laboratory, follow-up, environmental
Over two years have passed but investigation in the March 2017 fire at the Indus Magic Plant at CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) is yet to unearth the cause of the blaze, an RTI filed by The Indian Express has found.
On the night of March 27, 2017, a major fire destroyed the then 13-month-old Modular, Agile, Intensified and Continuous (MAGIC) lab, located in the Pilot Plant III of the NCL campus. The reply to the RTI filed by The Indian Express reads: ‰??The investigation is still on.‰??
In an official statement released by CSIR-NCL soon after the preliminary investigation was completed in July 2017, the CSIR committee had pegged the estimated losses of the blaze at Rs 16.56 crore. However, with several instruments and equipments inside the gutted MAGIC lab found intact despite the fire, the NCL committee downgraded the loss estimates to Rs 6.73 crore.
Since the incident, two teams ‰?? one internal committee constituted by NCL and another team sent by CSIR ‰?? carried out separate investigations in the fire. A team from the Intelligence Bureau, too, visited the campus and interrogated NCL authorities. But none of these three investigative teams have got any breakthrough and the losses incurred to this public-funded lab are still unaccounted for.
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CONFIRMATION BIAS INFLUENCING ERROR DETECTION
https://opexshare.doe.gov/lesson.cfm/2019/7/25/28120/Confirmation-Bias-Influencing-Error-Detection
Tags: us_WA, industrial, discovery, environmental
Recently the Waste and Fuels Management Project completed a common cause analysis of the six Lock out / Tag out (LOTO) issues that occurred within its facilities in 2018. During this analysis, the team identified Confirmation Bias as a factor for several of the events.
Lesson Learned: How an individual approaches a second check or validation activity will often affect the outcome of the verification. Conduct validation activities with an attitude of finding errors to ensure safety rather than as evaluating the performance of a co-worker.
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MORE THAN HALF A MILLION AMERICANS EXPOSED TO TOXIC AIR POLLUTION FACE CANCER RISKS ABOVE EPA GUIDELINES. CHECK THE TRIBUNE‰??S INTERACTIVE MAP TO SEE IF YOU MIGHT BE ONE OF THEM.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/environment/ct-ethylene-oxide-cancer-risks-toxic-communities-20190725-myu4fm5lafhljpusnorznzlwpu-story.html
Tags: us_MI, public, discovery, environmental, ethylene_oxide
Neighbors used to barely notice the drab, low-slung industrial building across the river from downtown.
The corporate name on the sign out front had changed a few times over the years. Truck traffic in and out of the loading docks ebbed and flowed. As far as anybody knew, the only concern was word that spread around town years ago about a gas they used inside being explosive enough to level the entire building.
Even after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concluded last summer that the same gas is responsible for some of the nation‰??s biggest cancer risks from toxic air pollution, it took months before residents of Michigan‰??s second-largest city discovered they had an ethylene oxide problem.
EPA scientists had determined the lifetime cancer risk in one Grand Rapids census tract is nearly four times greater than the national average. But the Trump administration buried the finding in a report quietly released in August 2018.
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CLOUD OF POWDER FROM OVERFILLED CEMENT TRUCK TRIGGERS HAZMAT RESPONSE IN BOSTON ‰?? BOSTON NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS
https://whdh.com/news/cloud-of-powder-from-overfilled-cement-truck-triggers-hazmat-response-in-boston/
Tags: us_MA, industrial, release, response, dust
BOSTON (WHDH) - A cloud of powder from an overfilled cement truck triggered a large hazmat response and prompted several evacuations in Charlestown on Friday morning, officials said.
Crews responding to a Level 2 hazmat situation at Lafarge on Terminal Street around 9 a.m. were greeted by a large plume of powder, according to the Boston Fire Department.
Witnesses say the cloud of powder could be seen for miles. It left vehicles in the area covered in white residue.
‰??I saw the cloud and I knew something wasn‰??t good,‰?? said Gregory Brindeveille, who was picking up a delivery at the time of the incident. ‰??There must have been a malfunction somewhere in the system or the spout coming down.‰??
Video obtained by 7NEWS showed lots of powder pouring onto the ground and then shooting into the sky.
Three buildings in the area were evacuated and several people were decontaminated as a precaution, Deputy Fire Chief Stephen McNeil said.
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FLORIDA MAN SETS OFF BUG BOMBS INSIDE HOME, TRIGGERS HAZMAT RESPONSE
https://www.news965.com/news/local/florida-man-sets-off-bug-bombs-inside-home-triggers-hazmat-response/7pibF99adpGaJ6g6ZpkoAM/
Tags: us_FL, transportation, release, injury, pesticide
Volusia County deputies responded to a trailer park in Oak Hill Thursday night after a man called 911 to report that he and his wife were having respiratory issues.
When they arrived, deputies found the man outside, on his front porch coughing uncontrollably. When the responding deputy asked if anyone else was inside the man said his wife was still inside and needed assistance.
The Volusia County Hazardous Materials Team also responded to the scene.
The man went on to tell deputies that he set off four Raid bug bombs inside his home while he, his wife and their two dogs were still inside. His wife appeared to be unconscious inside a bathroom.
First responders donned oxygen masks and other protective gear before going inside to rescue the woman.
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CHEMICAL SPILL CAUSES ROAD CLOSURES IN SUGAR LAND
https://www.chron.com/houston/article/HazMat-spill-causes-road-closures-in-Sugar-Land-14189493.php
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
The City of Sugar Land tweeted just after 7 p.m. that there was a spill of hazardous materials near the intersection of State Highway 6 and U.S. 59. North and southbound lanes of Highway 6 have been closed from Kensington Drive to the feeder roads for cleanup.
"The closure could be for an extended period of time, possibly overnight," the tweet read.
TV stations have reported that the hazardous material was acid.
No other information was immediately available.
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MELB MYSTERY LIQUID LEAK UNDER CONTROL
https://thewest.com.au/news/bushfires/mystery-liquid-leaks-from-melbourne-truck-ng-s-1957989
Tags: Australia, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
Emergency workers have controlled the spill of a mystery substance leaking from 200 litre drums on the back of a truck in Melbourne.
The Metropolitan Fire Brigade announced on Saturday afternoon the liquid leak was of no threat to residents near the Campbellfield site or those nearby at Lalor and Thomastown.
However, the identity of the mystery substance has still not been revealed.
Crews remain on-site and several roads remain closed as the clean-up continues.
The truck is emblazoned with the company name William Loud, which constructs and lays synthetic grass sports surfaces using materials including asphalt, polyflex rubber and acrylic.
Emergency crews discovered 10 leaking drums just before 9.10am on Saturday, prompting Hazmat officers in full protective gear and breathing apparatus to assess the site for contamination, and the arrival of scientific advisors to determine exactly what the liquid was.
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FIREFIGHTERS RESCUE WATER PARK WORKER OVERCOME BY CHLORINE FUMES
https://whyy.org/articles/firefighters-rescue-n-j-boardwalk-water-park-worker-overcome-by-chlorine-fumes/
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, injury, chlorine
Firefighters rescued a Wildwood boardwalk water park employee who was overcome by chlorine gas fumes on Thursday.
The Wildwood and North Wildwood fire departments responded to an activated fire alarm at Splash Zone at 1:36 p.m., according to a Wildwood Fire Department news release.
Arriving firefighters were told that an employee was experiencing ‰??severe respiratory distress as a result of a chlorine leak under the pier,‰?? according to the release.
A Wildwood firefighter then quickly pulled the employee out from the area, the release said.
The employee, who was not identified and whose condition was not released, was then treated at the scene, officials said.
Due to high levels of chlorine gas, firefighters requested the Cape May County Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high-yield Explosives (CBRNE) team to respond, according to the release.
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ONE PERSON TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER FIRE AT BARIUM AND CHEMICALS, INC.
https://wtov9.com/news/local/one-person-taken-to-hospital-after-fire-at-barium-chemicals-inc
Tags: us_OH, industrial, fire, injury, waste
EFFERSON COUNTY, Ohio ‰?? One person was taken to the hospital for evaluation after a fire at a chemical supply plant in Jefferson County.
It's the second fire at Barium and Chemicals, Inc. in a little more than 2 months.
The fire started in an industrial waste dumpster around 7:40 a.m. on Friday.
The flames only spread slightly to the main building.
Employees waited across the street as firefighters got to work.
TEMS Joint Ambulance District said a maintenance worker was taken to the hospital for an evaluation.
Fire and EMA officials said there were no Hazmat or contamination concerns.
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PFAS ASSESSMENT THE FIRST STEP IN UNDERSTANDING CHEMICAL'S EXPOSURE IMPACT
https://www.journal-news.net/journal-news/pfas-assessment-the-first-step-in-understanding-chemical-s-exposure/article_0f31fced-1fa9-5080-a5c3-a9e63129971e.html
Tags: us_WV, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
MARTINSBURG ‰?? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry said the initiation of an exposure assessment near the Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base in Berkeley County will only be the first step of many in understanding the impact a chemical spill in the drinking water has had on citizens in the area.
Community members and city officials gathered Wednesday evening at the Comfort Inn in Martinsburg for a public information session on the work being done by the CDC and ATSDR.
The purpose of the exposure assessment is to provide information to the community members about the levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a man-made chemical, in their bodies and provide information about exposures in the broader community following a spill in the City of Martinsburg‰??s water supply in 2016.
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VEHICLE FIRE AT OLEAN KWIK FILL SETS OFF FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM
http://www.oleantimesherald.com/olean/vehicle-fire-at-olean-kwik-fill-sets-off-fire-suppression/article_e1bc27aa-49f9-5738-aa99-418e228ae914.html
Tags: us_NY, public, fire, response, dust, gasoline
OLEAN ‰?? The Olean Fire Department extinguished a vehicle fire Friday at the Kwik Fill on Main Street, but not before the gas station‰??s fire suppression system blanketed the area in white powder.
The engine of a red Kia Sedona minivan ignited into flames at approximately 4:40 p.m., causing a Kwik Fill employee to activate the fire suppression system, said Olean Fire Capt. Patrick Zink.
However, the minivan was not parked under the gas station canopy and the dry chemical agent did not extinguish the flames. Firefighters then arrived on scene and used a handline to extinguish them.
‰??Obviously gasoline is quite flammable so anytime we get a call for a fire near a gas pump it can be more dangerous, but it‰??s really no different from any other fire,‰?? said Zink, adding gas stations have emergency switches to shut down its fuel pumps as well.
No one was injured by the flames, but a few individuals on scene were exposed to the extinguishing agent and checked out by EMS personnel. Zink said they all refused transport to Olean General Hospital, which is located directly across the street from the Kwik Fill.
Zink said the minivan operator had pulled into the station to get some gas, but noticed an issue with the vehicle and spoke with a Kwik Fill employee. Zink said the operator left the scene prior to the fire and was not on scene when firefighters arrived.
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