Check out Safety Emporium for your N95, N99, and face shield needs.
From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (19 articles)
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2019 07:35:56 -0500
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: F8154FBA-6C29-4B96-AA92-8E015177BC04**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, November 20, 2019 at 7:35:33 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 (19 articles)
MAN FOUND BURNED AFTER SUSPECTED DRUG LAB EXPLODES IN MILLION-DOLLAR ARCADIA HOME ‰?? CBS LOS ANGELES
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, explosion, injury, drugs
DRIVER INJURED WHEN TRUCK EXPLODES
Tags: us_IN, transportation, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
HAZMAT RESPONSE PUT INTO PLACE AFTER CLAYTON CHEMICAL SPILL :: WRAL.COM
Tags: us_NC, transportation, release, response, nitric_acid
DURHAM FIRE CHIEF CITES LESSONS LEARNED FROM DEADLY GAS EXPLOSION
Tags: us_NC, industrial, follow-up, environmental, natural_gas
BUILDING EVACUATED AT CLARK/HONORE IN SARASOTA OVER CHEMICAL ODOR
Tags: us_FL, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
RED ROBIN EVACUATED IN WOBURN AFTER CHEMICAL INCIDENT ‰?? CBS BOSTON
Tags: us_MA, public, release, injury, cleaners
EMERGENCY SERVICES AT WOLVERHAMPTON WEATHERSPOONS OVER CHEMICAL SMELL
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical
13 HOSPITALIZED, DOZENS MORE INJURED FOLLOWING CHEMICAL INCIDENT AT NH MANUFACTURING FACILITY ‰?? BOSTON NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS
Tags: us_NH, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical, dust
DANISH TESTS DETECT EXCESSIVE LEVELS OF HEAVY METALS IN JEWELLERY
Tags: Denmark, public, discovery, environmental, metals, illegal
DISTILLING COMPANY AGREES TO PAY $1 MILLION TO SETTLE CASE OVER TOXIC CLOUD THAT SWEPT OVER ATCHISON
Tags: us_KS, public, follow-up, response, toxics, illegal
CHEMISTRY PROFESSORS CHARGED WITH MAKING METHAMPHETAMINE
Tags: us_AR, public, discovery, response, meth_lab, illegal
GAS LEAK CAUSES TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE ON SOUTHWEST FREEWAY FEEDER NEAR CHIMNEY ROCK
Tags: us_TX, public, release, response, gasoline
TWO ARKANSAS CHEMISTRY PROFESSORS ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY MAKING METH IN COLLEGE LAB
Tags: us_AR, public, follow-up, environmental, meth_lab
2 DIE IN CHEMICAL REACTOR EXPLOSION
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
TRASH FIRE IN DIAMOND BAR LEADS TO EVACUATIONS ‰?? SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE
Tags: us_CA, public, fire, response, unknown_chemical, waste
THANKSGIVING IS THE LEADING DAY FOR HOME COOKING FIRES
Tags: us_MI, public, fire, environmental
CREWS FLUSH SYSTEM AFTER FINDING FLAMMABLE CHEMICAL IN APARTMENT WATER SUPPLY
Tags: us_WI, public, release, response, flammables
HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO MERCURY SPILL IN BARRINGTON
Tags: us_RI, public, release, response, mercury
RESPONSE BY RESEARCHER TO BREACHED GLOVEBOX PREVENTS SIGNIFICANT CONTAMINATION SPREAD
Tags: us_WA, laboratory, discovery, response, radiation
---------------------------------------------
MAN FOUND BURNED AFTER SUSPECTED DRUG LAB EXPLODES IN MILLION-DOLLAR ARCADIA HOME ‰?? CBS LOS ANGELES
https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2019/11/19/man-burned-drug-lab-explodes-million-dollar-arcadia-home/
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, explosion, injury, drugs
ARCADIA (CBSLA) ‰?? Police were called to a report of a car crash at a million-dollar Arcadia home, but instead found a suspected drug lab that had exploded.
Officers were sent to the 2500 block of South Second Avenue at about 10:50 p.m. Monday to check out a report of a car that had crashed into a home. They didn‰??t find any sort of collision ‰?? but they did find there had been an explosion at the home.
The officers‰?? preliminary investigation found the explosion was possibly related to a cannabis extraction lab. Hazardous materials were also found inside the home, so a hazmat team was called to the scene and nearby residents were briefly evacuated until it was deemed safe.
One man was taken to the hospital with burn injuries.
---------------------------------------------
DRIVER INJURED WHEN TRUCK EXPLODES
https://www.thedailyreporter.com/news/20191119/driver-injured-when-truck-explodes
Tags: us_IN, transportation, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
A Fort Wayne, Ind., truck driver suffered serious burns after his truck exploded Monday night on I-69.
Central Dispatch received a call from the driver who said his truck was on fire near the 11-mile marker. Moments later, at 5:20 p.m., another caller reported the truck exploded and the man was on fire rolling on the ground.
Coldwater Fire responded and had the fire out quickly. The driver suffered second- and third-degree burns over his body. LifeCare ambulance transferred him to Lutheran Medical Center in Ft. Wayne where he was treated.
Michigan State Police said the 50-year old was then transferred to the University of Indiana Medical Center burn unit in Indianapolis in serious condition.
The driver‰??s name has not been released by Michigan State Police. The cause of the fire and explosion are still under investigation.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT RESPONSE PUT INTO PLACE AFTER CLAYTON CHEMICAL SPILL :: WRAL.COM
https://www.wral.com/hazmat-response-put-into-place-after-clayton-chemical-spill/18779487/
Tags: us_NC, transportation, release, response, nitric_acid
CLAYTON, N.C. ‰?? Several emergency crews responded to a chemical spill in Johnston County on Tuesday.
A hazmat response was put into place at the Novo Norodisk plant near Clayton around 6 p.m. The plant is currently under construction.
A Novo Norodisk spokeswoman said up to 15 gallons of nitric acid spilled inside a delivery truck. Environmental safety professionals and local emergency crews with Johnston County Emergency Services were on the scene making sure everything was secured and cleaned up.
Officials said there were no injuries.
---------------------------------------------
DURHAM FIRE CHIEF CITES LESSONS LEARNED FROM DEADLY GAS EXPLOSION
https://abc11.com/durham-fire-chief-cites-lessons-learned-from-deadly-gas-explosion/5708006/
Tags: us_NC, industrial, follow-up, environmental, natural_gas
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Seven months after Durham's deadly gas explosion, Durham Fire Chief Robert Zoldos is reflecting on his team's response, which he says went extremely well.
A total of 97 firefighters responded to the chaos.
Zoldos said that for most of them, it was their first major disaster.
"I learned a lot about my staff. I was relatively new. I had just been here a few months when this happened," Zoldos said.
Two people died and 25 people were injured. Nine firefighters were hospitalized, including Darren Wheeler, who was seriously injured.
"We're thrilled to have him back. That was really the scariest moment for us. To possibly lose someone in the line of duty," Zoldos said. I think there's a lot of learning all of us could do as far as how to command control of such a big incident."
In a newly released report, Zoldos highlighted 11 ways his team plans to improve safety and response.
Among the top priorities:
All firefighters must wear the proper protective gear to keep them safe when responding to a hazmat scene, explosion or building collapse.
That did not happen on April 10. Some wore borrowed gear.
Effective immediately, more units will respond to the smell of gas downtown or in densely populated areas.
Rich Meyer, a Carolina Livery bus driver was parked across from the explosion on North Duke Street which, Chief Zoldos says was partially shut down. Moving forward, he said firefighters will feel empowered to fully close streets.
"Us stopping it a little earlier - 30 minutes earlier might have had a little bit more safety for us and we would not have had to worry about people in the street as well," he said.
Zoldos said the department needs a total of 75 firefighters to meet national and federal safety standards. He's working with the city to hire 15 each year during the next five years.
---------------------------------------------
BUILDING EVACUATED AT CLARK/HONORE IN SARASOTA OVER CHEMICAL ODOR
https://www.mysuncoast.com/2019/11/19/building-evacuated-clarkhonore-over-chemical-odor/
Tags: us_FL, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Fire crews evacuated a building at Clark/Honore in Sarasota Tuesday afternoon over a chemical odor.
The office building is in the 5300 block of Clark Road, near the Marathon gas station. Authorities say they were called around 2pm, evacuated the building and evaluated two people who complained of not feeling well.
Fire crews say they checked them out and after exiting the building they are okay.
HAZ-MAT crews went inside the building, working to determine the nature of the chemical and where the odor is originating. However, after more than two hours on scene, officials say they were unable to identify the chemical and the odor dissipated.
---------------------------------------------
RED ROBIN EVACUATED IN WOBURN AFTER CHEMICAL INCIDENT ‰?? CBS BOSTON
https://boston.cbslocal.com/2019/11/19/red-robin-woburn-evacuated-cleaning-chemicals-mixed/
Tags: us_MA, public, release, injury, cleaners
WOBURN (CBS) ‰?? A Red Robin restaurant in Woburn was evacuated Tuesday after an apparent chemical reaction involving cleaning materials in the kitchen. At least three people were taken to the hospital as a precaution.
The incident happened at about 4:30 p.m. ‰??Immediately after the reaction occurred, the restaurant‰??s manager on duty evacuated all Team Members and Guests from the restaurant and called 911,‰?? a spokesperson for Red Robin said in a statement.
The three people who were taken to the hospital were employees of the restaurant. All customers were able to get out of the building safely.
Hazmat team prepares to enter Red Robin in Woburn after chemical incident (Image credit Nick Emmons/WBZ)
Woburn firefighters say workers in the kitchen accidentally mixed the chemicals, causing some kind of reaction.
‰??All I do know is that it was a cleaning agent, we don‰??t have specifics on what particular cleaning agent it was,‰?? Woburn Fire Chief Stephen Adgate said. ‰??We did transport three individuals that were employees of the business over to one of the local hospitals only as a precaution.‰??
---------------------------------------------
EMERGENCY SERVICES AT WOLVERHAMPTON WEATHERSPOONS OVER CHEMICAL SMELL
https://metro.co.uk/2019/11/19/weatherspoons-lockdown-chemical-smell-leaves-pub-goers-burning-eyes-11184517/
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical
Emergency services have descended onto a Weatherspoon‰??s pub in Wolverhampton after staff and pub-goers started ‰??coughing and had a burning sensation to their eyes.‰??
Police , ambulance and fire crews have responded to a ‰??chemical smell‰?? a The Moon Under Water in Wolverhampton City Centre at about 9pm this evening.
The street is on lockdown to prevent members of the public being affected by the chemical.
An eye witness said members of staff reported their throats and eyes burning as the incident unfolded in the nightclub area of the city.
---------------------------------------------
13 HOSPITALIZED, DOZENS MORE INJURED FOLLOWING CHEMICAL INCIDENT AT NH MANUFACTURING FACILITY ‰?? BOSTON NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS
https://whdh.com/news/13-hospitalized-dozens-more-injured-following-chemical-incident-at-nh-manufacturing-facility/
Tags: us_NH, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical, dust
MERRIMACK, N.H. (WHDH) - Thirteen people were hospitalized and at least 50 others were treated at the scene following a chemical incident at a Merrimack, New Hampshire manufacturing facility Tuesday.
Emergency crews responded to Spraying Systems on Daniel Webster Highway after the company received a mislabeled package of powder from a vendor, according to the fire chief.
Employees at the facility reportedly used the mismarked powder to make their product which reacted improperly, sickening dozens.
None of the injuries appear to be serious.
Hazmat crews in full suits entered the building and removed the chemical to test it.
Fire departments from several surrounding communities responded.
It is unclear what the chemical may have been.
---------------------------------------------
DANISH TESTS DETECT EXCESSIVE LEVELS OF HEAVY METALS IN JEWELLERY
https://chemicalwatch.com/84751/danish-tests-detect-excessive-levels-of-heavy-metals-in-jewellery#overlay-strip
Tags: Denmark, public, discovery, environmental, metals, illegal
The Danish Consumer Council's Think Chemicals initiative has found high levels of heavy metals in cheap jewellery purchased from large retailers, independent stores and online.
Tests showed that seven out of 17 items did not comply with legal requirements. Six items contained excessive levels of nickel, which is allergenic, at ten to 344 times over legal limits.
"Once you have developed a nickel allergy you will be sensitive to the substance for the rest of your life. Studies have shown that eight to 18 percent of Europeans have developed a nickel allergy," the Council said.
Some of the jewellery sold from non-EU online stores contained lead and cadmium above permitted levels ‰?? with four out of five items determined illegal.
---------------------------------------------
DISTILLING COMPANY AGREES TO PAY $1 MILLION TO SETTLE CASE OVER TOXIC CLOUD THAT SWEPT OVER ATCHISON
https://www.kcur.org/post/distilling-company-agrees-pay-1-million-settle-case-over-toxic-cloud-swept-over-atchison
Tags: us_KS, public, follow-up, response, toxics, illegal
MGP Ingredients Inc., a leading producer of distilled spirits and specialty proteins and starches, has agreed to pay a fine of $1 million in connection with a toxic chemical release at its plant in Atchison, Kansas, three years ago.
MGP agreed to the fine after pleading guilty Monday to a misdemeanor charge of negligently violating the Clean Air Act. U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree will decide whether to accept the plea at a hearing set for Feb. 24.
In exchange for MGP‰??s plea, the government agreed to dismiss two other charges against the company.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMISTRY PROFESSORS CHARGED WITH MAKING METHAMPHETAMINE
https://cen.acs.org/research-integrity/misconduct/Chemistry-professors-charged-making-methamphetamine/97/i46
Tags: us_AR, public, discovery, response, meth_lab, illegal
Two chemistry professors at Henderson State University were arrested on Nov. 15 for allegedly making methamphetamine and using drug paraphernalia, according to a press release from the Clark County, Arkansas Sheriff‰??s Office. Terry David Bateman and Bradley Allen Rowland, both associate chemistry professors at HSU, have been on administrative leave since Oct. 11, said Tina V. Hall, a spokesperson for HSU, in a statement.
According to Hall, one of HSU‰??s science buildings was closed on Oct. 8 after a report of a chemical odor. ‰??Initial testing indicated an elevated presence of benzyl chloride in a laboratory,‰?? Hall said. The building reopened on Oct. 29, following remediation work and after third-party testing indicated the building met occupancy standards.
Benzyl chloride is a popular compound for organic synthesis. It can be used as a precursor to make methamphetamine, says Donna J. Nelson, an organic chemistry professor at the University of Oklahoma and a consultant on the TV series ‰??Breaking Bad,‰?? which was about a high school chemistry teacher who begins making and selling methamphetamine. It is not clear if the professors used HSU‰??s labs to make methamphetamine.
---------------------------------------------
GAS LEAK CAUSES TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE ON SOUTHWEST FREEWAY FEEDER NEAR CHIMNEY ROCK
https://www.khou.com/article/traffic/gas-leak-shuts-down-chimney-rock-in-both-directions/285-6a47a9b2-0e74-4da5-8a3a-819ec7de2080
Tags: us_TX, public, release, response, gasoline
HOUSTON ‰?? Traffic was a nightmare Monday on the feeder road of the Southwest Freeway near Chimney Rock due to a gas leak from an underground tank.
A gas spill caused the stoppage in the 3400 block of Chimney Rock.
Houston police said Chimney Rock was closed in both directions.
Hazmat and several emergency crews were at the scene.
Drivers were encouraged to find an alternate route.
---------------------------------------------
TWO ARKANSAS CHEMISTRY PROFESSORS ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY MAKING METH IN COLLEGE LAB
https://www.thv11.com/article/news/crime/arkansas-professors-making-meth/91-f1dfea7f-addf-4016-82d7-80506b213198
Tags: us_AR, public, follow-up, environmental, meth_lab
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. ‰?? Last month, Henderson State University's Reynolds Science Center building was evacuated and later closed after a staff member reported "an undetermined chemical odor," according to the Clark County Sheriff's Department.
Dr. Terry David Bateman, 45, Director of Research Chemistry, and Dr. Bradley Allen Rowland, 40, Assistant Professor, were arrested for manufacturing methamphetamine and the use of drug paraphernalia after it was found that the professors had been making meth in the university science center.
Three weeks after the building was closed, Reynolds was reopened after a third-party environmental service company tested the building and indicated that the science center met all EPA recommendations.
---------------------------------------------
2 DIE IN CHEMICAL REACTOR EXPLOSION
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/2-die-in-chemical-reactor-explosion/article30010134.ece
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
Two people died in an explosion at one of the chemical reactors of a pharma unit in Jeedimetla industrial area here on Monday afternoon. The victims, Amresh Das, 22, and Hadish Shah, 22, who were reactor operators, resumed duty after lunch at Jeevika Life Science. They were residents of Ramireddy Nagar and natives of Bihar.
The police said the duo were charred to death and their mortal remains were recovered by the sleuths of Fire Services Department. The bodies were shifted to Gandhi Hospital morgue for autopsy, which would be performed on Tuesday. ‰??Around 15 people were inside the unit when one of the reactors exploded due to high pressure,‰?? Jeedimetla Inspector G. Ramana Reddy said. He said the explosion occurred at around 2.45 p.m. and two fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flames. ‰??The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment,‰?? he said.
---------------------------------------------
TRASH FIRE IN DIAMOND BAR LEADS TO EVACUATIONS ‰?? SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE
https://www.sgvtribune.com/2019/11/18/trash-fire-in-diamond-bar-lead-to-evacuations/
Tags: us_CA, public, fire, response, unknown_chemical, waste
Several homes were evacuated in Diamond Bar because of a trash fire at a local park and a related trash fire at a residence that emitted gas and fumes Monday, authorities said.
No injuries had been reported, but sheriff‰??s officials warned the public to stay away from the area.
‰??It appears the fire was an accidental mixture of chemicals, which were improperly disposed of,‰?? a sheriff‰??s statement said.
A hazardous materials team from the Los Angeles County Fire Department was at Carlton Peterson Park at 24142 E. Sylvan Glen Road, Fire Inspector Sean Ferguson said.
Firefighters originally responded to a trash can fire on the 23000 block of Sapphire Canyon Road shortly after 10 a.m. The location was later updated to the 900 block of North Del Sol Lane.
---------------------------------------------
THANKSGIVING IS THE LEADING DAY FOR HOME COOKING FIRES
https://www.manisteenews.com/local-news/article/Thanksgiving-is-the-leading-day-for-home-cooking-14844464.php
Tags: us_MI, public, fire, environmental
MANISTEE COUNTY ‰?? More than three times as many home cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving Day as compared to any other day, National Fire Protection Association officials say.
According to the U.S. Home Cooking Fires report recently released by the NFPA, 1,600 home cooking fires were reported on Thanksgiving in 2017 ‰?? a 238% increase over the daily average. Unattended cooking was the leading cause of these fires.
‰??With people preparing multiple dishes, often with lots of guests and other distractions in and around the kitchen, it‰??s easy to see why the number of home cooking fires increases so dramatically,‰?? said Lorraine Carli, NFPA‰??s vice president of Outreach and Advocacy. ‰??Fortunately, the vast majority of cooking fires are highly preventable with a little added awareness, and by taking simple steps to minimize those risks.‰??
---------------------------------------------
CREWS FLUSH SYSTEM AFTER FINDING FLAMMABLE CHEMICAL IN APARTMENT WATER SUPPLY
https://www.wisn.com/article/crews-flush-water-system-after-finding-flammable-chemical-sheboygan/29818318#
Tags: us_WI, public, release, response, flammables
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. ‰??
Some apartment complex residents say they discovered a strange chemical in their water supply.
An investigation is underway at the Meadowland Villa Apartment Complex on North Promenade Circle in Sheboygan.
"I turned on the water and I got a moderate to strong smell of a hydrocarbon," resident Jay Nemeth-Johannes said. "It smelled a little like gasoline or some other flammable chemical, not exactly gasoline."
Another woman said the fire department told her not to drink or bathe in the water.
The Sheboygan Department of Public Works said it first heard about the issue Sunday night.
He said there was a water quality response.
A fire department hazmat team detected low levels of what it called a ‰??flammable organic hydrocarbon‰?? in the water.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO MERCURY SPILL IN BARRINGTON
http://origin.turnto10.com/news/local/hazmat-team-works-scene-of-a-mercury-spill-in-barrington
Tags: us_RI, public, release, response, mercury
BARRINGTON, R.I. (WJAR) ‰?? A hazardous-materials team responded to a mercury spill in Barrington on Sunday afternoon that was caused by a man who dropped a piece of equipment in his bedroom.
A Barrington fire captain told NBC 10 News that the equipment had mercury in it and that the spill at a home on Fountain Avenue was more than the typical size that would come from a thermometer.
---------------------------------------------
RESPONSE BY RESEARCHER TO BREACHED GLOVEBOX PREVENTS SIGNIFICANT CONTAMINATION SPREAD
https://opexshare.doe.gov/lesson.cfm/2019/11/12/28350/Response-by-Researcher-to-Breached-Glovebox-Prevents-Significant-Contamination-Spread
Tags: us_WA, laboratory, discovery, response, radiation
Recently, a researcher was cleaning the interior of a glovebox window when a glovebox differential pressure alarm was activated. Remaining calm, the researcher visually surveyed the glovebox work area and realized the left glovebox support ring and glove he was working in had detached outward from the glovebox port creating an opening directly into the glovebox. The researcher was able to close the gap between the glove and glovebox by pressing his shoulder into the glove ring while simultaneously pulling the left glove into the box with his right glove. Another staff member in the room notified a Radiation Protection Technician (RPT), who immediately responded and re-seated the glove ring. With the assistance of several other RPTs, the researcher was then able to exit the glovebox safely and with minor contamination on his laboratory coat.
In this Lessons Learned article, you'll read what caused the breach and what steps are being taken at PNNL to prevent reoccurrence.
---------------------------------------------
---
For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas
Previous post | Top of Page | Next post