CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the Wofford College email system. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.

Edgar,

I will send you (and others who are interested) several checklists.

Regards ... Jim

PS.  "There's more to lab safety than just labs!"

James A. Kaufman, Ph.D.

Founder/President Emeritus
The Laboratory Safety Institute (LSI)
A Nonprofit Educational Organization for Safety in Science, Industry, and Education

192 Worcester Street, Natick, MA 01760-2252
508-647-1900  Fax: 508-647-0062 
Cell: 508-574-6264  Res: 781-237-1335
Skype: labsafe; 508-401-7406 

jim**At_Symbol_Here**labsafety.org  www.labsafety.org

Teach, Learn, and Practice Science Safely

On Fri, Dec 20, 2019 at 1:20 PM Christopher Edgar <cledgar**At_Symbol_Here**plymouth.edu> wrote:

Hello All,

We are working on improving our Laboratory Safety Program here at Plymouth State University and are looking for a quality Laboratory Safety Inspection form to utilize along with the other improvements we have been making.  If anyone is willing to share a copy of one that they are utilizing it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you much,

Chris Edgar
Environmental Health & Safety Coordinator
Office: (603) 535-2406
Facilities Services Building
17 High Street, MSC #33
Plymouth, NH 03264




-----Original Message-----
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU> On Behalf Of DCHAS Membership Chair
Sent: Friday, December 20, 2019 6:57 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (15 articles)

Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, December 20, 2019 at 6:56:16 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 (15 articles)

PART OF RUFFS DALE EVACUATED FOR HOURS FOR OVERTURNED TANKER
Tags: us_PA, transportation, release, response, propane

ILLEGAL AIR POLLUTION IN TEXAS DOUBLED IN 2018 - HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA
Tags: us_TX, public, discovery, environmental, illegal

4 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ARRESTED AFTER BOTTLE-BOMB BLAST
Tags: us_CA, education, discovery, environmental, bomb

RADIOACTIVE TRASH TRUCK IN HOT SPRINGS PROMPTS MEDICAL MYSTERY
Tags: us_AR, industrial, discovery, response, radiation

TANKER CATCHES FIRE ON MUMBAI-PUNE EXPRESSWAY, TRAFFIC AFFECTED
Tags: India, transportation, fire, response, unknown_chemical

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS SUE OVER CHEMICAL SAFETY ROLLBACK
Tags: industrial, follow-up, environmental

REUSABLE BAMBOO MUGS LEACH DANGEROUS AMOUNTS OF FORMALDEHYDE AND MELAMINE
Tags: Germany, public, discovery, environmental, formaldehyde, resin

HYDROGEN BLAST LED TO DEATHS AT US SILICONES PLANT
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, death, hydrogen

ASBESTOS LEAK CAUSES PEAK-HOUR CHAOS IN SYDNEY
Tags: Australia, industrial, discovery, response, asbestos

INTERIM REPORT RELEASED ON CAUSE OF STOLT GROENLAND EXPLOSION
Tags: Republic_of_Korea, transportation, follow-up, environmental, plastics, styrene

US ATSDR SUBSTANCE PROFILES OVERLAP EPA'S TSCA PRIORITIES
Tags: public, discovery, environmental

TANKER TRUCK FIRE, CHEMICAL LEAK PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE IN CLOVERDALE
Tags: us_CA, transportation, fire, response, chlorine

PETROLEUM GAS BLAST
Tags: United_Kingdom, education, explosion, injury, flammables

TEXAS REGULATORS WANT TOUGHER PENALTIES FOR COMPANY AFTER PORT NECHES BLAST
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, illegal, petroleum

BATTERY FIRE BREAKS OUT IN MILFORD
Tags: us_CT, industrial, fire, response, batteries, fire_extinguisher


---------------------------------------------

PART OF RUFFS DALE EVACUATED FOR HOURS FOR OVERTURNED TANKER https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/westmoreland-county/part-ruffs-dale-evacuated-hours-overturned-tanker/B5TAJWXJYBAQFNTXI5BWNOMWUQ/
Tags: us_PA, transportation, release, response, propane

EAST HUNTINGDON TOWNSHIP, Pa. Ñ Part of the Ruffs Dale area in East Huntingdon was evacuated after a tanker carrying propane rolled over.

Officials at the scene told WPXI the tanker had a leak, and our crew at the scene was kept about a mile away.

First responders from several surrounding communities have responded in addition to Westmoreland County Hazmat.

---------------------------------------------

ILLEGAL AIR POLLUTION IN TEXAS DOUBLED IN 2018 - HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/shows/houston-matters/2019/12/19/354804/illegal-air-pollution-in-texas-doubled-in-2018/
Tags: us_TX, public, discovery, environmental, illegal

Illegal chemical emissions in Texas doubled in 2018 compared to the year before.

Environment Texas analyzed data from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality from incidents where industrial facilities released pollution exceeding what their government permits allowed. Those incidents can be anything from fires, to explosions, to cases of operator error.

The report says 267 companies were responsible for the release of hundreds of chemicals during more than 4,500 separate events in 2018. Those chemicals included cancer causing agents like benzene and butadiene, along with nitrogen oxide, a chemical that contributes to smog formation.

Under state law, companies are required to report within 24 hours any time there is such an emission event. And they must finalize their report within two weeks.

---------------------------------------------

4 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ARRESTED AFTER BOTTLE-BOMB BLAST https://fox5sandiego.com/2019/12/19/4-middle-school-students-arrested-for-bringing-explosive-device-on-campus/
Tags: us_CA, education, discovery, environmental, bomb

CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- Four Eastlake Middle School students were arrested Wednesday after they admitted having an explosive device on campus, police said.

Officers with the Chula Vista Police Department and the San Diego Sheriff Bomb Squad were told an explosive device was found on the middle school campus Wednesday. The device, a plastic soda bottle filled with a chemical mixture, was left near the school's Physical Education fields. Once officers arrived at the school, they said the device had already been detonated.

The boys allegedly caused the blast at the Chula Vista intermediary school prior to classes Wednesday morning by mixing several chemicals together in a two-liter soda bottle, according to police.

Four male students later admitted to bringing the bottle on campus.

---------------------------------------------

RADIOACTIVE TRASH TRUCK IN HOT SPRINGS PROMPTS MEDICAL MYSTERY
https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/hot-springs/mystery-radioactive-trash-hot-springs/91-e18a2cae-7dcd-4651-9ccf-34b435153bd8
Tags: us_AR, industrial, discovery, response, radiation

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. Ñ A compact 90-sq.ft. radioactive hot zone in Hot Springs will be in place for a few weeks after a trash hauler tripped radiation detectors at the Saline County landfill on Tuesday.

State and city officials have cordoned off the trailer in a secure fire department training site while the materials inside decay. The officials stress there is no danger to the public, but no one will open the compartment until the levels go down.

"This is the first time in the 21 years at the fire department that we've had anything like this," said Tom Braughton, the city fire marshal and assistant chief.

"We have a hazardous materials team that has all the equipment and set up the necessary precautions."

---------------------------------------------

TANKER CATCHES FIRE ON MUMBAI-PUNE EXPRESSWAY, TRAFFIC AFFECTED https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/navi-mumbai/tanker-catches-fire-on-mumbai-pune-expressway-traffic-affected/articleshow/72894419.cms
Tags: India, transportation, fire, response, unknown_chemical

NAVI MUMBAI: A major fire on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, after a chemical tanker rammed into a trailer near Dhaka village, led to a traffic jam for over two hours, at 6.45am on Thursday. The tanker on the Mumbai-bound carriageway was charred, while the rear wheel of the trailer caught fire. The chemical tanker driver jumped off before the tanker fell off 20 feet. The fire was brought under control after three hours. Highway Safety Patrol assistant inspector Jagdish Pardesi said, "A slow trailer was in the third lane of the Expressway. The tanker was speeding and dashed it. Suddenly, a blast was heard and a fire erupted. The rear tyres of the trailer caught fire."

---------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS SUE OVER CHEMICAL SAFETY ROLLBACK https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/overnights/475379-overnight-energy-environmental-groups-sue-trump
Tags: industrial, follow-up, environmental

CHEMICAL DISASTERS: A coalition of environmental groups is suing the Trump administration over its easing of chemical plant safety regulations following a recent plant explosion in Texas that injured several people.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last month finalized a rule that it said would get rid of "unnecessary and ineffective regulatory burdens," a change that was sought by industry groups and firms.

The coalition of 13 groups challenging the rule argued in a Thursday statement, however, that the change would put millions of people who live near chemical facilities "in harm's way."

"We are fighting for the lives and safety of our families and workers. Our lives are more valuable than the bottom line of a few chemical barons," the organizations said.

The suit comes weeks after a chemical plant in Port Neches, Texas, exploded.

According to the statement, eight people were injured and about 50,000 were displaced.

---------------------------------------------

REUSABLE BAMBOO MUGS LEACH DANGEROUS AMOUNTS OF FORMALDEHYDE AND MELAMINE https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/reusable-bamboo-mugs-leach-dangerous-amounts-of-formaldehyde-and-melamine/4010950.article
Tags: Germany, public, discovery, environmental, formaldehyde, resin

Coffee cups made from resin containing bamboo fibre - often sold as bamboo mugs - leach so much harmful formaldehyde and melamine into drinks that the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has warned that they shouldn't be used for hot liquids.

Bamboo mugs are made from a melamine resin reinforced with bamboo fibres. While they are reusable, they are often marketed as eco-friendly, even though they aren't biodegradable. Melamine resin is a polymer and in itself not dangerous, but its monomers - 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine and formaldehyde - are toxic and can cause cancer.

This summer, a German consumer group discovered worrying levels of harmful compounds being released by bamboo mugs. The BfR's assessment found bamboo mugs release Ôalarming' amounts of the toxins into 70¡C drinks, up to 30 times the EU's safe limit for adults and up to 120 times the limit for children. Although one-off exposure to large amounts of these chemicals isn't necessarily problematic, the BfR estimates that regularly using a bamboo mug poses a serious health risk.

---------------------------------------------

HYDROGEN BLAST LED TO DEATHS AT US SILICONES PLANT
https://cen.acs.org/safety/industrial-safety/Hydrogen-blast-led-deaths-US/97/web/2019/12
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, death, hydrogen

Leaking and uncontained hydrogen led to an explosion that killed four workers and seriously injured a fifth last May at AB Specialty Silicones in Waukegan, Illinois, according to a preliminary investigation report released by the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board on Dec. 18.

The plant made custom silicone products that are used in a wide variety of industries, including personal care, chemical manufacturing, adhesives, sealants, and coatings. It ran 24 hours a day and employed 88 people who worked in three shifts.

However, despite the output, the quantities of material the facility used and stored fell below threshold levels triggering oversight by the US Environmental Protection Agency's Risk Management Program or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's process safety management standard, the CSB says.

The hydrogen explosion took place in an area where the company made a silicon hydride emulsion. The blast was felt 30 km from the facility.

One of the products that the company was making in the emulsions area at the time of the incident was an SiH emulsion called EM 652, according to the CSB. EM 652 is an emulsion of silane and siloxane polymers and was held in a tank that was neither sealed nor vented to a safe location. One of the raw materials used was a methylhydrogen polysiloxane copolymer called XL10.

---------------------------------------------

ASBESTOS LEAK CAUSES PEAK-HOUR CHAOS IN SYDNEY https://stockdailydish.com/asbestos-leak-causes-peak-hour-chaos-in-sydney/
Tags: Australia, industrial, discovery, response, asbestos

Deadly asbestos leak causes peak-hour chaos in Sydney after closing a major road - with hazmat officers securing the scene

Commuters have been warned to expect traffic chaos this morning after an asbestos leak shut roads in northern .

Construction workers are believed to have found the asbestos while they were on the site on Military Road, Cremorne, late last night.

They immediately left the site and called in the authorities, with 14 firefighters currently on the scene, according to 9 News.

Scroll down for video

Hazmat officers were seen entering the building wear gas masks.

The building is believed to have been an old Brightsparks performing arts school but is being renovated.

The entire road has been closed off to pedestrians and the eastbound side of Military Road is closed, with traffic diverted onto Winnie Street.

It is not clear how long the disruption will last.

Asbestos was used in building insulation for decades until its link to severe respiratory illnesses was discovered.

Prolonged exposure to asbestos can causes lung cancer and mesothelioma and its use is now banned in most countries, including Australia.

---------------------------------------------

INTERIM REPORT RELEASED ON CAUSE OF STOLT GROENLAND EXPLOSION
https://www.rivieramm.com/news-content-hub/news-content-hub/interim-report-released-on-the-cause-of-stolt-groenland-explosion-57258
Tags: Republic_of_Korea, transportation, follow-up, environmental, plastics, styrene

The initial findings of the interim report on the investigation of the explosion and fire on board the chemical tanker Stolt Groenland on 28 September 2019, Ulsan, Republic of Korea, suggests that the exothermic heat generated by the polymerisation of a styrene monomer cargo may have been the cause.

Stolt Groenland loaded 5,250 tonnes of styrene monomer at the LBC terminal in Houston, USA, between 7 and 8 August 2019. The styrene monomer was distributed across three stainless steel cargo tanks: numbers 9S, 6P and 6C. The tanks were washed, inspected and wall wash tests conducted before loading. Styrene monomer has a flash point of 32oC and exothermic runaway polymerisation can occur from 65oC. TertButylcatechol (TBC) inhibitor was added to the tanks before the cargo loading.

---------------------------------------------

US ATSDR SUBSTANCE PROFILES OVERLAP EPA'S TSCA PRIORITIES https://chemicalwatch.com/86938/us-atsdr-substance-profiles-overlap-epas-tsca-prioirities#overlay-strip
Tags: public, discovery, environmental

The US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has published toxicological profiles for three substances that the EPA has proposed designating high priority under TSCA.

The move raises questions about the extent to which the EPA will make use of existing analysis by other federal agencies when conducting TSCA evaluations. The agency's approach has come under fire in relation to its draft evaluations, with NGOs and scientists criticising it for, in some cases, not using analysis even by its own programmes.

The three substances are two chlorinated hydrocarbons - 1,2-dichloropropane and 1,1,2-trichloroethane - and the phthalate DEHP.

In April, the EPA proposed designating 20 substances, which included these three, Ôhigh priority' for risk evaluation under TSCA. Several consumer advocacy groups pressed the US EPA to begin filling data gaps for the substances during a consultation that ended in November. They urged the agency to use its powers to "require as much testing as possible".

---------------------------------------------

TANKER TRUCK FIRE, CHEMICAL LEAK PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE IN CLOVERDALE https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/10482571-181/tanker-truck-fire-chemical-leak
Tags: us_CA, transportation, fire, response, chlorine

A tanker truck hauling 4,800 gallons of a chlorine-based chemical began leaking Wednesday morning after the vehicle caught fire in Cloverdale, prompting a response from Sonoma County's hazardous materials team.

The leak led to the hourslong closure of a lane of traffic on northbound Highway 101, as well as the adjacent South Cloverdale Boulevard offramp, where the tanker came to a stop about 6:20 a.m. after the driver realized there was an issue with the vehicle, said CHP Officer David deRutte.

The issue, smoke coming from the back-end of the tanker, developed into a fire and led to a call to Cloverdale firefighters, said Healdsburg Fire Chief Jason Boaz, who also responded to the vehicle fire.

"(The tanker truck) appeared to have a fire that started on the rear axle but we're not sure how or why," Boaz said. "It somehow damaged the tank."

---------------------------------------------

PETROLEUM GAS BLAST
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a30248031/car-explosion-cigarette-aerosol-fumes/
Tags: United_Kingdom, education, explosion, injury, flammables

An English driver created a mini explosion in his car this week when he lit a cigarette after dousing himself in some kind of aerosol body spray.

The cause of the boom is something akin to the warnings your parents gave you when you first learned to drive: Turn off the car when you pump gas, because the vapors from the gasoline could build up and cause a massive explosion. This guy apparently didn't heed that warning, because the aerosol vapors and the flick of the flame were the perfect combination for combustion.

We asked Herodotos Phylaktou, a senior lecturer in the School of Chemical and Process Engineering at the University of LeedsÑand an expert on fires and explosionsÑto explain the science behind the boom.
Aerosol air fresheners contain a whole slew of highly flammable ingredients

---------------------------------------------

TEXAS REGULATORS WANT TOUGHER PENALTIES FOR COMPANY AFTER PORT NECHES BLAST https://www.texastribune.org/2019/12/18/texas-regulators-want-tougher-penalties-company-after-port-neches-blas/
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, illegal, petroleum

Environmental and watchdog groups have long criticized the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for taking it too easy on polluters Ñ and the TCEQ has often countered that its job is to coax industrial facilities into compliance rather than slap them with big fines.

But on Wednesday, agency officials openly acknowledged that a proposed fine against Texas Petroleum Chemicals Group, known as TPC Ñ the Houston-based company whose Port Neches chemical plant exploded last month Ñ for more than a half-dozen unrelated violations that occurred in 2018 wasn't high enough and that its general enforcement approach may not be stringent enough.

In a unanimous vote, the agency's three commissioners rejected a fine against TPC that had been whittled down to $22,302 and kicked it back to agency staff, asking that the executive director refer the cases to the Texas Attorney General's Office for "comprehensive enforcement action" Ñ a move that will presumably result in a more stringent penalty and could result in a criminal investigation.

The proposed fine covered eight separate violations the TCEQ found at TPC's Port Neches plant in 2018 that mostly involved preventable emissions of hazardous air pollutants, including thousands of pounds of highly explosive 1,3 butadiene.

---------------------------------------------

BATTERY FIRE BREAKS OUT IN MILFORD
https://fox61.com/2019/12/18/battery-fire-breaks-out-in-milford/
Tags: us_CT, industrial, fire, response, batteries, fire_extinguisher

MILFORD Ñ A battery fire broke out at the power plant Wednesday afternoon.

Firefighters responded to the Devon Power LLC on calls of a bank of batteries on fire. Crews saw a large amount of black smoke venting from the upper windows of the plant and was being directed to the rear near the Housatonic River.

A bank of 40, 3.1 volt lead acid batteries was found burning by  fire crews. Flames were said to be rising 15 to 20 feet high.

Firefighters had to use a dry chemical fire extinguisher to put out the fire. DEEP and the Coast Guard are assisting to make sure there is no environmental impact.

---------------------------------------------

---
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

---
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

--- 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