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 (13 articles)
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2020 06:50:29 -0500
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: FFA4E714-E47B-470C-B5DB-58B758E9DBC5**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, January 27, 2020 at 6:50:10 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 (13 articles)
HAZMAT CREWS CALLED TO FIRE AT AERO-TECH METAL FINISHING
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
HAZMAT CREWS CALLED TO U OF U AFTER DANGEROUS LIQUID NITROGEN SPEWS FROM 2,000-GALLON TANK
Tags: us_ut, laboratory, release, response, nitrogen
TWO HOSPITALIZED AFTER EXPOSURE TO CHEMICAL AT SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING MATCH
Tags: us_ca, education, release, injuries, cleaner
SHELL RELEASES NEW DETAILS ON ASCENSION CHEMICAL LEAK, ALL ROADS BACK OPEN
Tags: us_LA, industrial, release, response, other_chemical
SUSPECTED ILLEGAL DRUG LAB IN MISSION VIEJO EXPLODES, 3 INJURED ?? CBS LOS ANGELES
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, explosion, injury, butane, drugs, illegal
HOUSTON EXPLOSION: AT LEAST 2 PEOPLE KILLED IN MASSIVE INDUSTRIAL BLAST
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, death, paints
THERE ARE AROUND 3,000 REGISTERED FACILITIES THAT HOUSE CHEMICALS IN HARRIS COUNTY. WHICH ONES ARE NEAR YOU?
Tags: us_TX, public, explosion, environmental
RTI PLANT REOPENS AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_MI, industrial, follow-up, response, nitric_acid
U.S. CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD SENDING TEAM TO PROBE HOUSTON BLAST
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, death, unknown_chemical
TATTOO INKS TARGETED BY EU REGULATORS
Tags: Norway, public, discovery, environmental, dye
NO PUBLIC THREAT AFTER CHEMICAL INCIDENT AT GRAND RAPIDS CITY HALL
Tags: us_mi, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
405 FWY REOPENS IN SOUTH BAY AFTER PACKAGE CONTAINING HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL COMPOUND FALLS FROM TRUCK
Tags: us_ca, transportation, release, response, acid
REFINERY REACHES SETTLEMENT AFTER CHEMICAL & RISK MANAGEMENT VIOLATIONS
Tags: us_ca, industrial, fire, followup, illegal, hf
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT CREWS CALLED TO FIRE AT AERO-TECH METAL FINISHING
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2020/01/26/hazmat-crews-called-to-fire-at-aero-tech-metal-finishing/
Tags: us_TX, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
SAN ANTONIO ?? HAZMAT crews were called to a fire Sunday afternoon at a metal finishing company on the Northwest Side.
The fire happened around 2 p.m. at Aero-Tech Metal Finishing on Mainland Drive, not far from Bandera Road.
Chemicals inside caught fire but crews were able to extinguish the flames quickly.
Some firefighters had to be decontaminated.
No word on what caused the fire, as the investigation is still ongoing.
The TCEQ has been called out to test chemical runoff from the water used to douse the flames.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT CREWS CALLED TO U OF U AFTER DANGEROUS LIQUID NITROGEN SPEWS FROM 2,000-GALLON TANK
https://gephardtdaily.com/breaking/hazmat-crews-called-to-u-of-u-after-dangerous-leak-in-2000-gallon-liquid-nitrogen-tank/
Tags: us_ut, laboratory, release, response, nitrogen
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 25, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) ?? Salt Lake City Fire Department and hazmat crews were called to the University of Utah early Saturday morning after a 2,000-gallon tank of liquid nitrogen began to leak and formed a visible plume of the dangerous gas.
??The call came in at 4:24 a.m. from University Police,?? Captain Tony Stowe, SLCFD, told Gephardt Daily. ??Our crew arrived to find a plume of liquid nitrogen coming from a 2,000-gallon tank.??
Hazmat workers donned protective suits with protective materials, gloves and full breathing apparatus before entering the V. Randall Turpin University Services Building, 1795 S. Campus Dr.
They were able to pinch closed the leaking pipe, which was approximately a quarter inch in diameter, Stowe said.
---------------------------------------------
TWO HOSPITALIZED AFTER EXPOSURE TO CHEMICAL AT SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING MATCH
https://www.ktvu.com/news/two-hospitalized-after-exposure-to-chemical-at-san-jose-high-school-wrestling-match
Tags: us_ca, education, release, injuries, cleaner
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Cleaning chemicals could be the culprit behind a hazmat incident Friday night at a high school wrestling match in San Jose that sent two people to the hospital, fire officials said.
Crews responded to the William C. Overfelt High School gym shortly before 11 p.m. and found about two dozen people complaining of irritation to their eyes and throats, a San Jose Fire Department spokesperson said Saturday.
The gym was evacuated and 10 patients were evaluated at the scene. Two people, including one juvenile, were taken to a hospital for treatment, a spokesperson said.
A bleach or ammonia cleaner recently used to clean the wrestling mats is believed to have caused the irritating fumes, fire officials said.
---------------------------------------------
SHELL RELEASES NEW DETAILS ON ASCENSION CHEMICAL LEAK, ALL ROADS BACK OPEN
https://www.wbrz.com/news/hazmat-situation-at-shell-plant-closes-multiple-roadways-in-ascension/
Tags: us_LA, industrial, release, response, other_chemical
GEISMAR - An incident involving hazardous materials has prompted law enforcement to close off multiple intersections near a chemical plant in Ascension Parish.
The sheriff's office says a situation at the Shell plant along LA 75 prompted them to shut down several roadways nearby. The department says the closures are precautionary, and there appears to be no off-site impact at this time.
A Shell spokesperson response stemmed from a hydrocarbon leak that was first noticed around 8 a.m. The plant's deluge system was activated to reduce the vapors and a response team was immediately dispatched.
No injuries or exposures were reported.
---------------------------------------------
SUSPECTED ILLEGAL DRUG LAB IN MISSION VIEJO EXPLODES, 3 INJURED ?? CBS LOS ANGELES
https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/01/24/suspected-illegal-drug-lab-in-mission-viejo-explodes-3-injured/
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, explosion, injury, butane, drugs, illegal
MISSION VIEJO (CBSLA) ?? A hazmat team was dispatched to a Mission Viejo home Friday afternoon after reports of an explosion.
According to officials, three people were injured when a suspected illegal butane drug lab caused an explosion at about 4:23 p.m. in the 22900 block of Via Cereza.
Two people were taken to the hospital with burn injuries, and a third was evaluated at the scene.
The Orange County Fire Authority said the lab was located in a garage at a condo complex.
---------------------------------------------
HOUSTON EXPLOSION: AT LEAST 2 PEOPLE KILLED IN MASSIVE INDUSTRIAL BLAST
https://www.npr.org/2020/01/24/799217399/at-least-2-people-killed-in-massive-industrial-explosion-in-houston
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, death, paints
A massive industrial explosion in northwest Houston early Friday killed two people, left a business in ruins, knocked homes off their foundations and sent debris flying for about half a mile.
The predawn blast at a building belonging to Watson Grinding and Manufacturing, which provides industrial services such as thermal spray coatings, could be felt more than 30 miles away, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said at a news conference.
Acevedo said it's not clear whether the victims were employees. He said authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the incident but that there was currently no reason to think the explosion was intentional.
Friday's incident is just the latest in a string of industrial explosions in Texas' Gulf Coast region, which houses numerous chemical facilities.
It's not yet clear what caused the explosion, which jolted the area at about 4:30 a.m. local time.
"Multiple buildings and homes had their windows broken in and doors blown off their hinges," Houston Public Media's Davis Land reported.
---------------------------------------------
THERE ARE AROUND 3,000 REGISTERED FACILITIES THAT HOUSE CHEMICALS IN HARRIS COUNTY. WHICH ONES ARE NEAR YOU?
https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/there-are-around-3000-registered-facilities-that-house-chemicals-in-harris-county-which-ones-are-near-you/285-8e855b40-5e29-4740-8c8c-046a522f7453
Tags: us_TX, public, explosion, environmental
HOUSTON ?? Harris County is the third biggest county in the country with more than 4 million residents, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.
It has a land mass larger than the state of Rhode Island and is at the center of the largest petrochemical complex in the western hemisphere.
After the Watson Grinding and Manufacturing facility exploded early Friday morning, killing two people and damaging hundreds of homes and businesses nearby, residents in Northwest Houston began expressed concern over such a facility being located in their proverbial backyard.
With more than 10,000 miles of pipeline, Harris County has more pipeline than any other county, and more than 1.7 million residents live within a half-mile of these pipelines.
---------------------------------------------
RTI PLANT REOPENS AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
https://www.miningjournal.net/news/front-page-news/2020/01/rti-plant-reopens-after-chemical-spill/
Tags: us_MI, industrial, follow-up, response, nitric_acid
MARQUETTE ?? RTI Surgical in Marquette reopened Wednesday evening, five days after employees were evacuated due to a nitric acid spill, Marquette Fire Department officials said.
No injuries were reported as a result of the incident, and 19 individuals were transported to UP Health System-Marquette where they were evaluated, treated and released Marquette Fire Department Lieutenant Kurt Hillier said in a phone interview today.
In an email Wednesday, RTI Surgical representative Andrea Johnson provided a statement from the company.
??The safety of employees is a top priority for RTI. All employees who were in the building at the time of the incident were evaluated by medical personnel and are safe and well. Out of an abundance of caution and in line with our procedures, we closed the Marquette facility while we remediated the leak and performed air-quality testing,?? the statement said.
---------------------------------------------
U.S. CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD SENDING TEAM TO PROBE HOUSTON BLAST
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-texas-blast-csb/u-s-chemical-safety-board-sending-team-to-probe-houston-blast-idUSKBN1ZO012
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, death, unknown_chemical
HOUSTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Chemical Safety Board is sending a team of investigators to probe an early Friday morning explosion at a Houston machine shop that killed at least two people, a board spokeswoman said.
The massive explosion at Watson Grinding and Manufacturing in northwest Houston ripped through a working-class neighborhood, damaging homes while sending out blast waves for miles.
??We??re sending a team of investigators,?? Hillary Cohen, Chemical Safety Board spokeswoman, said in an email.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board is authorized under federal law to investigate chemical disasters to determine root causes and promote changes in process safety at chemical plants. The Board has no regulatory or enforcement authority, but its recommendations are often adopted as policies by industry and regulators.
---------------------------------------------
TATTOO INKS TARGETED BY EU REGULATORS
https://cen.acs.org/safety/consumer-safety/Tattoo-inks-targeted-EU-regulators/98/i4
Tags: Norway, public, discovery, environmental, dye
The European Commission is moving closer to restricting more than 4,000 substances in tattoo inks and permanent makeup after an assessment by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The agency, along with three member states and Norway, proposed limiting the concentrations of those substances in tattoo inks to protect people from adverse skin reactions and other health effects. ECHA claims that the substances are carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to reproduction; skin sensitizers or irritants; corrosive or damaging to the eye; metal containing; or already regulated in cosmetics. The agency included some substances not currently found in tattoo inks to prevent them from being used for such purposes in the future. ECHA also recommended phasing out two phthalocyanine dyes??pigment blue 15 and pigment green 7??over a 2-year period to ensure that blue and green tattoo inks are available while formulators seek to find safer alternatives. The commission plans to discuss ECHA??s re!
commendations with member states in February. The restrictions would become effective 1 year after the commission officially adopts the measure.
---------------------------------------------
NO PUBLIC THREAT AFTER CHEMICAL INCIDENT AT GRAND RAPIDS CITY HALL
https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2020/01/no-public-threat-after-chemical-incident-at-grand-rapids-city-hall.html
Tags: us_mi, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Fire officials say there were no injuries and no threat to the public during a chemical incident Thursday morning near the loading dock area beneath Grand Rapids City Hall and the Kent County Administration Building.
The incident, reported around 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, happened after two ??incompatible chemicals?? involved in microfiche processing leaked and came into contact with each other, Grand Rapids Fire Lt. William Smith said.
---------------------------------------------
405 FWY REOPENS IN SOUTH BAY AFTER PACKAGE CONTAINING HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL COMPOUND FALLS FROM TRUCK
https://ktla.com/2020/01/23/all-405-fwy-lanes-closed-due-to-hazmat-incident-in-redondo-beach-area/
Tags: us_ca, transportation, release, response, acid
The 405 Freeway has been fully reopened through Redondo Beach on Thursday afternoon after it was temporarily closed amid fears of a hazardous chemical leak, officials said.
The closure began shortly before noon over concerns that boxes that had fallen from a vehicle had possibly leaked the potentially deadly chemical compound hydrogen cyanide onto the 405, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
All northbound lanes were closed at Hawthorne Boulevard while the southbound side was shut down at Rosecrans Avenue, Caltrans officials said. A hazardous materials team was called out to the scene
Aerial video from Sky5 showed a pickup truck carrying cardboard boxes, some of them toppled over, stopped on the freeway as firefighters responded.
County Supervisor Janice Hahn later said the department found that there was no leak and determined it was safe to reopen the freeway.
It was later determined the substance in the dropped packages was actually "Thioglycolid Acid," a statement from the California Highway Patrol said. Thioglycolic acid is used to make permanent wave solutions and depilatories, according to the National Institute of Health. It is corrosive to metal and and tissue, and has acute toxicity.
---------------------------------------------
REFINERY REACHES SETTLEMENT AFTER CHEMICAL & RISK MANAGEMENT VIOLATIONS
https://www.wwdmag.com/chemical-cleanup-systems/refinery-reaches-settlement-after-chemical-risk-management-violations
Tags: us_ca, industrial, fire, followup, illegal, hf
The U.S. EPA announced a settlement agreement with the Torrance Refining Company, which agreed to pay $125,000 in penalties for chemical safety and risk management violations.
The refinery has corrected the violations and will spend $219,000 on chemical safety features, reported NBC Los Angeles.
"It is critical for the refinery to maintain an up-to-date and accurate Risk Management Plan," said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. "These actions ensure that facilities handling dangerous materials are minimizing potential impacts to the environment and the surrounding community.
An inspection found that Torrance Refining violated the Clean Air Act's Chemical Accident Prevention Program, due to inaccuracies in its Risk Management Plan, including; failure to properly conduct a hazard assessment; failure to properly document repairs on equipment; and failure to follow emergency operating procedures.
Torrance Refinery agreed to install a new automated water system to mitigate potential releases at its largest modified hydrofluoric acid tank, reported NBC Los Angeles.
---------------------------------------------
---
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