HazMat teams have 4 levels of PPE with Level A as the highest. Doing any kind of work in Level A is a challenge since it blows up like the Michelin Man.. There is a valve on the back of the suit that maintains it under positive pressure. As a result, your ability to see is limited by the suit and SCBA facepieces, you're in 100% humidity, movement is a challenge. This is why many try to avoid going to that level unless absolutely necessary. In training I almost lost 2 responders who thought they were not claustrophobic in the last 5 years. They panicked and started to flail around, we were going to cut one guy out of the suit. In a HazMat there are other roles where decon is in PPE 1 level lower than the entry and backup teams. HazMat teams are called out for odors at a workplace or home, they will not fully suit up to use their meters to make an assessment

Fire Depts respond to CO and Smoke detection alarms, these days they will don PPE before they enter a structure, or they may be making a rescue at a motor vehicle accident, They will not be wearing an SCBA for these tasks.

Finally many Cities have combined their Paramedics with the Firefighters, or they require Firefighters to be both. After a transport the entire rig has to be deonned. A huge problem these days

As you can see, there are many roles in the Fire Dept that would require N95 protection. There has been a significant debate on many of the HazMat forums as to how to properly decon an SCBA and Turnout for the virus


Eugene Ngai
Chemically Speaking LLC
www.chemicallyspeakingllc.com



-----Original Message-----
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU> On Behalf Of Zack Mansdorf
Sent: Monday, April 27, 2020 3:06 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (9 articles)

Seems strange that a hazmat team with Level A gear as well as full facepiece APRs would need to make respirators. In the same instance, I am not sure why firefighters with turnout gear and SCBAs would also need them. Maybe some routine work on inspections.

-----Original Message-----
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU> On Behalf Of DCHAS Membership Chair
Sent: Monday, April 27, 2020 7:48 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (9 articles)

Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, April 27, 2020 at 7:47:51 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 (9 articles)

MAJOR FIRE AT HYDERABAD'S SUVEN PHARMA UNIT- THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, response, pharmaceutical

HOW FLINT TAPPED IN TO COMMUNITY ACTION
Tags: us_MI, public, follow-up, environmental

INSIDE FLINT'S WATER CRISIS
Tags: us_MI, laboratory, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical

HEATH EXPERTS CAUTION AGAINST CHEAP HAZMAT SUITS BEING SOLD IN INDIA
Tags: India, industrial, discovery, environmental

COVID-19 CRISIS: ORDEAL FACED BY DOCTORS WORKING 6-7 HOURS SHIFT IN HAZMAT SUITS
Tags: India, industrial, discovery, environmental

MAN SUFFERS =E2=80=98SIGNIFICANT BURNS' IN HORROR EXPLOSION ON GOLD COAST - MYGC.COM.AU
Tags: Australia, public, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

CLOUD OF CEMENT DUST FROM CEMEX PLANT IN VICTORVILLE TRIGGERS FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONSE
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, dust

SEE: HAZMAT CREWS REMOVE 2,500 GALLONS OF ETHANOL FROM CRASH SITE
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, injury, diesel, ethanol

CORONAVIRUS NC: DURHAM HAZMAT ONE OF FEW CREWS IN STATE USING NEW TECHNIQUES TO DECONTAMINATE GEAR
Tags: us_NC, industrial, discovery, environmental, chlorine_dioxide


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MAJOR FIRE AT HYDERABAD'S SUVEN PHARMA UNIT- THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/2020/apr/27/major-fire-at-hyderabads-suven-pharma-unit-2135803.html
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, response, pharmaceutical

HYDERABAD: A major fire broke out at the Suven Pharmaceutical Ltd, a pharmaceutical research and development unit, at Jeedimetla on Sunday evening. No casualties have been reported. Ten employees were inside the pharmaceutical company when the fire broke out at around 4.30 pm.

All of them escaped unhurt. Four fire tenders were pressed to control the massive flames. Jeedimetla Inspector K Balaraj said, "The fire was due to a chemical reaction inside the plant. The reactors exploded which led to the fire spreading." All the stocks in the pharma unit were highly inflammable which is why it took a while to bring the fire under control, said Subash Reddy, Jeedimetla Station Fire Officer.

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HOW FLINT TAPPED IN TO COMMUNITY ACTION
https://www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/how-flint-tapped-in-to-community-action/4011396.article
Tags: us_MI, public, follow-up, environmental

How citizen science and activism can campaign for clean and safe drinking water

In 2014, the water supply to the city of Flint, Michigan was switched from the Detroit system to the Flint river to cut costs. Improper treatment of the water supply led to issues with water quality and serious consequences for the health and wellbeing of residents.

The water was contaminated, and Flint residents were being poisoned.

Low chlorine levels in the water system led to an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease that spread to 100 people and killed 12. The contaminated water also corroded old pipes, leaching lead - a neurotoxin that can cause irreversible damage to neurological and cognitive function in children - into the supply. Dangerously high levels of lead have been found in the blood of children from areas where the water was shown to be unsafe.

And one of the reasons we know about what happened in Flint? Citizen science, combined with community activism.

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INSIDE FLINT'S WATER CRISIS
https://www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/inside-flints-water-crisis/4011316.article
Tags: us_MI, laboratory, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical

Evidence of lead contamination was dismissed as resulting from a laboratory refurbishmen

The signs were there - so why didn't anyone in authority act sooner?

It was during a typical lab exercise in October 2014 that I knew something was really different about our water. Our undergraduate students at the University of Michigan-Flint were making copper sulfate solutions for a spectrophotometry exercise. But instead of clear blue, all their solutions were cloudy, even though we were using water purified by reverse osmosis. I knew that this could be bad: the only insoluble sulfate salts are lead, mercury (I), barium and calcium. It turned out to be evidence of the true nature of Flint's nightmare.

Six months earlier, in April 2014, the city's water supply was switched from the Detroit water and sewerage department to the Flint river. There had been immediate public complaints about water quality, and testing revealed unusually high levels of trihalomethanes (THMs) in the supply.

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HEATH EXPERTS CAUTION AGAINST CHEAP HAZMAT SUITS BEING SOLD IN INDIA https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/heath-experts-caution-against-cheap-hazmat-suits-being-sold-in-india/articleshow/75387270.cms
Tags: India, industrial, discovery, environmental

NEW DELHI: As they fight deadly coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic 24/7, frontline healthcare workers are facing a severe crunch of personal protection equipment (PPE) suits or hazmat suits. Suddenly, several retail shops have cropped up across the country, offering such specialised medical suits at cheap prices.
Shops in Tirupur - also called the knitwear city of India - in Tamil Nadu are offering such suits for as low as Rs 198 and Rs 225, take minimum order for 50 suits with courier charges extra.
Coronavirus lockdown: Latest updates
IANS spoke to one such seller over a phone number which has gone viral on social media, who informed that orders for his so-called anti-virus suits (one suit costs Rs 198) are coming from hospitals and medical facilities across the country, including New Delhi. When asked about his credentials, the seller disconnected the phone, saying "low battery".

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COVID-19 CRISIS: ORDEAL FACED BY DOCTORS WORKING 6-7 HOURS SHIFT IN HAZMAT SUITS
https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-covid-19-crisis-ordeal-faced-by-doctors-working-6-7-hours-shift-in-hazmat-suits-2822605
Tags: India, industrial, discovery, environmental

A picture posted by the Telangana health department shows the bitter reality of the hardship faced by doctors who are looking after COVID-19 patients. In the photo, the doctor could be seen sweating profusely after taking off his PPE kit.

The doctor is completely exhausted after doing 8 hours of duty without being able to eat, go to the toilet, and even breathe freely.

As the coronavirus cases continue to surge rapidly in India, it is important to remember the hard work and dedication shown by our healthcare workers to protect the lives of patients. In the last few days, doctors and nurses have been insulted, assaulted, and in some cases not even allowed to enter their homes in the wake of the crisis.

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MAN SUFFERS =E2=80=98SIGNIFICANT BURNS' IN HORROR EXPLOSION ON GOLD COAST - MYGC.COM.AU http://www.mygc.com.au/man-suffers-significant-burns-to-body-following-horror-explosion-on-gold-coast/
Tags: Australia, public, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

UPDATE **At_Symbol_Here** 12.00 PM | A man has been flown to hospital after suffering significant burns in a chemical explosion in the Gold Coast Hinterland this morning.

Emergency services, including critical care paramedics, the High Acuity Response Unit, police and fire crews, rushed to a picnic area off Gold Coast Springbrook Road just after 9.00am on Saturday.

Upon arrival, they found a man in his 30s with burns to his face, chest, arms and legs.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER THIS ADVERTISEMENT He was treated at the scene before being airlifted to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a serious condition.

EARLIER **At_Symbol_Here** 10.15 AM | A rescue helicopter has been called to Neranwood in the Gold Coast Hinterland following a horror chemical explosion this morning.

It's understood a chemical ignited in a picnic area off Gold Coast Springbrook Road just after 9.00am on Saturday.

Critical care paramedics, the High Acuity Response Unit, police and fire crews rushed to the scene, where they found a man in his 30s suffering significant burns to his body.

He is currently being treated by paramedics for burns to his face, chest, arms and legs, and is expected to be flown to hospital shortly.

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CLOUD OF CEMENT DUST FROM CEMEX PLANT IN VICTORVILLE TRIGGERS FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONSE https://www.vvng.com/cloud-of-cement-dust-from-cemex-plant-in-victorville-triggers-fire-department-response/
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, dust

VICTORVILLE, Calif. (VVNG.com) - A cloud of cement dust from a Cemex plant in Victorville triggered a response from the fire department Friday evening.

On April 24th, 2020, at 5:05 p.m., the Victorville Fire Department responded to reports of a commercial structure fire at the plant, located at 16888 E St. in Victorville, after people reported the cloud of building material particles as a fire.

"It was not a fire," stated Victorville City Spokeswoman Sue Jones. "Cemex was filling a silo. It was cement dust that resembled a smoke cloud."

Cement is the main ingredient in concrete and is a very fine powder that can be dangerous.

A nearby business owner, who did not want to be named, said he believes cement dust poses a health risk for the residents who live or work near the plant.

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SEE: HAZMAT CREWS REMOVE 2,500 GALLONS OF ETHANOL FROM CRASH SITE https://patch.com/california/pleasanton/see-semi-1-000-gallons-ethanol-crashes-near-pleasanton
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, injury, diesel, ethanol

SUNOL, CA - One person suffered serious injuries in a crash Wednesday involving a trailer with 6,500 gallons of ethanol, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Firefighters and hazmat crews remained on scene for most of Wednesday cleaning up the crash, which occurred around 2:50 a.m. after a truck tractor towing the trailer with ethanol veered off the road, to the right while driving on southbound I-680 at Koopman Road.

The tractor hit the guardrail and continued, eventually hitting a tree and coming to rest in a brush area, west of the road. The right side fuel tank was punctured and spilled about 225 gallons of diesel, CHP said.

The 23-year-old driver from Watsonville was able to get out, but Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department and Cal Fire officials had to extricate the passenger from the cab. The passenger was sleeping at the time and sustained major injuries, according to CHP. The passenger was taken to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley.

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CORONAVIRUS NC: DURHAM HAZMAT ONE OF FEW CREWS IN STATE USING NEW TECHNIQUES TO DECONTAMINATE GEAR https://abc11.com/durham-fire-rescue-hazmat-chlorine-dioxide-fire/6125125/
Tags: us_NC, industrial, discovery, environmental, chlorine_dioxide

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Durham Fire-Rescue Hazardous Materials Team is leading the way in using new and existing equipment to decontaminate surfaces that may have been exposed to COVID-19.

Firefighters suit up in Tyvek hazmat gear to spray all surfaces with chlorine dioxide.

"Chlorine dioxide has been shown in multiple studies and by multiple federal agencies to kill the COVID-19 virus," said Ryan Campbell with the Durham Fire Department.

To clean an entire firehouse, he says that it can be done by mixing packets of chlorine dioxide with water in a cup that sets off a gas aroma. The cleaning and ventilation process can take up to 5 hours.

Durham firefighters are wearing more donated masks made by individuals and local businesses.

"We're trying to get 1,200. We're about halfway there," said Durham Fire Chief Robert Zoldos. "And that will give all our people, about 400 on-duty personnel three masks a piece."

Soon Durham Fire will be making its own N95 masks with the purchase of 3D mask-making machines.

"We're going to do five-a-day, seven-days-a-week, said Captain Don Gross. "Basically within four hours, you can have a mask."

Durham Fire Department also purchased two $300 ovens and installed them in the back of a truck to kill viruses on Personal Protective Equipment. Campbell says crews will put PPE in the oven and turn up the heat to 167 degrees-- in the event there's a gear shortage.

Durham Hazmat team says it's one of the few agencies in the state using these techniques.

On Thursday, they showed them off to Raleigh and Cary fire departments, and other emergency management teams and transportation personnel in Durham.

The money for the equipment is coming out of their budget for operating expenses. The Deputy Chief for the Durham Fire Department said it costs $1,000 for the ovens and materials to put it in the SUV, printers run about $650 and the printing filaments cost a couple hundred dollars.The homemade sprayers cost the department about $85 in parts.

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