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From: CHAS imap account <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (9 articles)
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2021 07:12:46 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: 5CAED8D6-D148-45A7-B1A8-E3EA9E52DCE3**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 7:12:33 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 (9 articles)
I-70 IN MOUNT AIRY REOPENS AFTER DEADLY TRACTOR-TRAILER FIRE CAUSED PARTIAL CLOSURE
Tags: us_MD, transportation, fire, response, petroleum
SACRAMENTO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS INCIDENT EVACUATES HOMELESS
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, unknown_chemical, dust
AMMONIA LEAK PROMPTS EVACUATION OF SOUTHLAND PLANT
Tags: New_Zealand, industrial, release, response, ammonia
FIRE AT RENESAS PLANT FUELS CHIP SUPPLY WOES
Tags: Japan, industrial, fire, response, toxics
EXPLOSION AND FIRE AT ASPHALT PLANT ON LONG ISLAND
Tags: us_NY, industrial, explosion, response, asphalt
HUGE FIRE IN INCENSE STICK FACTORY IN VADODARA, NO CASUALTY- THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
EDUCATION DIRECTORATE CONCERNED ABOUT LOSS OF CONFIDENCE, REPUTATION TO HANDLE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Tags: Australia, education, discovery, environmental, lead_dust
CHEMICAL PLANT BLAST KILLS AT LEAST 4 WORKERS, INJURES OTHERS
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
LESS THAN QUARTER OF ESTABLISHMENTS CHECKED IN CHEMICAL SAFETY RAID WERE IN ORDER
Tags: Estonia, industrial, discovery, environmental
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I-70 IN MOUNT AIRY REOPENS AFTER DEADLY TRACTOR-TRAILER FIRE CAUSED PARTIAL CLOSURE
https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/i-70-lanes-shut-down-in-both-directions-in-mt-airy-for-tractor-trailer-on-fire
Tags: us_MD, transportation, fire, response, petroleum
WASHINGTON (ABC7) ‰?? All eastbound lanes of I-70 have reopened in the Mount Airy area early Wednesday morning after fire crews addressed a fuel truck fire and hazmat situation on the median.
The scene was close to the Mount Airy rest stop, prior to eastbound exit 68 for Ridge Road. The truck belongs to Metro Petroleum, Inc., which is a Mount Airy-based company.
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SACRAMENTO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS INCIDENT EVACUATES HOMELESS
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article250159810.html
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, unknown_chemical, dust
Authorities evacuated nearby homeless camps and a hazardous materials team was called to the scene after Caltrans workers complained of respiratory irritation after being exposed to a powdery substance in an industrial park area near Old North Sacramento.
Shortly before 4 p.m. Tuesday, the Sacramento Fire Department announced that the hazardous materials incident occurred in the 2100 block of Evergreen Street in the Erikson Industrial Park area just south of Arden Way.
The Caltrans workers exposed to the powdery substance and complaining of respiratory irritation were examined by medics at the scene and released, fire officials said.
Homeless encampments downwind from the area were evacuated as a precautionary measure, fire officials said. Authorities closed Evergreen south of Arden as the hazardous materials team worked at the scene.
As of 5:50 p.m. Tuesday, authorities had not determined what was the powdery substance. Fire officials said the unidentified substance had been contained and the area was deemed safe.
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AMMONIA LEAK PROMPTS EVACUATION OF SOUTHLAND PLANT
https://www.odt.co.nz/rural-life/red-meat/ammonia-leak-prompts-evacuation-southland-plant
Tags: New_Zealand, industrial, release, response, ammonia
An ammonia leak resulted in a full evacuation at a Southland meat processing plant this afternoon.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand southern communications shift manager Simon Lyford said crews were alerted via a fire alarm at South Pacific Meats in Awarua, Invercargill about 12pm.
Two appliances were initially sent from Invercargill and the plant evacuated.
"They responded to a possible ammonia leak possibly due to a power cut.''
A second alarm was then transmitted once it was a confirmed to be a leak and a Hazmat team was dispatched.
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FIRE AT RENESAS PLANT FUELS CHIP SUPPLY WOES
https://hackaday.com/2021/03/23/fire-at-renesas-plant-fuels-chip-supply-woes/
Tags: Japan, industrial, fire, response, toxics
The small city of Naka (pop. 53K), a two-hour train ride from Tokyo on the eastern coast of Japan, was thrust into the international spotlight in the early dawn of Friday morning. A fire broke out among electroplating equipment in Renesas‰??s 300 nm N3 fabrication facility. It was extinguished before breakfast time, and fortunately nobody was injured nor were there any toxic chemical leaks. Only six hundred square meters on the first floor of the plant was damaged, but the entire building has to be closed for repairs. It will take approximately one month to restore normal operations, and CEO Hidetoshi Shibata is ‰??concerned that there will be a massive impact on chip supplies‰??.
Renesas Naka Plant Location
In a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Renesas reports that the source of the fire has been determined, but the details are still unclear:
The casing of the equipment and the plating tank have relatively low resistance to heat, and the equipment ignited due to overcurrent. However, the cause of the overcurrent and the reason for the ignition is currently being investigated.
Semiconductors are already in short supply, as we reported back in January, forcing slowdowns at many auto manufacturers. The Naka plant primarily makes automotive semiconductors, worsening an already stressed supply chain. While the news focuses on the automotive sector, this shortage spills over into many other industries as well.
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EXPLOSION AND FIRE AT ASPHALT PLANT ON LONG ISLAND
https://www.fox5ny.com/news/explosion-and-fire-at-asphalt-plant-on-long-island
Tags: us_NY, industrial, explosion, response, asphalt
MELLVILLE, N.Y. - Emergency responders battled a chemical fire at an asphalt plant in Suffolk County on Tuesday afternoon.
A tank exploded at Rason Asphalt on Spagnoli Road in Melville around 1 p.m., according to reports.
Video from SkyFOX showed numerous firefighters working to control the fire, which spewed smoke into the sky. At least one tank ruptured and another was damaged.
Firefighters worked to prevent the fire from igniting other tanks, FOX 5 NY has learned.
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HUGE FIRE IN INCENSE STICK FACTORY IN VADODARA, NO CASUALTY- THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2021/mar/24/huge-fire-in-incense-stick-factory-in-vadodara-no-casualty-2280838.html
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
VADODARA: A massive fire broke out in an incense sticks-making factory here in Gujarat on Wednesday morning, but no casualty is reported, an official said.
The blaze erupted at Shreeji Agarbatti unit located in Makarpura industrial area and spread rapidly due to chemicals stored in a godown on the top floor of the factory, he said.
It took nearly four hours to bring the fire under control, the official said, adding that cooling operations are underway.
"The blaze had spread before the first fire tender could reach the spot after a call was received at 4:30 am.
The fire spread due to the raw material, including chemical drums, which were stored in the godown in the factory.
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EDUCATION DIRECTORATE CONCERNED ABOUT LOSS OF CONFIDENCE, REPUTATION TO HANDLE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
https://the-riotact.com/education-directorate-concerned-about-loss-of-confidence-reputation-to-handle-hazardous-materials/448426
Tags: Australia, education, discovery, environmental, lead_dust
The ACT Education Directorate was concerned about a loss of support from the school community following its handling of decontamination works at Yarralumla Primary School after lead dust was found in 2020. The broader ‰??reputational risks about community confidence in [the Education Directorate] appropriately managing hazardous materials‰?? needed to be considered, an executive brief provided to ACT Minister for Education Yvette Berry revealed.
The brief, which has been obtained by Region Media through the Freedom of Information Act, said the Education Directorate‰??s credibility was affected by a perceived lack of consistency of communication to the school community; delays in addressing community concerns; delays in remediation works; the length of time to return to classrooms; and the impact on out-of-school hours care providers.
Lead dust was found in eight classrooms at Yarralumla Primary School on 17 July, 2020, from remediation works that were being undertaken during the school holidays.
The classrooms were closed on 21 July and parents were notified via email before cleaning was undertaken.
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CHEMICAL PLANT BLAST KILLS AT LEAST 4 WORKERS, INJURES OTHERS
https://www.powderbulksolids.com/chemical/chemical-plant-blast-kills-least-4-workers-injures-others
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
Firefighters were sent to the Gharda Chemicals Ltd. plant in Ratnagiri, India Saturday morning after an explosion and fire occurred at the facility, according to accounts by local news organizations. Reports said at least four people were killed and an unknown number were injured in the incident.
A response was initiated after the blaze and explosion were reported at the site around 9:15 a.m., police told the Free Press Journal. The burnt bodies of four people were found inside the plant.
40 to 50 people became trapped in the chemical plant after the explosion happened and had to be rescued, IndiaTVNews.com reported. The news broadcaster said a boiler is eyed as the potential cause of the incident.
In a separate report by The Hindustan Times, a Gharda Chemical official said a short circuit caused the fire.
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LESS THAN QUARTER OF ESTABLISHMENTS CHECKED IN CHEMICAL SAFETY RAID WERE IN ORDER
https://www.baltictimes.com/less_than_quarter_of_establishments_checked_in_chemical_safety_raid_were_in_order/
Tags: Estonia, industrial, discovery, environmental
TALLINN - A chemical safety raid carried out by the Estonian Rescue Board revealed that less than a quarter of the establishments checked were in order.
The Rescue Board and the Labor Inspectorate carried out a joint raid from Feb. 15 to March 12 to inspect establishments throughout Estonia that handle small quantities of hazardous chemicals. The Rescue Board visited 54 establishments, with deficiencies identified at 41 of these, meaning only 24 percent of the establishments were in order. The Labor Inspectorate was involved in inspecting 18 establishments.
Tagne Tahe, head of the safety supervision department of the Rescue Board, said that none of the establishments inspected exceeded the minimum hazard level for chemicals. "Unfortunately, there were the most deficiencies in the case of chemical storage facilities -- 28 institutions exhibited non-compliance with the marking of the storage facility, and another 28 institutions had problems with the storage facility itself," Tahe said.
Employees of 18 establishments checked did not know how to act in case of fire and/or chemical spills. Safety files were also found to be a problem, with 22 establishments in trouble regarding those, and a further 19 establishments had problems with evacuation lighting, paths and locks. Altogether 19 establishments lacked the resources to deal with leaks. Other violations were also identified on the basis of the Fire Safety Act.
"The chemical safety raid proved that it was a necessary inspection of the field," Tahe said. "However, in some cases the Rescue Board does not have the right to issue precepts in respect of the circumstances established."
At the same time, key issues related to the chemical safety of establishments were identified and advice was given on how to better handle chemicals and deal with accidents.
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