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From: CHAS membership <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (13 articles)
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2021 06:31:52 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: 1491950D-DECB-4336-9A05-7F61CDD9D9B8**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, April 21, 2021 at 6:31:39 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)
3-ALARM FIRE AT CREAMERY FORCES EVACUATIONS IN MCMINNVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD
Tags: us_OR, industrial, fire, response, ammonia
PERSON FATALLY ELECTROCUTED IN ARTISTIC WOOD BURNING PROCESS
Tags: Canada, public, discovery, environmental, unknown_chemical
THE DOMINO SUGAR FACTORY IS CURRENTLY ON FIRE [UPDATE]
Tags: us_MD, industrial, fire, response, other_chemical
EV BATTERIES ARE A MAJOR FIRE RISK AND CARMAKERS NEED TO ACT
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, batteries
CHEMICAL INSIGHTS, AN INSTITUTE OF UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES, PUBLISHES UL 118F GUIDANCE DOCUMENT ON THE SCIENCE OF ACHIEVING BOTH FIRE AND CHEMICAL SAFETY FOR RESIDENTIAL UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
EPA SETTLEMENT WITH TRUCKING COMPANY WILL IMPROVE SAFETY MEASURES AT NO. SMITHFIELD, R.I. FACILITY
Tags: us_RI, industrial, follow-up, environmental, formaldehyde, sulfuric_acid, toluene
CSB CLARIFIES BOARD MEMBER ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES
Tags: us_WA, public, follow-up, environmental
OSHA CITES NORTH AMERICAN LIGHTING AFTER MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN SUFFERS FACIAL BURNS IN EXPLOSION AT PARIS, ILLINOIS, FACILITY
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, injury, unknown_chemical
‰??ALL CLEAR‰?? FOR SHELTER IN PLACE ADVISORY ISSUED FOR STANDISH DURING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS FIRE
Tags: us_MI, public, fire, response, batteries
‰??THE DAMAGE IS TOTAL‰??: FIRE RIPS THROUGH HISTORIC SOUTH AFRICAN LIBRARY AND PLANT COLLECTION
Tags: South_Africa, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical
CHEMICAL FIRE IN HOT SPRINGS DAMAGES AUTO SHOP, STORAGE UNITS
Tags: us_AR, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
OFFICIAL: WALMART IN BRANFORD EVACUATED MONDAY FOLLOWING CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_CT, public, release, injury, cleaners, hydrogen_peroxide
STUDY: CHEMICAL USED IN PAINT THINNERS CAUSED MORE DEATHS THAN EPA IDENTIFIED
Tags: public, discovery, death, methylene_chloride
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3-ALARM FIRE AT CREAMERY FORCES EVACUATIONS IN MCMINNVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD
https://katu.com/news/local/3-alarm-fire-at-creamery-forces-evacuations-in-mcminnville-neighborhood
Tags: us_OR, industrial, fire, response, ammonia
MCMINNVILLE, Ore. ‰?? A fire at the Organic Valley Creamery off Highway 99W in McMinnville on Tuesday prompted an evacuation order for everyone within a half mile of the business.
Initial reports state there were no injuries from the fire.
McMinnville Police announced the evacuation at about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday because of "anhydrous ammonia." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is a colorless gas with a pungent, suffocating odor.
People were allowed to return home at about 8 p.m.
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PERSON FATALLY ELECTROCUTED IN ARTISTIC WOOD BURNING PROCESS
https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/person-fatally-electrocuted-in-artistic-wood-burning-process-3649465
Tags: Canada, public, discovery, environmental, unknown_chemical
THUNDER BAY -- Thunder Bay Fire Rescue are warning the public to use extreme caution when practising the art of fractal wood burning, saying a local resident died from electrocution over the weekend.
The process, also known as Lichtenberg, is used to burn lightning or tree-like figures into wood using high-electricity voltage generators or other, similar components, the wood soaked in a chemical solution.
TBFR, in a release issued on Tuesday, said there are hundreds of instructional videos that can be found online providing step-by-step instructions on how to modify household appliances, such as a microwave oven, to take part in the artistic endeavour.
"This is an extremely dangerous process with deadly consequences and I would strongly recommend that people do not try this," Fire Chief Greg Hankkio said.
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THE DOMINO SUGAR FACTORY IS CURRENTLY ON FIRE [UPDATE]
https://thetakeout.com/the-domino-sugar-factory-is-currently-on-fire-1846725065
Tags: us_MD, industrial, fire, response, other_chemical
Update, 5:20 p.m. CDT: A spokesperson for the Baltimore City Fire Department, Blair Adams, has confirmed that the fire at the Domino Sugar plant started in a storage shed and was spread via conveyor belt inside the facility. The Fire Department‰??s Twitter account posted at 5:12 p.m. Eastern time updating the public on the fire and confirming that no one was harmed in the blaze.
‰??Shortly after 3pm, we responded to #DominoSugar for a reported fire,‰?? reads the first of two tweets. ‰??Approaching the scene, heavy fire & smoke was showing through the roof. Once FFs gained entry, fire was showing from a silo that collapsed. Fire made its way on a conveyor belt & traveled midway thru the bldg.‰??
In the second tweet, Domino employees‰?? safety is confirmed: ‰??All employees self evacuated & were accounted for w/o injuries. #BCFD remain on the scene with fire showing from the bldg. #BCFD Fire Boat assisted during this 3-alarm to help tackled the fire with additional water supply.‰??
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EV BATTERIES ARE A MAJOR FIRE RISK AND CARMAKERS NEED TO ACT
https://carbuzz.com/news/ev-batteries-are-a-major-fire-risk-and-carmakers-need-to-act
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, batteries
In 2018 there were about 181,500 highway vehicle fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The vast majority of those were gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles. For whatever reason, we expect and accept that. But with EV fires it's different.
The National Traffic Safety Board addressed these EV fires in January with a report noting that there are two main safety issues. First, the inadequacy of vehicle manufacturers' emergency response guides, and the gaps in safety standards and research related to high-voltage lithium-ion batteries involved in high-sped, high-severity crashes.
Additionally, EVs pose a risk of electric shock to emergency responders, and then there's the thermal runaway problem. That is a process that is accelerated by increased temperatures, in turn releasing energy that further increase temperature. It's an uncontrolled positive feedback loop.
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CHEMICAL INSIGHTS, AN INSTITUTE OF UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES, PUBLISHES UL 118F GUIDANCE DOCUMENT ON THE SCIENCE OF ACHIEVING BOTH FIRE AND CHEMICAL SAFETY FOR RESIDENTIAL UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210420006110/en/Chemical-Insights-an-Institute-of-Underwriters-Laboratories-Publishes-UL-118F-Guidance-Document-on-the-Science-of-Achieving-Both-Fire-and-Chemical-Safety-for-Residential-Upholstered-Furniture
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Chemical Insights, an Institute of Underwriters Laboratories, would like to announce that UL 118F Guidance Document, ‰??Managing Fire and Chemical Exposure Risks of Residential Upholstered Furniture,‰?? has been published and is now available for those seeking to design, specify and purchase furniture with reduced flammability and chemical exposure risks.
‰??UF 118F will advance the understanding that protection from fire hazards and chemical risks are not mutually exclusive, and it should be an essential safety feature of residential upholstered furniture.‰??
UL 118F was derived from available scientific resources assembled and summarized by a voluntary Furniture Flammability and Human Health (FFHH) Taskforce consisting of representatives from the furniture industry, material suppliers, chemical suppliers, interior designers, fire experts, chemical exposure experts, and public health advocates. The document shares information with designers and consumers on the hazards of residential fires and the human health risks of flame retardant exposure, and then leads them through steps that can be taken to reduce these risks to consumer safety.
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EPA SETTLEMENT WITH TRUCKING COMPANY WILL IMPROVE SAFETY MEASURES AT NO. SMITHFIELD, R.I. FACILITY
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-settlement-trucking-company-will-improve-safety-measures-no-smithfield-ri-facility
Tags: us_RI, industrial, follow-up, environmental, formaldehyde, sulfuric_acid, toluene
N. SMITHFIELD, R.I. ‰?? Under a recent settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), N&D Transportation Company, Inc. has corrected alleged violations of chemical safety regulations and will pay a settlement penalty of $314,658 to settle claims that the company violated chemical accident prevention laws at its facility in North Smithfield, Rhode Island.
The settlement resolves EPA claims that the company violated chemical accident prevention provisions of the Clean Air Act and chemical inventory reporting requirements of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).
"EPA's enforcement action, and the company's subsequent actions in response to it, have resulted in a safer facility and helped protect human health and the environment in the surrounding community," said EPA New England Acting Regional Administrator Deborah Szaro. "This settlement demonstrates that chemical accident prevention requirements of the Clean Air Act and EPCRA are in place for a reason and shows EPA's dedication to working with facilities to ensure chemical safety compliance."
EPA alleged that between 2015 and 2020, the company violated the Clean Air Act by failing to comply with chemical and process hazard safety requirements under both "general duty clause" (GDC) and "risk management program" (RMP) provisions, and violated EPCRA by failing to properly prepare and submit EPCRA chemical inventory reports for numerous chemicals present at its 100 Industrial Drive facility. "Extremely hazardous substances" (EHS) requiring reporting at the facility included formaldehyde, toluene diisocyanate (TDI), peracetic acid, and sulfuric acid.
The N&D facility is situated near a tributary of the Blackstone River as well as many businesses and residences, the closest of which is under a tenth of a mile away. An EPA inspection of the facility raised concerns regarding facility safety. Significant allegations included the failure to ensure incompatible chemicals were stored separately and to keep water-reactive chemicals away from the sprinkler system, failure to submit a Clean Air Act risk management plan, failure to conduct a process hazard analysis for the warehouse operation, and failure to submit complete, timely EPCRA "Tier II" reports with all state and local planning and response authorities. One of EPA's most serious claims is that, until the inspection, it appeared local and state fire and emergency response personnel were largely unaware of the presence of EHSs and many other chemicals at the facility, thereby putting at risk
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CSB CLARIFIES BOARD MEMBER ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES
https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/21124-csb-clarifies-board-member-roles-responsibilities
Tags: us_WA, public, follow-up, environmental
Washington ‰?? During an April 2 public business meeting, the Chemical Safety Board announced it has revised a board order on board member roles and responsibilities in response to criticism of the agency in recent Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General reports.
CSB Chair and CEO Katherine Lemos called the measure ‰??a major step forward for the efficiency of the agency,‰?? which has carried on with only one of its five board seats filled since Kristen Kulinowski stepped down May 1 ‰?? three months before her five-year term was set to expire.
EPA OIG‰??s most recent report on CSB ‰?? issued in July ‰?? found that various management challenges ‰?? namely the abundance of board vacancies and unclear policy on board member responsibilities ‰?? ‰??will impede the ability of the CSB to function effectively.‰??
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OSHA CITES NORTH AMERICAN LIGHTING AFTER MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN SUFFERS FACIAL BURNS IN EXPLOSION AT PARIS, ILLINOIS, FACILITY
https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/osha/osha20210420
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, injury, unknown_chemical
PARIS, IL ‰?? On Nov. 14, 2020, a master maintenance technician for a central Illinois lighting manufacturer suffered severe facial burns when pressurized material in a plastic molding machine exploded.
An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor‰??s Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined North American Lighting Inc. lacked energy control procedures to protect workers during maintenance work, a process known as lockout/tagout. OSHA also found that the company failed to review and test its lockout/tagout procedures annually for effectiveness, and ensure employees used eye and face protection.
OSHA cited the company for one repeat violation and three serious violations of machine safety standards and requirements for personal protective equipment. The agency cited the company for similar violations in 2019 at the same facility, and proposed $85,826 in penalties. Lack of machine safety procedures is the fourth most frequently cited OSHA violation.
‰??Employers must ensure that machines and equipment are disabled before workers perform service and maintenance to prevent unexpected startup or release of hazardous energy and materials,‰?? said OSHA Area Director Barry Salerno in Peoria, Illinois. ‰??If North American Lighting took the time to implement and test the safety procedures, this serious injury could have been prevented.‰??
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‰??ALL CLEAR‰?? FOR SHELTER IN PLACE ADVISORY ISSUED FOR STANDISH DURING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS FIRE
https://www.abc12.com/2021/04/20/all-clear-for-shelter-in-place-advisory-issued-for-standish-during-hazardous-materials-fire/
Tags: us_MI, public, fire, response, batteries
STANDISH, Mich. (WJRT) - (04/19/2021) - ‰??All Clear‰?? in Standish after a large battery fire made for some tense moments. ‰??
It happened this afternoon at Consumers Energy‰??s new battery installation, which is set to go online in early June.
The concern was a lot of gas, smoke, and potentially toxic fumes from the lithium ion battery.
ABC12 reached out to the Emergency Manager in Arenac County who says the shelter in place advisory ended around 7:00 Monday evening.‰??
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‰??THE DAMAGE IS TOTAL‰??: FIRE RIPS THROUGH HISTORIC SOUTH AFRICAN LIBRARY AND PLANT COLLECTION
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01045-4
Tags: South_Africa, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical
Forest fires raging in South Africa‰??s Table Mountain National Park have reached the University of Cape Town (UCT), and gutted the reading room of its main library, which houses irreplaceable documents and records from the country‰??s past.
Amid apocalyptic scenes on 18 April, fire tore through part of the 200-year-old university‰??s campus on the slopes of Table Mountain, torching the library building and destroying a plant research unit.
Researchers have set up an online page asking for anyone with photos or digital scans of the library‰??s collections to upload them.
‰??This archive is special for all sorts of reasons, and for me it‰??s because it includes collections which provide a record of the ordinary lives of ordinary people in the area ‰?? from working-class children to Black students attending night school,‰?? says Sarah Emily Duff, a historian of South Africa based at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. ‰??We lose that texture of everyday life and struggles with a catastrophe like this,‰?? she adds.
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CHEMICAL FIRE IN HOT SPRINGS DAMAGES AUTO SHOP, STORAGE UNITS
https://katv.com/news/local/chemical-fire-in-hot-springs-damages-auto-shop-storage-units
Tags: us_AR, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
ITTLE ROCK (KATV) ‰?? A chemical fire that erupted in Hot Springs consumed a commercial building and several storage units Saturday, according to a release from the Fountain Lake Fire Department.
Multiple fire departments, police agencies and a hazardous materials response team were called to 3595 North Highway 7 across from the Walmart Supercenter around 8:30 p.m. Saturday. There, Tony's Car Care and Lock & Load Mini Storage were in flames, according to officials.
The fire started outside the building, according to the release. But before first responders arrived, the fire had spread through the automotive shop to the covered storage units behind it. No injuries were reported.
Firefighters reportedly found firearms, ammunition, several barrels "containing unknown chemicals," boats and vehicles inside the building and inside the covered storage areas.
Due to the presence of the "exploding unknown chemicals," ammunition, barrels, and fuel tanks, a defensive fire plan was made. Officials were able to protect the surrounding businesses and other storage buildings from further damage.
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OFFICIAL: WALMART IN BRANFORD EVACUATED MONDAY FOLLOWING CHEMICAL SPILL
https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Official-Walmart-in-Branford-evacuated-Monday-16113498.php
Tags: us_CT, public, release, injury, cleaners, hydrogen_peroxide
BRANFORD ‰?? Following a chemical spill, a Walmart on Commercial Parkway in Branford was evacuated Monday, according to a fire department official.
The substance ‰?? a disinfectant that had hydrogen peroxide in it ‰?? was an ‰??irritant‰?? to some employees and they were coughing, said Jason Karpovich, Branford Fire Department‰??s deputy chief of operations. They were brought to a hospital, he said.
The substance was Libman multisurface disinfecting cleaner, Karpovich said.
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection as well as a cleanup company were also contacted, according to Karpovich.
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STUDY: CHEMICAL USED IN PAINT THINNERS CAUSED MORE DEATHS THAN EPA IDENTIFIED
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/548701-study-chemical-used-in-paint-thinners-caused-more-deaths-than-epa
Tags: public, discovery, death, methylene_chloride
A chemical found in paint strippers is associated with more deaths than previously thought, according to research published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Researchers consulted studies and government databases for deaths associated with the chemical methylene chloride from 1980 to 2018. They further analyzed a combination of inspection reports, medical records and autopsy reports from August 2018 to August 2020.
‰??Results of this case series demonstrated that despite regulations to address the toxic effects of methylene chloride use for consumers and workers, there are continuing fatalities in the US, particularly in occupational settings,‰?? researchers wrote. ‰??Prevention of fatalities associated with methylene chloride exposure should emphasize the use of safer substitutes, rather than hazard warnings or reliance on personal protective equipment.‰??
While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has acknowledged the compound was tied to 53 deaths between 1980 and 2018, the study indicated 85 deaths tied to it during the same time frame. Of those, 87 percent occurred in workplaces.
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