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From: Ralph Stuart <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (11 articles)
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2022 07:02:22 -0500
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: CCD3B14A-B4FC-4504-B043-CD1EA9765DEA**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, January 5, 2022 at 7:02:12 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 (11 articles)
FORMER LABORATORY TECHNICIAN CLAIMS HE WAS FIRED FOR BLOWING WHISTLE
Tags: us_OR, laboratory, discovery, environmental, waste
WHY SAFETY PROFESSIONALS NEED TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE
Tags: Canada, education, discovery, environmental
HEALTH AND SAFETY BEGINS AT HOME, SAYS OIL AND GAS EXPERT
Tags: Canada, education, discovery, environmental
FIRST RESPONDERS CONTAIN LEAK OF NITRIC ACID FROM TRAILER AT FEDEX FREIGHT
Tags: us_MD, transportation, release, response, nitric_acid
A TWO CAR COLLISION RESULTED IN A HAZMAT INCIDENT TONIGHT IN SANTA ANA
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, response, chlorine
REVIEW OF THE PERFORMANCE, SELECTION, AND USE OF GLOVES FOR CHEMICAL PROTECTION
Tags: us_TX, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
FATAL CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN CENTRAL PA.
Tags: us_PA, public, release, death, carbon_monoxide
FASNY APPLAUDS GOVERNOR FOR SIGNING CHEMICAL FLAME RETARDANT BAN LEGISLATION
Tags: us_NY, public, follow-up, environmental, toxics
AT LEAST FOUR KILLED IN KARACHI CHEMICAL FACTORY
Tags: Pakistan, industrial, release, death, unknown_chemical
JANUARY 2022: IMPACT OF VARIABILITY IN ANIMAL TEST DATA DISCUSSED BY KLEINSTREUER
Tags: laboratory, discovery, environmental
QUANTUM MECHANICAL METHODS FOR THERMAL HAZARD RISK ASSESSMENT IN EARLY PHASE PHARMACEUTICAL DEVELOPMENT
Tags: us_IN, laboratory, discovery, environmental, sodium_chloride, solvent
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FORMER LABORATORY TECHNICIAN CLAIMS HE WAS FIRED FOR BLOWING WHISTLE
https://www.thelundreport.org/content/former-laboratory-technician-claims-he-was-fired-blowing-whistle
Tags: us_OR, laboratory, discovery, environmental, waste
A Benton County laboratory worker has filed a lawsuit against a prominent Corvallis lab that specializes in COVID-19 testing, claiming he was fired shortly after blowing the whistle on safety concerns.
The company, Willamette Valley Toxicology, has not yet responded to the suit in Benton County Circuit Court. However, it claimed in a response to the Bureau of Labor and Industries that it did not fire him to retaliate; rather, it claimed that his coworkers had raised concerns about an alleged 'inability to work well with others.'
According to the company's website, the company is affiliated with Oregon State University and has ' grown into one of the highest throughput Covid testing labs in the Pacific Northwest.' The suit, filed on Dec. 28, states that Andrew Williams began working for the company on Dec. 22, 2020 as a full-time, $18-an-hour medical technician for COVID-19 testing. He soon began compiling a list of safety concerns, according to the suit.
Among his concerns, according to the suit:
Insufficient cleaning of the lab filtration hood, which could contain COVID particles
Lab workers wearing lab coats and gloves outside of the lab area
'Unsafe' lab attire of shorts and sandals worn by the company's CEO, Manny Cruz
Cruz allegedly 'recklessly' handled sample vials with his bare hands and then touched his face
Packages containing COVID-19 sample vials were being opened outside of a biosafety hood
Waste from the biosafety hoods disposed of in recycling without being sterilized, endangering people who would often rummage through the company's recycling
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WHY SAFETY PROFESSIONALS NEED TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE
https://www.thesafetymag.com/ca/topics/leadership-and-culture/why-safety-professionals-need-to-lead-by-example/320954
Tags: Canada, education, discovery, environmental
One of the most important questions safety leaders can ask themselves is: 'As a leader, am I consistently demonstrating the behaviours that I expect of my employees?' Says Sheri Benson.
Benson got her start in safety in the energy sector at oilfield services company Tesco Corporation (since acquired by oil and gas drilling contractor Nabors Industries) where she eventually became HSE Manager. Based in Calgary, Benson founded Thrive Safety Consulting in 2019. The organization offers health and safety consulting services including training and safety program development.
Thrive is also a Certified Auditor with Energy Safety Canada.
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HEALTH AND SAFETY BEGINS AT HOME, SAYS OIL AND GAS EXPERT
https://www.thesafetymag.com/ca/topics/leadership-and-culture/health-and-safety-begins-at-home-says-oil-and-gas-expert/320957
Tags: Canada, education, discovery, environmental
Safe behaviours start at home, says Ryan Sloan, Health and Safety Manager, Birchcliff Energy.
'Being a good example is key both at work and at home. I feel if you can't have that culture within you when you're at home, you can't bring that to work either,' he says.
Health and safety leaders in the energy sector need to be a positive influence, and have excellent communication skills which are 'critical to send out that message and represent what you're trying to communicate,' says Sloan.
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FIRST RESPONDERS CONTAIN LEAK OF NITRIC ACID FROM TRAILER AT FEDEX FREIGHT
https://news.yahoo.com/first-responders-contain-leak-nitric-194407155.html
Tags: us_MD, transportation, release, response, nitric_acid
WILLIAMSPORT ' Nitric acid leaked from a truck trailer at the FedEx Freight terminal Monday evening, but a hazmat team contained the spill and no one was hurt, authorities said.
"It was very fortunate it wasn't worse," said Williamsport Volunteer Fire and EMS Assistant Chief William Ball. "We were able to mitigate it and get back home to our families in about three hours."
Employees of the facility at 16114 Transportation Circle discovered the leak around 6:30 p.m. when they investigated a noise that turned out to be tires bursting after the acid ate through the wood-and-metal floor of the trailer and got onto the wheels, Ball said.
The workers called 911 and first responders arrived to find a 275-gallon tote, a plastic tank surrounded by a metal frame, had leaked about a fourth of its contents inside the trailer, he said.
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A TWO CAR COLLISION RESULTED IN A HAZMAT INCIDENT TONIGHT IN SANTA ANA
https://newsantaana.com/a-two-car-collision-resulted-in-a-hazmat-incident-tonight-in-santa-ana/
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, response, chlorine
OCFA firefighters responded to a hazardous materials incident as a result of a two-car traffic collision at Grand and Fourth in Santa Ana just past 9 p.m. tonight.
One vehicle carrying acid and chlorine had the load spill which prompted the response.
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REVIEW OF THE PERFORMANCE, SELECTION, AND USE OF GLOVES FOR CHEMICAL PROTECTION
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chas.1c00084
Tags: us_TX, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
Skin is a potential route for occupational exposure to chemical agents, which can result in serious injury or illness. The selection of gloves and other chemical protective clothing (CPC) to protect against exposure to hazardous chemicals begins with an informed risk assessment and management approach, which relies on the science and art of glove selection. The science of glove selection includes a fundamental understanding of the limitations of gloves and other CPC, job hazard analyses to identify the hazards posed by specific tasks, choosing from a hierarchy of controls, familiarity with the relevant resources to guide selection, and, in some cases, additional glove performance testing and/or consultation with a qualified occupational and environmental safety and health professional. The art of glove selection includes important considerations, such as ease of use, comfort, cost, and acceptance by workers. Finally, a well-managed personal protective equipment (PPE) program!
incorporating periodic review, training, supervision, and documentation is critical to protecting workers from occupational injury or illness.
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FATAL CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN CENTRAL PA.
https://www.wgal.com/article/fatal-carbon-monoxide-poisoning-abbottstown-adams-county/38655211
Tags: us_PA, public, release, death, carbon_monoxide
UPDATE: The coroner has identified the man and woman who died in a carbon monoxide poisoning incident in an Adams County home over the weekend.
Advertisement
The victims are 76-year-old Anne Tyler and her friend, 72-year-old Louis Sanders Sr., of Gettysburg.
Officials said a vehicle was left running in the garage of Tyler's home in the 100 block of Woods Road in Hamilton Township, which sent carbon monoxide fumes throughout the house.
The victims were found Sunday in a bedroom and may have been sleeping when they were overcome, officials said.
The coroner said the victims may have died 14 to 16 hours before their bodies were discovered.
The deaths are being called an accident.
Firefighters said there was no carbon monoxide detector inside the house.
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FASNY APPLAUDS GOVERNOR FOR SIGNING CHEMICAL FLAME RETARDANT BAN LEGISLATION
https://www.wnypapers.com/news/article/current/2022/01/03/149203/fasny-applauds-governor-for-signing-chemical-flame-retardant-ban-legislation
Tags: us_NY, public, follow-up, environmental, toxics
The Firemen's Association of the State of New York (FASNY) applauds Gov. Kathy Hochul for signing legislation that bans carcinogenic flame-retardant chemicals in household items, furniture, and electronic enclosures.
FASNY has made this legislation part of its proactive agenda for the last eight years. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Todd Kaminsky and Assemblyman Steve Englebright, passed both houses of the legislature earlier in 2021.
Flame retardants are in everyday items such as TVs, phones and mattresses because it was believed that they slowed or prevented the start or growth of a fire. Despite their stated purpose, these flame retardants are not effective at preventing or slowing fires. Further, when burned, they emit extremely toxic smoke and fumes, which endanger both firefighters and the people they are working to save as they inhale them. In infants and pregnant women ' who ingest these chemicals through normal everyday dust ' links have been found to serious health effects, from cancer and reproductive issues to developmental disabilities.
'Firefighters are regularly exposed to flame-retardant toxins in the line of duty, resulting in far higher cancer rates than those in the general population,' said FASNY President John P. Farrell. 'By signing this legislation, Gov. Hochul is protecting both the state's citizens and firefighters. We are pleased to see New York state take an important step forward in eliminating harmful and hazardous chemicals from the environment.'
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AT LEAST FOUR KILLED IN KARACHI CHEMICAL FACTORY
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40144403
Tags: Pakistan, industrial, release, death, unknown_chemical
At least four people were killed in a chemical factory in Karachi's Bhains Colony on Monday, Aaj News reported.
All four died due to suffocation while trying to clean a chemical tank.
Dead bodies of the victims were shifted to Jinnah Hospital, Karachi.
---------------------------------------------
JANUARY 2022: IMPACT OF VARIABILITY IN ANIMAL TEST DATA DISCUSSED BY KLEINSTREUER
https://factor.niehs.nih.gov/2022/1/science-highlights/animal-test-data/index.htm
Tags: laboratory, discovery, environmental
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study the variability of data from animal tests for chemical safety and the relevance of such data to human health. On Dec. 9, the National Academies panel on 'Variability and Relevance of Current Laboratory Mammalian Toxicity Tests and Expectations for New Approach Methods (NAMs) for Use in Human Health Risk Assessment' held a public workshop to hear from stakeholders. Participants shared their needs and expectations for toxicity data used to inform chemical safety decisions, and they discussed how data variability affects research methods.
Kleinstreuer co-moderated a session of the Dec. 9 workshop. (Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw / NIEHS)
Nicole Kleinstreuer, Ph.D. , acting director of the National Toxicology Program Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM), is a member of the National Academies panel. Environmental Factor spoke with her about the National Academies study and how this project fits into other ongoing NICEATM activities.
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QUANTUM MECHANICAL METHODS FOR THERMAL HAZARD RISK ASSESSMENT IN EARLY PHASE PHARMACEUTICAL DEVELOPMENT
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.oprd.1c00391
Tags: us_IN, laboratory, discovery, environmental, sodium_chloride, solvent
Quantum mechanical (QM) applications to predict heat of reaction (ë?Hr) and thermal stability of strained aminocarbocylic salts, diazo compounds, and nitroalkanes for early phase thermal hazard risk assessment is presented. We provide examples on the use of explicit solvation to predict accurate ë?Hr. Based on the QM calculations, the criticality class of a copper-catalyzed C'N coupling reaction is determined according to Stoessel's reaction criticality class and the predictions are consistent with RC1 calorimetric experiment. We emphasize that to predict accurate ë?Hr, it is important to consider the roles of reagents and solvents in QM calculations rather than simply considering the bond formation and bond breaking steps involved with reactants and products. Further, the use of predicted ë?Hr for salt formation is applied to predict the thermal stability of bromoacetylene azetidine compounds to establish structure'stability relationship which would be useful to ident!
ify stable salt intermediates for safe reaction design.
A strong correlation between ë?Hr and the left limit of the DSC onset temperature (Tinit, å¡C) of the of exothermic peak is identified (Tinit = '2.85 ë?Hr ' 99.5). We propose that this model can be used as a prediction tool for novel azetidine salts to provide an estimate of thermal stability before synthesis. In this paper, for the first time we report molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) descriptor for the prediction of Tinit of diazo compounds. The deepest MESP minimum (Vmin) on the diazo group is considered as a probe to quantify the variation in structural effects. A strong correlation between Vmin and Tinit is found which would provide a new way of interpreting the thermal stability of novel diazo molecules just based on chemical structure. Further, the applicability of Vmin is verified on another set of compounds (nitroalkanes) and a good correlation is obtained. The structure'stability relationships that involves Vmin can be a useful QM descriptor for therm!
al stability prediction of a variety of molecules.
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