As DCHAS-L readers know, I have been tracking headlines related to hazmat
events as reported by Google over the last year. I've had the chance to
organize the raw data into summary information below. The purpose of this
is to put into perspective trends in hazmat events, so that policy and
planning can be informed by more complete data than the latest headline
event. I don't consider this a particularly objective set of data, as the
filters imposed by my available time, language (I only review headlines in
English), and my interpretation of the information offered by the media
outlet (which sometimes is clearly unreliable) are significant, but I do
believe that this gives a sense of patterns associated with the public
hazmat responses which make it to the press.
Since I'll be making a presentation based on this work at the ACS meeting
in Denver this fall (there's still time for abstracts to be submitted -
contact me for details), I'd be interested in people's questions and
comments about the information below.
- Ralph
Date:
From February 1, 2010 to April 11, 2011:
Average 4.5 hazmat responses/day reported by Google
Ranges from 6.3/day in October 2010 or 2.3/day April 2010
No pattern evident over the course of the year
Country:
76% of the reports from the US
6% from UK
4% from India
4% from Canada
3% from Australia
Within the US,
9% from California
7% from Texas
5% from Pennsylvania, Illinois and Ohio
5% from New York, Massachusetts
rest scatted among all other states
The sectors represented were:
industrial 726 events 38%
transportation 362 events 19%
home 240 events 12%
other (public settings, primarily) 210 events 11%
laboratory (all types) 166 events 9%
illegal 143 events 7%
education (non-lab) 82 events 4%
The type of event:
release 55%
fire 23%
explosion 15%
discovery of a chemical in unexpected place 7%
Extent of the event:
response 73%
injury 21%
death 6%
Chemical Involved
some indication of identity, but not listed below 767 40%
chemical reported as unknown 255 13%
petroleum 134 7%
meth_lab 118 6%
acid 115 6%
ammonia 73 4%
solvent 61 3%
ag_chemicals 57 3%
wastes 55 3%
chlorine 53 3%
explosives 50 3%
pool_chemicals 38 2%
mercury 36 2%
cleaning_chemicals 34 2%
Ralph Stuart
secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Secretary
Division of Chemical Health and Safety
American Chemical Society
Ralph - I want to thank you for keeping
up with this & providing the analysis. I use these headlines as "lessons
learned" a few times a week. Anything lab related goes to our research
labs, and anything K-12 goes to my HS science teacher list of contacts.
Both groups then resend them out to a wider audience. I also used the Texas
Tech incident & lessons learned discussion that followed as a case
study for our Center for Science Journalism grad class - they used it as
a lesson in accuracy in reporting science issues.
A few ideas/suggestions for your talk:
1. Find out from the rest of this list
how they use the headlines. Its an awful lot of work if on your part if
it doesn't get used to make things safer! I'm sure I'm not the only one
who is resending stories.
2. Not sure if you can easily tell,
but how many of these stories are repeats? I know the Texas Tech incident
was listed many times over a few months. Do your totals mean individual,
new incidents, or everything? eg. are the 166 lab incidents really only
100 lab incidents with multiple reportings of a few cases? If so, then
I'd hesitate to call the "incidents". It makes for an inflated
amount of incidents in the labs. Perhaps call them "reporting occurrences"?
3. Under "chemical involved",
could you include the "chemical suicide" category? I noted that
these may be reported w/o listing the chemicals. Its an important trend
to follow, especially for those of us who may be emergency responders,
or the 2 incidents I remember where the chemicals were taken from a lab
& used for suicide.
Again - THANKS!
Kim Auletta
Lab Safety Specialist
EH&S Z=6200
Stony Brook University
kauletta**At_Symbol_Here**notes.cc.sunysb.edu
631-632-3032
FAX: 631-632-9683
EH&S Web site: http://www.stonybrook.edu/ehs/lab/
Remember to wash your hands!
From:
"Secretary, ACS
Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
To:
DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Date:
04/11/2011 11:50 AM
Subject:
[DCHAS-L] Hazmat
incident summary: Feb 2010 - April 2011
Sent by:
DCHAS-L Discussion
List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
As DCHAS-L readers know, I have been tracking headlines
related to hazmat events as reported by Google over the last year. I've
had the chance to organize the raw data into summary information below.
The purpose of this is to put into perspective trends in hazmat events,
so that policy and planning can be informed by more complete data than
the latest headline event. I don't consider this a particularly objective
set of data, as the filters imposed by my available time, language (I only
review headlines in English), and my interpretation of the information
offered by the media outlet (which sometimes is clearly unreliable) are
significant, but I do believe that this gives a sense of patterns associated
with the public hazmat responses which make it to the press.
Since I'll be making a presentation based on this work at the ACS meeting
in Denver this fall (there's still time for abstracts to be submitted -
contact me for details), I'd be interested in people's questions and comments
about the information below.
- Ralph
Date:
From February 1, 2010 to April 11, 2011:
Average 4.5 hazmat responses/day reported by Google
Ranges from 6.3/day in October 2010 or 2.3/day April 2010
No pattern evident over the course of the year
Country:
76% of the reports from the US
6% from UK
4% from India
4% from Canada
3% from Australia
Within the US,
9% from California
7% from Texas
5% from Pennsylvania, Illinois and Ohio
5% from New York, Massachusetts
rest scatted among all other states
The sectors represented were:
industrial
726 events
38%
transportation
362 events
19%
home
240 events
12%
other (public settings, primarily)
210 events
11%
laboratory (all types)
166 events
9%
illegal
143 events
7%
education (non-lab)
82 events
4%
The type of event:
release
55%
fire
23%
explosion
15%
discovery of a chemical in unexpected place
7%
Extent of the event:
response
73%
injury
21%
death
6%
Chemical Involved
some indication of identity, but not listed below
767
40%
chemical reported as unknown
255
13%
petroleum
134
7%
meth_lab
118
6%
acid
115
6%
ammonia
73
4%
solvent
61
3%
ag_chemicals
57
3%
wastes
55
3%
chlorine
53
3%
explosives
50
3%
pool_chemicals
38
2%
mercury
36
2%
cleaning_chemicals
34
2%
Ralph Stuart
secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Secretary
Division of Chemical Health and Safety
American Chemical Society
