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Previous by Date: Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (13 articles) Date: May 21, 2012 7:44:30 AM EDT Author: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" |
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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, May 23, 2012 7:49:21 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 (16 articles)
LIQUID FERTILIZER LEAKS ON ROAD NEAR MUSCATINE
Tags: us_IA, transportation, release, environmental, ag_chems
CHLORINE GAS RELEASED
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, bleach, chlorine, hydrochloric_acid
TRAFFIC MOVING AGAIN AFTER TRUCK FIRE CLOSES I-85 IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA
Tags: us_GA, transportation, fire, death, corrosives
ODORS BRING HAZMAT RESPONSE ON METHUEN/DRACUT LINE
Tags: us_MA, transportation, release, injury, thiols
MGJH SCIENCE CLASS FIRE LEADS TO CHANGES FOR SECONDARY SCIENCE CLASS DEMONSTRATIONS
Tags: us_MN, laboratory, follow-up, injury
TWO INJURED, 4 VEHICLES GUTTED IN FIRE AT DISTILLERY IN BANUR
Tags: India, transportation, explosion, injury, ethanol
MASS. HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO SULFURIC ACID SPILL IN WORCESTER
Tags: us_MA, industrial, release, response, sulfuric_acid
CREWS RESPOND TO TIER 3 HAZMAT IN SOUTHBRIDGE, MASS.
Tags: us_MA, industrial, release, response, chlorine
POLICE: BARRELS OF CHEMICALS DUMPED ON ROAD
Tags: us_GA, public, release, response, hydrogen_peroxide
FATAL CHEMICAL SPILL, DROWNING, FIRES MAR HOLIDAY WEEKEND
Tags: Canada, transportation, release, response, formaldehyde
TRACTOR-TRAILER FIRE AND CONCERNS ABOUT TOXIC CHEMICAL INVOLVED IN THE WRECK SHUT DOWN I-85
Tags: us_GA, transportation, fire, response, toxics
I-77 REOPENS AFTER VAPOR CLOUD AT DOVER CHEMICAL CORPORATION SENDS 2 DRIVERS TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_OH, industrial, explosion, injury, antifreeze
KSLA NEWS 12 SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA NEWS WEATHER & SPORTS
Tags: us_LA, industrial, explosion, injury, acetylene, gas_cylinders
MFG CHEMICAL REACTOR IN DALTON BLOWS HOLE IN ROOF
Tags: us_GA, industrial, explosion, injury, water_treatment
CHANGES MADE FOLLOWING MAPLE GROVE SCIENCE ACCIDENT
Tags: us_MN, laboratory, follow-up, injury, methanol
PROMOTING SAFER MANUFACTURING
Tags: industrial, follow-up, response
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LIQUID FERTILIZER LEAKS ON ROAD NEAR MUSCATINE
http://qctimes.com/news/local/liquid-fertilizer-leaks-on-road-near-muscatine/article_7e811bcc-a47c-11e1-aa85-0019bb2963f4.html?comment_form=true
Tags: us_IA, transportation, release, environmental, ag_chems
MUSCATINE Ñ A Sweetland Ag Tech truck on its way to apply fertilizer sprang a leak Tuesday.
The Muscatine Fire Department's hazardous materials team was called to a spill on Iowa 22, off of Sweetland Road, around 9:30 a.m.
According to Ryan Stouder, an environmental specialist for the Department of Natural Resources, as the truck was traveling, 96 gallons of liquid fertilizer from its 1,400-gallon tank began leaking at the city limits and continued for about 21/2 miles.
Stouder said a Muscatine County Sheriff's deputy pulled the driver of a "fertilizer applicator vehicle" over to notify him he was leaking fertilizer on the road.
---------------------------------------------
CHLORINE GAS RELEASED
http://www.telegram.com/article/20120522/NEWS/105229857/1003/NEWS03
Tags: us_MA, public, release, response, bleach, chlorine, hydrochloric_acid
SOUTHBRIDGE Ñ A chlorine gas scare in a building in the former American Optical complex triggered a hazmat response shortly after 8 yesterday morning.
Acting Fire Chief Mark W. DiFronzo said workers from three companies in a Southbridge Business Center building at 15 Wells St. were evacuated for several hours when an employee at the Schott North America mistakenly mixed hydrochloric acid and sodium hypochlorite, which produced a small amount of chlorine gas.
"When the employee noticed the reaction, he immediately stopped what he was doing, donned a respirator and evacuated employees from the building," acting Chief DiFronzo said.
He said workers in the building implemented an emergency response plan, evacuating about 100 people from Schott and other businesses in the building; they were allowed to return after about four hours.
"There were no injuries and the public was never in any danger," he said.
---------------------------------------------
TRAFFIC MOVING AGAIN AFTER TRUCK FIRE CLOSES I-85 IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA
http://www.ajc.com/news/traffic-moving-again-after-1443340.html
Tags: us_GA, transportation, fire, death, corrosives
A nine-mile stretch of the interstate in northern Gwinnett, Barrow and Jackson counties was shut down in both directions around 3:40 a.m. Tuesday after the tractor-trailer, which officials said was hauling possibly hazardous chemicals, caught fire near Ga. 211.
Braselton police Assistant Chief Lou Solis said the right rear brakes on the Old Dominion Freight Lines truck caught fire around 3:30 a.m., and the fire spread into the trailer.
"He had twin trailers, and in the rear trailer, he was transporting hazardous liquids," Solis told the AJC.
When Barrow fire crews arrived and saw placards on the truck indicating that it was hauling corrosives, "they looked it up on their emergency response books and it said you need hazmat suit," Solis said. "Barrow County doesn't have hazmat suits, so they called Gwinnett fire out here."
Gwinnett fire crews suited up and doused the fire, Solis said, but not before some 200 to 300 gallons of the hazardous liquid spilled from the trailer.
Solis said shortly after 7 a.m. that officials were waiting on a private hazmat cleanup crew to arrive "and determine what can be moved and what cannot be moved."
---------------------------------------------
ODORS BRING HAZMAT RESPONSE ON METHUEN/DRACUT LINE
http://www.eagletribune.com/local/x1968168418/Odors-bring-hazmat-response-on-Methuen-Dracut-line
Tags: us_MA, transportation, release, injury, thiols
DRACUT Ñ More than 50 employees were evacuated from Con-way Freight yesterday morning after employees smelled a chemical odor in a trailer that just arrived at the facility, police and fire officials said.
Three Con-way employees were taken to Saints Medical Center in Lowell for evaluation and possible decontamination as a precaution, said Dracut police Sgt. Gregg Byam. Fire officials said they were released yesterday afternoon and returned to work.
The Con-way Freight building at 22 McGrath Road, at the Methuen line, was evacuated while the state hazmat team investigated a chemical smell released from several boxes in one of the trailers outside the main building, Dracut police said.
Deputy Fire Chief Mike Ralls of Dracut said that there were two chemicals in three boxes that were of concern because they are very hazardous. One was phenyl mercaptan, a chemical described by the Centers for Disease Control as a clear, water-like substance that has a strong, garlic-like odor. It is used in pesticides and to give odor to natural gas, among other uses.
The other was chromium trioxde, a red solid that is used in chrome plating.
Hazmat checked the air of the trailer, which had arrived from New York at about 9:30 a.m., and when they found nothing they went inside and observed a powder on the floor next to the boxes.
After analyzing the powder, the determined it was fumaric acid, a nontoxic substance.
"It's not even a hazardous material," Ralls said.
---------------------------------------------
MGJH SCIENCE CLASS FIRE LEADS TO CHANGES FOR SECONDARY SCIENCE CLASS DEMONSTRATIONS
http://maplegrove.patch.com/articles/mgjh-science-class-fire-leads-to-changes-for-secondary-science-class-demonstrations
Tags: us_MN, laboratory, follow-up, injury
After a science class fire at Maple Grove Junior High last year left several students injured, Osseo School District did an audit on its teacher-led science classroom demonstrations.
A May 17, 2012 memo from Osseo School District Assistant Superintendent Keith Jacobus to Superintendent Kate Maguire outlined the audit process as well as the results. The demonstration reportedly used in the ninth-grade science class at Maple Grove Junior High on Dec. 1, 2011 was suspended immediately in the district following the accident.
---------------------------------------------
TWO INJURED, 4 VEHICLES GUTTED IN FIRE AT DISTILLERY IN BANUR
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Punjab/Chandigarh/Two-injured-4-vehicles-gutted-in-fire-at-distillery-in-Banur/SP-Article1-859231.aspx
Tags: India, transportation, explosion, injury, ethanol
Two workers were injured and at least three vehicles were gutted in a major fire that broke out at Chandigarh distilleries and bottling plant in Banur on Monday. Fire tenders from Mohali, Rajpura, Dera Bassi, Mandi Gobindgarh and Chandigarh took nearly three hours to control the blaze.
The fire started with a blast while spirit was being siphoned into a tanker on the factory premises at around 3.15pm. Within seconds, the fire engulfed two other tankers and a truck holding liquor. The blaze also engulfed an office in the nearby building and a chemical lab.
Sources said around 150 workers were on duty at the time of the incident, who got frightened and some even jumped from the first floor of the building to save their lives.
Reports said supervisor Karamchand of Shakti Nagar in Dera Bassi, who was standing on the tanker to supervise siphoning of spirit, suffered severe burns. A worker Golu fractured his leg as he jumped from the first floor.
---------------------------------------------
MASS. HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO SULFURIC ACID SPILL IN WORCESTER
http://www.necn.com/05/21/12/Mass-Hazmat-team-responds-to-sulfuric-ac/landing_newengland.html?blockID=711660&feedID=4206
Tags: us_MA, industrial, release, response, sulfuric_acid
The Massachusetts state hazmat team suits up after a sulfuric acid spill at a Goddard Memorial Drive business.
Fire officials say a 250 gallon container of 50-percent sulfuric acid spilled Monday as workers were moving with a forklift and punctured it.
"It was punctured somewhere down about 6 inches from the bottom. A good deal spilled out and leaked on the asphalt," says Deputy Chief John Sullivan.
The business, Pan-Glo New England, was evacuated.
---------------------------------------------
CREWS RESPOND TO TIER 3 HAZMAT IN SOUTHBRIDGE, MASS.
http://www.necn.com/05/21/12/Crews-respond-to-tier-3-hazmat-in-Southb/landing.html?blockID=711394&feedID=4753
Tags: us_MA, industrial, release, response, chlorine
(NECN) - Crews rushed to the scene of a tier three hazmat situation at an industrial complex in Southbridge, Mass.
The call came in around 7:40 a.m. on Monday, for 15 Wells St.
The Southbridge Fire Department confirms there was a chlorine gas leak at the Schott Fiber Optics.
The company produces fiber optic materials there.
The building was evacuated, but no injuries were reported.
---------------------------------------------
POLICE: BARRELS OF CHEMICALS DUMPED ON ROAD
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/police-barrels-chemicals-dumped-road/nN9xw/
Tags: us_GA, public, release, response, hydrogen_peroxide
ATLANTA Ñ Barrels of chemicals dumped on the side of a road caused a northwest Atlanta intersection to be shut down early Monday morning.
Hazmat crews spent hours cleaning up the mess after several gallons of chemicals spilled onto the road.
Atlanta firefighters were called to the area near Johnson Road and Rockdale Street due to a suspicious odor.
"They were able to determine some barrels of unknown chemical," Atlanta Fire Department Capt. Matt Lingquist said.
One barrel was leaking chemicals near an abandoned property.
"We believe it was possibly disposed of illegally," Lingquist said.
Hazmat crews in protective gear quickly identified the chemical as hydrogen peroxide. The chemical is often used as a bleach or cleaning agent and is considered highly reactive
---------------------------------------------
FATAL CHEMICAL SPILL, DROWNING, FIRES MAR HOLIDAY WEEKEND
http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3567114
Tags: Canada, transportation, release, response, formaldehyde
Residents who are on a private water system on Trout Lake are warned not to drink the water after a tanker truck overturned in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 63 north of Silver Lady Lane.
The crash at about 8:30 a.m. caused fuel and a load of formaldehyde the truck was carrying to spill directly into the lake.
The North Bay and District Public Health Unit released a statement saying the municipal drinking water supply is not in danger.
Anyone using a private water system must find another water source until further notice. The public is advised not to swim in Trout Lake or use the water for pets or livestocks.
---------------------------------------------
TRACTOR-TRAILER FIRE AND CONCERNS ABOUT TOXIC CHEMICAL INVOLVED IN THE WRECK SHUT DOWN I-85
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/e236903570e64144af85528ade2b84e7/GA--Tractor-Trailer-Fire/
Tags: us_GA, transportation, fire, response, toxics
WINDER, Ga. Ñ A crash and fire involving a tractor-trailer -- and fears of a toxic chemical release -- shut down both lanes of a nine-mile stretch of Interstate 85 northeast of Atlanta for a time.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the truck caught fire early Tuesday morning near Georgia Highway 211, and authorities were concerned about possibly hazardous chemicals on the truck.
Barrow fire Lt. Scott Dakin tells WSB-TV that a rear tire on the truck caught fire, and the fire spread into the trailer. Barrow County fire officials said the blaze was under control by 5 a.m.
---------------------------------------------
I-77 REOPENS AFTER VAPOR CLOUD AT DOVER CHEMICAL CORPORATION SENDS 2 DRIVERS TO HOSPITAL
http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/oh_tuscarawas/spill-at-dover-chemical-corporation-closes-i-77-from-strausburg-to-new-philadelphia
Tags: us_OH, industrial, explosion, injury, antifreeze
DOVER, Ohio - Authorities in Dover have reopened Interstate 77 and said it's safe for residents in the area to go outside following a chemical reaction at the Dover Chemical Corporation.
I-77 north and southbound, from Strasburg to New Philadelphia, reopened at 2 p.m. on Monday after being shutdown around 9:45 a.m.
Around 9:20 a.m., a reactor overheated inside the plant causing a vapor release that resulted in off-gassing of antifreeze.
Reverse 911 calls went out to about 100 residents shortly after the incident, advising them to stay inside and close their windows.
"No employees were injured. We are in the process of cooling the reactor, which appears to be working," said Dover Chemical Corporation President Dwain Colvin. This means there's no longer an explosion threat.
Two drivers along I-77 were taken to nearby hospitals after being overcome by the fumes, complaining of respiratory problems.
Chemical workers weren't affected by the plume because the off-gassing occurred outside the plant. An alarm sounded alerting them of the problem.
---------------------------------------------
KSLA NEWS 12 SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA NEWS WEATHER & SPORTS
http://www.ksla.com/story/18572529/fire-still-burning-after-plant-explosion
Tags: us_LA, industrial, explosion, injury, acetylene, gas_cylinders
PORT ALLEN, LA (WAFB) -
One person was injured, families were evacuated and US 190 is shut down at Bueche Road between Port Allen and Erwinville due to a chemical fire.
Acetylene Fact Sheet
Acetylene is a colorless and odorless gas. Commercial grade Acetylene may have an Ether-like or garlic-like odor. It is used for welding, cutting, brazing and soldering, and in making other chemicals. Click here for more information.
The Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) has activated its Crisis Action Team (CAT) because of the fire at the Air Liquide facility.
The fire is at the Air Liquide Specialty Gases plant. It happened around 10:30 a.m. Emergency officials, along with DEQ and a hazardous material team are on the scene to control the fire.
Late Monday afternoon, firemen, company officials and State Police technicians were able to enter the hot zone in order to inspect several cylinders, which were not damaged by the fire. Several hundred tanks were still on fire. State Police Air Support assisted technicians in inspecting the fire from the air before crews could enter the site.
One person was taken to the hospital with injuries to their eyes. That person's identity has not yet been released. The West Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office says two tanks of acetylene exploded, however, the public relations office for Air Liquide in Houston says the tanks were empty and waiting to be filled with acetylene.
---------------------------------------------
MFG CHEMICAL REACTOR IN DALTON BLOWS HOLE IN ROOF
http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/18570917/mfg-chemical-reactor-in-dalton-blows-hole-in-roof
Tags: us_GA, industrial, explosion, injury, water_treatment
DALTON, GA. (WRCB) -- More than two dozen Dalton employees were taken to a local hospital Monday for decontamination after an explosion occurred at the MFG Chemical plant on Callahan Dr.
"I thought it was a pressure valve releasing," says International Coatings employee, Darrin Locke. "Heard a loud, very loud whistle."
International Coatings sits across the street from the MFG Chemical plant. Employees tell Channel 3 the explosion happened just before 9 Monday morning.
"We saw just some color in the sky. Of course we all made a mad dash for the backside of the building, not sure what was going to take place at that time," Locke says.
"We have an over-pressured rupture of a reactor," says Dalton Fire Chief Bruce Satterfield.
"It blew a hole in the roof of the building," adds Bruce Frazier, with the Dalton Police Department.
The chemical that was being made during the time of the explosion is called coagulant 129. Its a substance used for water treatment and can cause skin irritation or respiratory problems. "Its not the nastiest stuff in the world but you wouldn't want it on your skin or anything," Frazier says.
Nearly 50 employees from the surrounding area were taken to a local hospital for decontamination. Even a few from International Coatings came forward with symptoms after we talked to them.
"I've got a couple with some irritation to their throats, stuff like that," says Locke.
All told, 47 people were brought to the Hamilton Medical Center for decontamination.
---------------------------------------------
CHANGES MADE FOLLOWING MAPLE GROVE SCIENCE ACCIDENT
http://www.kare11.com/news/article/976781/391/Changes-made-following-Maple-Grove-science-accident
Tags: us_MN, laboratory, follow-up, injury, methanol
MAPLE GROVE, Minn. - The Osseo School District is making changes to its teacher-led science demonstrations after four students were injured in a classroom accident several months ago.
In the 71-page report, the methanol demonstration that burned the students back in December will not be allowed pending further review. It has not been used in the classroom since the accident.
It's called the "Whoosh - Flash Bottle" demonstration where someone drops a match into a jug of methanol.
The report also calls for a more stringent approval process for science demonstrations, a detailed list of approved demonstrations, and all secondary science teachers will now have to watch videos on science safety.
---------------------------------------------
PROMOTING SAFER MANUFACTURING
http://cen.acs.org/articles/90/web/2012/05/Promoting-Safer-Manufacturing.html
Tags: industrial, follow-up, response
Chemical companies should always assess and, when possible, adopt inherently safer manufacturing processes that minimize or eliminate hazards, says a National Research Council (NRC) panel in a May 10 report. The committee says chemical manufacturers don't always consider inherently safer processes and many lack a clear, consistent corporate policy to conduct an adequate analysis.
Inherently safer processes are a hierarchy of manufacturing practicesÑsuch as minimizing or finding substitutes for toxic materialsÑthat lower the threat of plant hazards or accidents, which affect workers and community residents. The goal is to eliminate hazards, dangerous materials, or processes, rather than to manage and control them, explains Elsa Reichmanis, the NRC committee's chair and a chemistry professor at Georgia Institute of Technology.
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