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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, September 29, 2014 at 8:54:11 AM
A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
All article summaries and tags are archived at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas
Table of Contents (11 articles)
CRITICISM OF CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD CONTINUES
Tags: public, follow-up, environmental
CHEMICAL FIRE DAMAGES POOL SHED
Tags: New_Zealand, public, fire, injury, chlorine
CHEMICAL LEAK BRINGS HAZMAT TEAM, SICKENS OCCUPANTS
Tags: us_NC, public, release, injury, flammables
COUNCIL FOR CHEMICAL RESEARCH
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
CHEMICAL SPILL FORCES EVACUATION AT DURHAM HOME
Tags: us_NC, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
APPLETON'S OCTOBERFEST HOSTS HAZMAT TRAINING
Tags: us_WI, public, discovery, response, other_chemical
CHEMICAL LEAK FORCES EVACUATION OF DELRAY GROCERY STORE; NO...
Tags: us_FL, public, release, response, hvac_chemicals
PORT OF L.A. FIRE CLEANUP: EFFECTS OF TOXIC CHEMICALS RELEASED STUDIED
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
CHEMICAL REACTION LED TO GLASTONBURY HIGH SCHOOL EVACUATION
Tags: us_CT, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
OFFICE EVACUATED AFTER TEST TUBES SHATTER IN INNSBROOK
Tags: us_VA, laboratory, release, response, benzene
CHEMICAL SPILL SHUTS DOWN I-40
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, corrosives, toxics
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CRITICISM OF CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD CONTINUES
Tags: public, follow-up, environmental
Long-standing disputes between the Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) and the Environmental Protection Agency?s top independent internal investigator, whose office oversees the board, spilled into public view earlier this month. At a hearing, the House of Representatives Oversight & Government Reform Committee dug into charges leveled by the inspector general that CSB refused to turn over documents to him. This, said EPA Inspector General Arthur A. Elkins Jr., stunted his office?s probe into CSB workers? claims that the board had violated employees? rights.
However, a nonprofit watchdog group that represents federal employees criticized Elkins?s office and the Republican-led committee for fighting over what it called trivial matters while avoiding a much-needed discussion of industrial safety.
The House committee?s Sept. 10 hearing followed one in June at which the panel also heard complaints from the EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG). At the June hearing, the committee blasted CSB for delayed accident investigations and mismanagement and released an 84-page report attacking CSB. In response, the board announced management reforms and urged Congress to provide adequate funding so the small, independent agency can meet its charge to investigate the hundreds of chemical-related accidents that occur annually. For committee members, particularly Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who led the investigation, CSB?s offer was too little, too late.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL FIRE DAMAGES POOL SHED
Tags: New_Zealand, public, fire, injury, chlorine
A chemical fire that raged through a community swimming pool shed in Inglewood has caused up to $100,000 worth of damage.
The storage room at the Inglewood's pool caught fire about 1pm on Saturday, spewing clouds of smoke into the air.
Four fire appliances, the fire service hazardous materials unit and a support vehicle from New Plymouth were at the scene along with police and ambulance services.
Road blocks were put in place to keep the public away from potentially harmful fumes from the chlorine that was stored in the shed, fire service assistant area commander John Nicholls said.
"We were quite concerned about any fumes from the chemicals," he said.
"But luckily it wasn't blowing towards the town, it was blowing in a more rural direction."
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL LEAK BRINGS HAZMAT TEAM, SICKENS OCCUPANTS
Tags: us_NC, public, release, injury, flammables
DURHAM ?
Firefighters wearing protective suits investigated a chemical leak at a West Durham home Saturday that created a gas cloud and sickened occupants, officials said.
Deputy Chief Chris Iannuzzi of the Durham Fire Department said firefighters were called at 10 a.m. to 1211 Virginia Ave., off West Club Boulevard, and found highly toxic and flammable chemicals in the basement.
Some of the chemicals had accidentally mixed and caused a reaction that produced an offensive odor and small gas cloud in the basement, he said.
Several people were in the house when the incident began.
Firefighters from the department's Hazardous Materials Team wore chemical protective suits as they investigated the spill and monitored for hazards inside and outside the house.
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COUNCIL FOR CHEMICAL RESEARCH
Tags: industrial, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
The Council for Chemical Research is aiming to improve the culture of safety in University chemistry and chemical engineering through facilitating interactions between departments and industrial and government laboratories. We are encouraging all of our members to participate. This program is inspired by the success of efforts by several Universities to learn best safety practices from Dow Chemical Company, as illustrated by the program developed at the University of Minnesota.
Safety in Academic Laboratories (2013)
We invite your organization to participate in this new initiative! If you would be willing to share your safety practices with any interested academic CCR members, we would share contact information and a brief description of potential ways you might prefer to interact with the academic CCR members through various means (letters, emails, CCR website). We would ask that if you are then contacted by an academic member to engage in a partnership focusing on improving the culture of safety in academic laboratories, that you inform CCR so that we could publicize it. Through this simple process, we hope to help academic chemistry and chemical engineering departments work together with industrial and government laboratories on this critically important topic, with key desired outcomes being sharing of best safety practices, enhanced safety training of researchers, fostering relationships between institutions, and useful publicity for all involved.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL SPILL FORCES EVACUATION AT DURHAM HOME
Tags: us_NC, public, release, response, unknown_chemical
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Hazmat crews are cleaning up in Durham after a chemical spill forced the evacuation of a home.
It happened just after 10 a.m. in the 1200 block of Virginia Avenue.
Investigators say chemicals were found in a sink in the basement after a bad smell was reported.
Cleanup is expected to take hours, and a cleanup crew from Atlanta is pitching in to help.
---------------------------------------------
APPLETON'S OCTOBERFEST HOSTS HAZMAT TRAINING
Tags: us_WI, public, discovery, response, other_chemical
Appleton -
Beer and crowds usually call for increased security at events like Appleton's Octoberfest. But Saturday Hazardous Material teams are on the scene in downtown Appleton. They conducted real-world training to detect harmful materials at crowded events. It's difficult to see amongst the crowds, but Hazmat detectors are located down the mile, alerting firefighters of potentially harmful material in the area.
"Weapons of mass destruction, terrorist attacks," said Ethan Kroll, Appleton Fire Department Battalion Chief of Special Operations. "And that could be anything from a release in chlorine gas, ammonia, even some of the militarized weapons like sarin."
Kroll is listing out the worst case scenarios. Situations the Appleton Fire Chief does not expect. He tells Action 2 News, Saturday's setup is for training purposes.
Fire departments from the area are training with representatives from the Wisconsin National Guard. They're learning real-life use of equipment and coordination amongst the teams.
Joe Davison, a deputy commander at the Wisconsin National Guard Civil Support Team, said, "Wisconsin in general, people don't necessarily think of it as a target, but we'd rather be safe than sorry."
Hazmat detection is most useful at events like Appleton's Octoberfest, where large crowds gather and could be susceptible to Hazmat release.
"So this gives us a live application to test our equipment and how well we can coordinate with each other," said Kroll.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL LEAK FORCES EVACUATION OF DELRAY GROCERY STORE; NO...
Tags: us_FL, public, release, response, hvac_chemicals
DELRAY BEACH ? A chemical leak filled a grocery store with an explosive vapor cloud and forced the shop?s evacuation Saturday morning, Delray Beach Fire Rescue said. No one was injured.
Shoppers and employees were told to leave the Monterrey Supermarket at South Congress Avenue and Linton Boulevard just before 9 a.m., said Capt. Kevin Saxton, Delray Beach Fire Rescue spokesman.
The leak of a refrigerant chemical, mixed with an unknown additive, created the vapor cloud, Saxton said. Conditions were extremely hazardous, he said, noting that the refrigerant can create respiratory distress and irritate skin. Fire Rescue?s Special Operations Team also found the additive had explosive characteristics.
The leak was traced to one of the store?s refrigerator motors. Those motors will remain off until the leak is repaired, Saxton said.
---------------------------------------------
PORT OF L.A. FIRE CLEANUP: EFFECTS OF TOXIC CHEMICALS RELEASED STUDIED
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
The largest fire at the port in decades erupted Monday night, devouring 800 feet of a 1920s-era wharf and damaging a warehouse. It burned and smoldered through Tuesday before firefighters declared it extinguished Wednesday afternoon.
The blaze left behind a tremendous amount of charred wood from the wharf that broke off during the fire, port officials said, and it will take weeks to clean up. The consequences for the environment from chemicals that the fire released into the air, however, is less certain.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL REACTION LED TO GLASTONBURY HIGH SCHOOL EVACUATION
Tags: us_CT, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical
Glastonbury High School was evacuated on Friday after some chemicals started smoldering during a science class.
Glastonbury Supt. Dr. Alan Bookman, said students cleaned the chemicals up with a paper towel, then threw the towel in the trash can and it began to smolder.
The fire department responded and students were evacuated as a precaution.
Everyone was allowed back in in around 20 minutes later.
Officials from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection responded since it was for a chemical.
The science room will remain empty as a precaution and classes were moved to other rooms.
No injuries are reported.
---------------------------------------------
OFFICE EVACUATED AFTER TEST TUBES SHATTER IN INNSBROOK
Tags: us_VA, laboratory, release, response, benzene
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. ? Henrico HAZMAT teams responded to the Department of Environmental Quality offices along Cox Road in Innsbrook after two test tubes shattered.
An ?aromatic? chemical was released and prompted the HAZMAT response, Henrico Fire spokesman Capt. Danny Rosenbaum said.
The first chemical is believed to have been in the benzene family, Rosenbaum said. While there was no confirmation on the specific chemical, he said it was not considered a hazard.
Once the HAZMAT team cleaned up the initial spill, crews smelled what the thought was a gas leak in the area. Henrico Fire crews later said there was no gas leak and continued to investigate the source of the smell.
A secondary clean-up contractor was called in to conduct an air quality testing before building will be reopened.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL SPILL SHUTS DOWN I-40
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, corrosives, toxics
A toxic chemical spill on Interstate 40 shut the westbound lanes down for more than five hours Friday morning as emergency responders and officials from several agencies scrambled to identify and contain the corrosive leak.
Bradly Hurst, a commercial hazmat transloader, was hauling the load from Pennsylvania to Carson, Calif., he said. Transloading is taking goods from one mode of transportation to another.
Hurst said he began the day driving west from Oklahoma. He said he was flagged down by a trucker who noticed the trailer leaking in Amarillo.
?He pulled up beside me and honked his horn and I looked over and he was pointing to the back ? that?s a clear sign to pull over,? Hurst said.
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