Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, November 29, 2017 at 7:38:07 AM

A membership benefit of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
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Table of Contents (13 articles)

STUDENTS HOSPITALISED AFTER SCIENCE EXPERIMENT GOES WRONG
Tags: Australia, laboratory, release, injury, bromine

MAINE FIREFIGHTERS WIDOWS' MISSION: BAN CANCER-CAUSING CHEMICALS - THE FORECASTER
Tags: us_ME, public, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical

FIRE DESTROYS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF PRODUCT AT SOUTH VALLEY PISTACHIO PLANT
Tags: us_CA, industrial, fire, response, pesticides

UPDATED: FIRE, CHEMICAL SPILL CLOSES COQUIHALLA HIGHWAY
Tags: Canada, transportation, fire, response, resin

CHEMICAL SPILL CLOSES SECTIONS OF I-10
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, sulfuric_acid

CSB RELEASES SAFETY VIDEO ON NDK CRYSTAL EXPLOSION
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, death, other_chemical

CHEMICALS COMBINED ACCIDENTALLY SICKEN EAST SIDE RESIDENT, OFFICIALS SAY
Tags: us_WI, public, release, response, unknown_chemical

TURF CLUB CLOSED AS INVESTIGATIONS INTO EXPLOSION CONTINUE
Tags: Australia, public, explosion, response, natural_gas

ROAD REOPENS AFTER WESTON GAS LEAK LEADS TO SEVERAL EVACUATIONS
Tags: us_FL, public, release, response, natural_gas

ARKEMA PLANT WAS NOT PREPARED FOR FLOODING, RECORDS SHOW
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, response

AUTHORITIES NAME MAN KILLED IN NORTH CAROLINA EXPLOSION
Tags: us_NC, industrial, follow-up, death, unknown_chemical

HIGH LEVELS OF TEFLON-RELATED CHEMICAL AGAIN FOUND IN NORTH CAROLINA RIVER
Tags: us_NC, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical

TWO MECCA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS RESPOND TO CHEMICAL WARNING FOLLOWING FIRE
Tags: us_CA, education, fire, response, unknown_chemical


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STUDENTS HOSPITALISED AFTER SCIENCE EXPERIMENT GOES WRONG
Tags: Australia, laboratory, release, injury, bromine

Dozens of classrooms at Concord High School have been evacuated and several students hospitalised following a science experiment gone wrong.

It is understood that the experiment, which was performed by Year 12 students in another classroom, was being conducted in a fume cabinet using drops of Bromine water mixed with Hexane and Hexine.

Students in another classroom began complaining of dizziness and respiratory problems, prompting the school to contact NSW Ambulance and NSW Fire and Rescue Services.

Six ambulance units and two NSW Fire and Rescue Hazardous Materials units subsequently responded to the incident, which took place shortly before 10.15am this morning.

A NSW Ambulance spokesman said one Year 8 student was transported to Auburn Hospital in a stable condition and that five more were taken to Westmead Children's hospital for further assessment.

"The issue was due to exposure to bromine water, which we understand to be a chemical irritant that can cause irritation to breathing," the spokesman told The Educator.

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MAINE FIREFIGHTERS WIDOWS' MISSION: BAN CANCER-CAUSING CHEMICALS - THE FORECASTER
Tags: us_ME, public, follow-up, environmental, other_chemical

YARMOUTH - Therese Flaherty and Linda Baker have only met once, but they talk like old friends.

"When I first met Therese, I thought =E2=80=98there's someone else like me out there,'" Baker said in a Nov. 27 interview.

The two were brought together in Augusta last spring to lobby for a first-in-the-nation law banning toxic flame retardants in household furniture. Both are widows and both have dedicated their lives to reducing the number of people who suffer from the pain they, their husbands, and families have endured.

On Friday, Dec. 1, Flaherty and Baker will each be presented a Grassroots Leadership Award for their advocacy efforts from the Environmental Health Strategy Center at the center's 2017 Celebration for Our Healthy Future in Portland.

Baker, of Topsham, is a former Republican state senator and public school teacher. She met her husband, Skip - a career firefighter and former Topsham fire chief - when she was 11 and he was 12.

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FIRE DESTROYS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF PRODUCT AT SOUTH VALLEY PISTACHIO PLANT
Tags: us_CA, industrial, fire, response, pesticides

TERRA BELLA, Calif. (KFSN) -- Pistachios and plastic melted together may seem like some kind of strange art, but it is actually the destruction left behind by a fire at Aro Pistachio in Terra Bella.

It happened Monday morning at 3 am.

The Tulare County Fire Department says rainwater seeped into stored containers of aluminum phosphide, a fumigant used in food processing.

Captain Joanne Bear of the Tulare County Fire Department said, "They took all necessary precautions to prevent this, but the water was able to get in there and cause a chemical reaction with the fumigant."

A fire broke out immediately igniting 280 tons of pistachios that were ready for shipment. Adam Orandi CEO of Aro Pistachio says he could not believe his eyes.

"It went up so fast, it's like something you see in the movies, it was two-three minutes from the time we saw the ignition source. It was like a Roman Candle," said Orandi.

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UPDATED: FIRE, CHEMICAL SPILL CLOSES COQUIHALLA HIGHWAY
Tags: Canada, transportation, fire, response, resin

UPDATE: (3:02 p.m.) The northbound lanes are now open, but the highway remains closed southbound.

Emergency Environmental Response Officers (EERO) have been deployed to stem the damage from a tractor trailer fire which forced the closure of the Coquihalla Highway this morning.

An update from the Ministry of Environment at 11:43 a.m. noted that two response officers were en route to the fire, which is burning near the Carolin Mines Road exit.

As of 1:00 p.m., the Coquihalla remained closed in both directions between Merritt and Hope due to the ongoing incident.

A chemical called phenol formaldehyde resin was leaking from the trailer onto the highway and into an adjacent ditch. The chemical is corrosive, which prompted the ministry to deploy the EEROs.

"Sand is currently being used to dam the ditch and prevent further spread of the product," stated an update from the Ministry of Environment.

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CHEMICAL SPILL CLOSES SECTIONS OF I-10
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, sulfuric_acid

HOUSTON, TX - The crash of an 18-wheeler that caused a massive chemical spill of sulfuric acid, closed sections of Interstate 10 and the West Loop for much of the day on Tuesday.

The accident happened at about 8 a.m. as commuters were weaving their way into downtown.

The accident caused about a quart of the caustic chemical to spill on the roadway, but didn't cause any injuries, according to a Houston Fire Department press release.

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CSB RELEASES SAFETY VIDEO ON NDK CRYSTAL EXPLOSION
Tags: us_IL, industrial, follow-up, death, other_chemical

Rockford, Illinois -The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has released "Falling through the Cracks," a safety video on the 2009 explosion at NDK Crystal in Belvidere, Illinois, approximately 60 miles northwest of Chicago, which fatally injured a truck driver at a nearby gas station.
The video contains an animation which depicts the stress corrosion cracking that accumulated over time in the walls of the vessel where synthetic quartz crystals were manufactured under extremely high pressures and temperatures.
The video details CSB key findings and recommendations made by the board to prevent future accidents at NDK and to improve national pressure vessel codes and standards.
The accident occurred December 7, 2009, with a violent rupture in the Number 2 vessel. A combination of animation and surveillance video shows how one piece of steel from the building was blown 650 feet, striking a truck driver who was walking back to his vehicle. Another piece - a vessel fragment weighing over 8,000 pounds - tore through a wall at the facility, skipped across a neighboring parking lot and struck the wall of an automotive supply company where 70 people were working; but only one was injured.

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CHEMICALS COMBINED ACCIDENTALLY SICKEN EAST SIDE RESIDENT, OFFICIALS SAY
Tags: us_WI, public, release, response, unknown_chemical

MADISON, Wis. - An east side resident was displaced for a couple of nights after she got sick when two chemicals were accidentally mixed together during repair work at her home, officials said.

The Elmside Boulevard resident became ill and her cats unusually aggressive following repair work done in her home Wednesday, according to a release.

Officials said her illness and the cats' behavior were linked to a mix of chemicals in the basement.

The woman's water heater's pilot light also went out during the project. According to a plumber, the pilot light went out due to a safety feature that turns off the pilot light if its sensor detects something potentially dangerous in the air, according to the release.

The repair work, which took place two days before the fire department was called to the woman's house, focused on sealing cracks in the basement floor and wall, officials said. Firefighters responded after workers said there was an odor in the home that needed to be monitored and investigated.

Firefighters noticed the odor, but air monitors showed normal oxygen levels, no carbon monoxide and no indication of a natural gas leak, according to the release.

The homeowner contacted the company that was doing the repair work and determined two chemicals were accidentally mixed together, officials said. HazMat crews determined the chemicals were not explosive, but are known to give off a strong odor and could be carcinogenic.

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TURF CLUB CLOSED AS INVESTIGATIONS INTO EXPLOSION CONTINUE
Tags: Australia, public, explosion, response, natural_gas

LISMORE Turf Club remains closed as investigations continue into the cause of a gas explosion that left the club's secretary manager, Scott Jones, with burns to about 45% of his body.

Deputy chairman Mike Cleaver said the club's kiosk area was still a crime scene, fenced off with no access as relevant authorities conclude their inquiries before the club's insurance assessors can evaluate.

He was hopeful the club could reopen to the public within a fortnight.

Over the weekend, Mr Cleaver and a handful of club staff conducted electricity, gas and other safety checks to ensure the venue was compliant.

"We've been at it all weekend. We touched every base," he said.

The closure of the club has so far had a "very minor" impact on functions, with only two events cancelled.

He said there had been no impact on staff, with some continuing to work at the venue and others working remotely with the racing season to start again December 22.

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ROAD REOPENS AFTER WESTON GAS LEAK LEADS TO SEVERAL EVACUATIONS
Tags: us_FL, public, release, response, natural_gas

A Weston road is back open Tuesday morning after a gas leak led to the evacuation of some businesses, including a Taco Bell, and a hazmat team response.
Broward Fire Rescue said the leak was reported at the intersection of Indian Trace and North Park Drive in Weston shortly after 5 p.m. on Monday.
"Upon arrival, Fire Rescue crews met with construction workers who were digging in the parking lot adjacent to the Taco Bell," BSFR said in a statement. "The workers who are subcontractors, struck an underground natural gas line while placing conduit for AT&T."
At least the Taco Bell and the nearby Shell gas station were evacuated. About 15 emergency service units responded to the incident.

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ARKEMA PLANT WAS NOT PREPARED FOR FLOODING, RECORDS SHOW
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, response

As Harvey pummeled Houston in late August, an emergency developed just north and east of downtown that had thousands of residents worried about the threat of fire or asphyxiation, more than the flood waters. People living near the Arkema chemical plant in Crosby evacuated after flood waters choked off the refrigeration units essential for keeping highly-volatile compounds from exploding. Arkema had lost control. But in a place with a huge petrochemical infrastructure and a history of flooding - and presumably with plans to manage just such an emergency - how could this have happened?
Matt Dempsey and Jacob Carpenter reported on the Arkema plant for the Houston Chronicle. Dempsey, a data reporter for the Chronicle, says Arkema has argued that Harvey was a catastrophic event that they could have prepared for, but documents provided by the company to the EPA indicate the company would not have been ready for flood waters just half as deep as Harvey=E2=80™s.
A week after Harvey flooded the area where the plant's refrigeration equipment was located, Arkema called in the City of Houston bomb squad to perform a "controlled burn" of the remaining chemicals.
"They essentially used door charges- things you would use in a SWAT situation to ignite the rest of the chemicals and burn them down," Dempsey says.

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AUTHORITIES NAME MAN KILLED IN NORTH CAROLINA EXPLOSION
Tags: us_NC, industrial, follow-up, death, unknown_chemical

MIDDLESEX, N.C. (AP) - The plant manager has been identified as the person who died in an explosion in North Carolina last week.

Authorities in Nash County said 64-year-old Dale Allen Bachmann died in the blast late Friday morning at a water purification chemical plant in Middlesex.

Investigators said Bachmann was the only person at the Pencco plant when the explosion occurred. The explosion involved a 15,000 gallon (57,000 liter) outdoor mixing tank at the plant.

There were no other injuries.

Middlesex Police Chief Michael Collins said Monday he hopes to have a report from Occupational Safety and Health investigators soon on what caused the explosion.

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HIGH LEVELS OF TEFLON-RELATED CHEMICAL AGAIN FOUND IN NORTH CAROLINA RIVER
Tags: us_NC, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical

The Chemours Co's ongoing quarrel with North Carolina intensified over the long Thanksgiving week after environmental regulators announced that high levels of the unregulated chemical GenX were again found in a river that supplies water to a region of more than 200,000 people.

"This increase in GenX levels is alarming and we are demanding answers from the company so we can safeguard water," North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Michael Regan said in a statement.

The Delaware-based company recently reported to the state's environmental department that concentrations of GenX in the Cape Fear River, near the outfall pipe from its Fayetteville, North Carolina plant, spiked to 2,400 parts per trillion at the end of October.

"While the outfall is not a source of drinking water, the concentrations detected there from Oct. 27-Nov. 2 were well above the state's provisional health goal for drinking water of 140 parts per trillion.," regulators said in their announcement.

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TWO MECCA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS RESPOND TO CHEMICAL WARNING FOLLOWING FIRE
Tags: us_CA, education, fire, response, unknown_chemical

MECCA, Calif. - The Riverside County Department of Environmental Health released a chemical warning impacting two schools in the east valley.

It's all due to a brush fire at the intersection of Avenue 64 and Dale Kiler Road, which burned down 15 acres of grape stakes Thanksgiving Day.

As a precaution, the Department of Environmental Health is recommending Saul Martinez Elementary, Mecca Elementary and neighboring communities to sanitize any outdoor equipment.

"I was thinking of not sending them to school because we don't know sometimes they don't wash their hands," said Bernice Solis, whose four children attend Mecca Elementary School.

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