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From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (16 articles)
Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2018 07:54:42 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: B623C712-8152-48CD-9DFF-35AB3B3F3746**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
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Table of Contents (16 articles)
HAZMAT CREWS CLEANING UP SPILL NEAR EIA
Tags: canada, release, industrial, response, petroleum
HAZMAT CREWS RESPOND TO SCENE ON GRAND ISLAND
Tags: us_ny, industrial, release, response, chlorine
MASSIVE BLAZE GUTS CHEMICAL FACTORY IN MAHAD, NO ONE HURT
Tags: india, explosion, industrial, response, unknown_chemical
STUDENT BADLY HURT IN LAB EXPLOSION AT TAU
Tags: Israel, explosion, laboratory, injury, unknown_chemical
HYDERABAD: CHEMIST INJURED IN CHEMICAL REACTOR BLAST
Tags: india, explosion, laboratory, injury, acetone
WACKER TO RESUME CHEMICAL OPERATIONS NEARLY 8 MONTHS AFTER EXPLOSION
Tags: us_tn, industrial, follow-up, enviromental
REPORT FAULTS SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY PROTECTION OF STUDENTS, STAFF FROM HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Tags: us_ca, laboratory, discovery, environmental, unknown_chemical
EXPLOSION, FIRE AT REFINERY NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR FORCES EVACUATIONS
Tags: us_mi, explosion, industrial, injuries, unknown_chemical
OFFICIALS SAY RADIOACTIVE SLUDGE BARREL RUPTURES NOW TOTAL 4
Tags: us_ID, laboratory, fire, response, radiation
DNR: WHITE FOAMY SUBSTANCE ON LAKE WINNEBAGO IS DECAYING ALGAE
Tags: us_WI, industrial, fire, environmental, paints, titanium
DEVON RECYCLING CENTRE EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, response, unknown_chemical, waste
FIRE AT UA BUILDING AT BROOKLINE HIGH SCHOOL
Tags: us_MA, education, explosion, injury, acetylene
CITY TO USE ‰??BIOFOAM‰?? ON YANGON DUMP FIRE
Tags: Myanmar, industrial, fire, response, other_chemical
ONE PERSON INJURED IN BROUSSARD CHEMICAL EXPLOSION
Tags: us_LA, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
FOURTH, FIFTH LAWSUITS FILED IN QUINTON RIG EXPLOSION
Tags: us_OK, public, follow-up, death, other_chemical
A CHEMICAL SPILL, UNCHECKED EYEWASH STATIONS, POOR TRAINING: AUDIT DETAILS CAL STATE'S LAX LAB SAFETY
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, environmental, acetone, solvent
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HAZMAT CREWS CLEANING UP SPILL NEAR EIA
https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/hazmat-crews-cleaning-up-spill-near-eia-1.3903313
Tags: canada, release, industrial, response, petroleum
A fluid spill on a road near the Edmonton International Airport caused traffic disruptions in the area Thursday morning.
On Thursday morning, crews were called to Airport Road, west of the Queen Elizabeth II Highway after an unknown fluid started leaking onto the roadway from a vehicle.
Firefighters with Leduc County called in HAZMAT crews from Edmonton Fire Rescue to help with the scene, they took over a short time later.
Edmonton Fire said two units were on scene late Thursday morning, along with a decontamination unit. It was believed about 400 litres of the fluid had leaked, but it wasn‰??t clear what it was.
The fluid was described as flammable and corrosive. Officials said the spill had been contained to a ditch.
Alberta Environment had been called in.
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HAZMAT CREWS RESPOND TO SCENE ON GRAND ISLAND
https://www.wkbw.com/news/hazmat-crews-responding-to-scene-on-grand-island
Tags: us_ny, industrial, release, response, chlorine
GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. (WKBW) - Hazmat crews were dealing with a chlorine leak on Grand Island Thursday afternoon.
This happened at the water treatment facility on Baseline Road around 5 p.m.
According to crews on scene, there was a leak in a chlorine tank, prompting the evacuation of several nearby homes.
The scene has since cleared and people are now back in their homes.
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MASSIVE BLAZE GUTS CHEMICAL FACTORY IN MAHAD, NO ONE HURT
https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/massive-blaze-guts-chemical-factory-in-mahad-no-one-hurt/story-U0dkVLN6i97KCg4POAhTSO.html
Tags: india, explosion, industrial, response, unknown_chemical
A massive fire broke out at a chemical plant of a private company in the MIDC area of Mahad on Thursday. No one was injured in the incident. However, the fire brigade officials took over seven hours to douse it.
According to the police, the chemical plant belongs to Privi Organics India Limited, which develops custom-made aroma chemicals as per the requirement of their customers.
‰??The fire broke out around 1.10 pm when most of the workers were out for lunch break. The few people who were still working inside it, came out to safety before it was too late,‰?? said Abba Saheb Patil, senior police inspector of Mahad MIDC police station.
‰??The chemical tanks placed in the factory exploded after they caught fire, causing the fire to spread more rapidly. Within a few minutes, it engulfed a huge part of the plant,‰?? another police officer said.
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STUDENT BADLY HURT IN LAB EXPLOSION AT TAU
http://hamodia.com/2018/04/26/student-badly-hurt-lab-explosion-tau/
Tags: Israel, explosion, laboratory, injury, unknown_chemical
YERUSHALAYIM -
A student at Tel Aviv University was severely injured in an explosion during a laboratory experiment.
The 27-year-old was rushed by Magen David Adom ambulance to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv where has was listed in moderate to serious condition. He was reported unconscious and on a ventilator.
He sustained severe injuries to his upper body after chemical material exploded in his hands.
The police said that another person who was apparently injured in the incident was also taken to the hospital.
Tel Aviv University released a statement saying, ‰??During an experiment conducted by a bachelor‰??s degree student in a chemistry laboratory, material exploded in his hands. The student was injured and evacuated to the hospital. An investigation of the incident is underway.‰??
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HYDERABAD: CHEMIST INJURED IN CHEMICAL REACTOR BLAST
https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/270418/hyderabad-chemist-injured-in-chemical-reactor-blast.html
Tags: india, explosion, laboratory, injury, acetone
Hyderabad: A chemist working in a pharma company at Sanathnagar sustained injuries in a chemical reactor explosion on Thursday evening. The incident occurred due to overheating of a chemical and water mixture as a part of regular chemical formulations. The injured has been identified as Varaprasad, 27, employee of Bio-Chemical Synthetics Private Limited located at Jimkalawadi under Sanath Nagar Police Station limits. SI J Venkat said that a case has been booked and the injured has been shifted to hospital. Biochemical & Synthetic Products Limited is a manufacturer, supplier and exporter of bulk drugs and intermediates. Around 150 workers work in the company. At 6.30 pm on Thursday, a loud blast rocked the unit and soon there was smoke all over. It was later found out that a chemical reactor inside the unit had exploded.
Sources from the company said that six workers were working at the reactor. As a regular process, they mixed acetone with water and were heating the mixture. Usually it has to be heated to a maximum of 75 degrees, but due to overheating, the mixture reacted, leading to the blast. All the workers were out on a tea break and escaped.
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WACKER TO RESUME CHEMICAL OPERATIONS NEARLY 8 MONTHS AFTER EXPLOSION
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/breakingnews/story/2018/apr/26/wacker-resume-chemical-operations-more-8-months-after-explosion/469318/
Tags: us_tn, industrial, follow-up, enviromental
The Wacker plant in Charleston, Tenn., will begin polysilicon production in the coming weeks, nearly eight months after an explosion at the site shook the Bradley County community, led to several hospitalizations and temporarily shut down some area schools and roads.
Wacker was tasked with stabilizing the affected area, investigating the incident and completing restoration efforts before it resumed production, according to company spokeswoman Lisa Mantooth. Those efforts took months to complete.
Wacker will use a phase-in approach, according to a release from the company, and expects to reach full capacity in the fourth quarter of this year. Employees already have begun the initial start-up of the site, which involves distillation of the product.
Employees were kept on staff and scheduled throughout the shutdown so they could continue to receive pay. The company held training and continued work in other parts of the plant while investigators tried to determine what caused the explosion and how it could be fixed.
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REPORT FAULTS SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY PROTECTION OF STUDENTS, STAFF FROM HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/8261537-181/report-faults-sonoma-state-university
Tags: us_ca, laboratory, discovery, environmental, unknown_chemical
Sonoma State University and three other California State University schools were cited this week by the state auditor for shortcomings in protecting students and staff members from hazardous materials used on their campuses.
The four campuses ‰??did not completely comply with requirements related to the oversight of health and safety policies, training and the inspection of laboratory safety equipment,‰?? State Auditor Elaine Howle said in a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders in a letter accompanying the 87-page report released Tuesday.
The audit, requested by Assemblyman Jim Wood, D-Santa Rosa, at the behest of a CSU employees union, also faulted the Chancellor‰??s Office that oversees the system of 23 campuses with nearly 480,000 students and 49,000 employees.
The chancellor‰??s failure to provide ‰??strong oversight‰?? led to increased health and safety risks throughout the CSU system, Howle‰??s letter said.
The four schools ‰?? including Sacramento State, San Diego State and Channel Islands state universities ‰?? had not reviewed their chemical safety plans for laboratory workers annually as required, the audit said, noting that Sonoma State‰??s six-year lapse was ‰??especially troubling.‰??
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EXPLOSION, FIRE AT REFINERY NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR FORCES EVACUATIONS
http://www.mlive.com/news/us-world/index.ssf/2018/04/explosion_fire_at_refinery_nea.html
Tags: us_mi, explosion, industrial, injuries, unknown_chemical
An explosion that rocked an oil refinery in Superior, Wisc. on Thursday morning injured at least 11 people and sent a day-long plume of heavy smoke drifting across the northwestern part of that state, according to authorities at the National Weather Service.
By late Thursday, the smoky fire was out at Wisconsin's only refinery, but residents around the plant who had been evacuated during the day were not expected to be let back to their homes until very late this evening, the Associated Press said.
Thick clouds of black smoke billowed from the Husky Energy refinery, forcing people to leave their homes and three schools to evacuate, along with a nearby hospital. The plant produces gasoline and asphalt.
The city of Superior is located on its namesake Great Lake, and shares a shipping port with neighboring Duluth, Minn., the AP said. Freighter fans today were posting pictures to social media of large ships being loaded with cargo while the refinery fire burned in the background.
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OFFICIALS SAY RADIOACTIVE SLUDGE BARREL RUPTURES NOW TOTAL 4
http://www.fireengineering.com/ap-news/2018/04/25/officials-say-radioactive-sludge-barrel-ruptures-now-total-4.html
Tags: us_ID, laboratory, fire, response, radiation
BOISE, Idaho (AP) ‰?? A total of four barrels containing radioactive sludge at an eastern Idaho nuclear site were found to have ruptured, officials said Wednesday, after initially saying earlier this month that one barrel was leaking.
Officials said there were no injuries and no threat to the public, and workers in protective gear have installed a closed-circuit video camera to monitor the situation.
Erik Simpson, a spokesman for U.S. Department of Energy contractor Fluor Idaho, said it appears all four 55-gallon (208-liter) barrels ruptured the same day they had been packed. An alarm on April 11 alerted officials that one barrel ruptured at the 890-square-mile (2,305-square-kilometer) federal site that includes the Idaho National Laboratory.
Simpson said three Idaho National Laboratory firefighters that entered the earthen-floored structure on April 11 to extinguish a smoldering barrel reported other possible breaches, and crews outside heard some of the barrels rupture.
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DNR: WHITE FOAMY SUBSTANCE ON LAKE WINNEBAGO IS DECAYING ALGAE
https://www.thenorthwestern.com/story/news/2018/04/25/local-residents-question-whether-chemical-residue-harmless/549639002/
Tags: us_WI, industrial, fire, environmental, paints, titanium
OSHKOSH - Environmental officials said a chemical released into a Lake Winnebago tributary following a fire Monday is not causing fish to die and is not a public health threat.
The Oshkosh Fire Department responded to a fire Monday evening at A.P. Nonweiler, a paint and industrial coatings maker at 3321 County A. The sprinkler system inside the plant caused a chemical used to whiten paint ‰?? titanium dioxide ‰?? to be released into a stream that feeds into Lake Winnebago.
"We're getting slammed with phone calls because people are concerned about this foamy, frothy white stuff," said Rick Joslin, spills coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Northeast Region.
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DEVON RECYCLING CENTRE EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/devon-recycling-centre-evacuated-after-1500261
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, response, unknown_chemical, waste
A recycling centre has been evacuated and firefighters called as a chemical spill was discovered on the outskirts of Exmouth.
Fire crews were called at 1.55pm after a chemical was dumped in the main bay at Knowle Hill Recycling Centre in Budleigh Salterton.
Members of the public were evacuated from the site as fire crews diluted the chemical with ‰??copious amounts of water‰??.
A spokesman from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said: ‰??Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service received a call reporting a chemical spill at the above location.
‰??Fire control immediately mobilised two fire appliances from Exmouth, a Hazardous Material Officer and the environmental protection unit from Newton Abbot to attend this incident.
‰??On arrival the officer in charge instructed crews to set up a cordon and started evacuating members of public. Crews got to work with two breathing apparatus in the risk area to identify the unknown substance.
‰??The crew successfully identified the substance and began to dilute the chemical with copious amounts of water into onsite interceptor drains following instruction from the Hazardous Material officer.‰??
Devon County Council say that the dumped chemical could have been safely disposed of in the site‰??s chemical store which would have avoided this incident, and reminded residents to alert staff if they have potentially hazardous waste.
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FIRE AT UA BUILDING AT BROOKLINE HIGH SCHOOL
https://patch.com/massachusetts/brookline/fire-ua-building-brookline-high-school
Tags: us_MA, education, explosion, injury, acetylene
BROOKLINE, MA ‰?? Brookline fire fighters say they quickly got a fire under control at the Unified Arts building at the High School at 46 Tappen Street.
One girl had burn marks on her sweatshirt but did not need to go to the hospital, according to fire officials.
Fire officials say High School staff evacuated the building quickly after a welding gas tank had a "mini" explosion during a jewelry making class. The 14-year old student was igniting a torch which may not have been properly "purged," and that caused the mini explosion. She dropped the tank and a fire broke out from the leaking welding tank. Staff quickly evacuated that room and the rest of the building as fire fighters made their way to the second floor room just after 11:30 a.m. The fire was out by 11:52 a.m. according to officials.
They did an excellent job evacuating here at the high school, said Deputy Chief Colin O'Connell.
The fire was contained to the jewelry making room. He said there was flame damage to three of the four tanks, he said.
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CITY TO USE ‰??BIOFOAM‰?? ON YANGON DUMP FIRE
https://www.mmtimes.com/news/city-use-biofoam-yangon-dump-fire.html
Tags: Myanmar, industrial, fire, response, other_chemical
The Yangon government would use ‰??biofoam‰?? chemical to extinguish the dump fire that has been raging for the past five days, according to Yangon City Mayor Maung Maung Soe.
‰??One chemical is mixed with 10pc water and used,‰?? he said, adding that some 5000 gallons of the chemical would be needed to put out the fire.
He said the regional government has allocated a budget to buy the chemical from Thailand.
‰??It will be convenient only if it is sprayed by fire engines with a long ladder,‰?? the Mayor said.
The fire at the 17-year-old garbage tip near Htein Pin cemetery in Hlaing Tharyar township started on April 2 and is believed to have been caused by the reaction between hot weather and decaying garbage.
‰??The fire at the garbage site is burning up to the surface so it‰??s difficult to extinguish it. Methane produced by the garbage, mixing with oxygen in the air, caused a chemical reaction, resulting in combustion,‰?? said U Aung Myint Maw, deputy head of the Environmental Conservation and Cleaning Department of the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC).
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ONE PERSON INJURED IN BROUSSARD CHEMICAL EXPLOSION
http://www.klfy.com/news/local/one-person-injured-in-broussard-chemical-explosion-/1140224232
Tags: us_LA, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
BROUSSARD, La. (KLFY) - Authorities are investigating an explosion inside Pinnacle Chemical Solutions on Kol Drive.
The explosion occurred when an employee was mixing two chemicals, investigators tell KLFY.
The victim suffered burns has been taken to a local hospital. Their condition is unknown at this time.
State police and HAZMAT are investigating the incident.
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FOURTH, FIFTH LAWSUITS FILED IN QUINTON RIG EXPLOSION
http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/oklahoma/news/fourth-fifth-lawsuits-filed-in-quinton-rig-explosion/article_9b575dda-4ab3-5e8a-b2aa-0b16e60dc9d3.html
Tags: us_OK, public, follow-up, death, other_chemical
McALESTER, Okla. ‰?? Lawsuits were filed Tuesday in Pittsburg County District Court on behalf of the final two victims who lost their lives during the Patterson 219 rig explosion.
Attorneys filed lawsuits on behalf of Josh Ray‰??s widow and the estate of Cody Risk alleging negligence and more against the companies involved in the Jan. 22 rig explosion in Quinton.
The explosion occurred Jan. 22, 2018, at the Patterson 219 rig near Quinton and killed five workers ‰?? Matt Smith, 29, of McAlester, Oklahoma; Josh Ray, 35, of Fort Worth, Texas; Cody Risk, 26, of Wellington, Colorado; Parker Waldridge, 60, of Crescent, Oklahoma; and Roger Cunningham, 55, of Seminole, Oklahoma.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs allege the lawsuits arose ‰??out of yet another tragic preventable incident caused by irresponsible companies working in the oilfield who place money and profit over safety and human life.‰??
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A CHEMICAL SPILL, UNCHECKED EYEWASH STATIONS, POOR TRAINING: AUDIT DETAILS CAL STATE'S LAX LAB SAFETY
http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-calstate-lab-audit-20180425-story.html
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, environmental, acetone, solvent
In May 2016, two bottles tumbled off a poorly supported shelf and broke, leading to a chemical spill in a Sacramento State University lab.
The liquid got onto one student's legs and soaked another's feet.
Five employees cleaned up the mess, even though no one knew for sure what it was and whether it was dangerous. They called fellow employee Kim Harrington, their union representative, to let her know what happened.
The spill initially was thought to be all acetone ‰?? a solvent used in many nail polish removers that can irritate the nose, throat, eye and skin at moderate to high levels of exposure. The campus did not identify the liquid until the next day, when staff determined that the broken bottles contained not only acetone but another more harmful solvent called dimethylformamide, a known liver toxin that can cause abdominal pain, dizziness, skin problems and nausea.
"No one knew exactly what it was so they cleaned it up the wrong way," Harrington said. "Two students were burned, and our staff was exposed to it. That started us down the road of trying to figure out ‰?| how safe is this environment?"
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