DCHAS-L Discussion List Archive
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:02:40 +0000
Reply-To: drsamples**At_Symbol_Here**COMCAST.NET
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: drsamples**At_Symbol_Here**COMCAST.NET
Subject: Re: Baylor University evacuates science building after cyanide
spill
Comments: To: List Moderator
In-Reply-To: <4720DC8C-64B7-48B8-B602-ADDDF1237F7A**At_Symbol_Here**uvm.edu>
<
div style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000'>This brin
gs up an interesting point. Perhaps the "staff" who were in the know were n
ot allowed to speak to the local responders! At our institution, our Chem (
and Bio) dept staff have been repeatedly told that "we are not allowed to h
ave any contact with local fire agencies, etc" and that they (administratio
n) will exclusively deal with these outside groups.
Marjorie Samples
Folsom Lake College
----- Original Message -----
From: "List
Moderator" <ecgrants**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Sent: Th
ursday, October 15, 2009 4:30:43 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject
: Re: [DCHAS-L] Baylor University evacuates science building after cyanide
spill
From: Arvedson
, Steve <stephena**At_Symbol_Here**amgen.com>
Subject: RE: [DCHAS-L] Baylor University evacuates science build
ing
after cyanide spill
Date: October 14, 2009 8:27:13 PM EDT
It appears that this
situation was created by an incomplete
understanding of the mean
ing of the term "cyanide=" in this context.
If th
ey had called in an isovaleronitrile spill instead (same
material
, different name), they probably could have just cleared the
room
and cleaned up the spill wearing the appropriate respirator and
other PPE. The material has an NFPA health rating of 2, a boiling
point of 128 degrees C and an oral LD50 in mouse of 233 mg/kg.
;Did
anybody on staff at Baylor pull up the MSDS and try to work
with the
emergency responders to ease their concerns? This
is a good reminder
that all chemical-using institutions, whether
academic or industrial,
should be trying to work with their local
responders to establish two-
way communication, so that the appropriat
e level of response can be
applied to each incident.
Steve
