Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2011 07:48:16 -0500
Reply-To: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: Ralph Stuart <rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Subject: Chemical Safety headlines from Google

Links to details available at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas

FUEL SPILL TIES UP I-465, http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/marion_county/fuel-spill-t ies-up-i-465

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - HAZMAT teams were called in early Thursday morning after a falling piece of ice cut the fuel line in a FedEx truck.

Indiana State Police report the driver was going under a bridge at entrance ramp to Interstate 74 from Interstate 465 Northbound when the ice fell and struck the fuel line.

The HAZMAT crews arrived and blocked two lanes while they mopped up the leaking fuel. In all, 125 gallons of fuel spilled, but no one was injured.

-----------------------

SEMI ROLLS AND SPILLS FUEL, http://kxoradio.com/news/local/553-semi-rolls-and-spills-fuel.html

 Traffic at Highway 86 and Austin Road was tied up until almost 6:00 am. There were no injuries reported, but the CHP says the semi spilled its fuel when it rolled. The Hazmat team was called to clean up the diesel fuel spill. Brawley fire was called to monitor the situation. The Highway Patrol says it took almost two hours to get a tow truck to the scene big enough to handle a semi and it=92s trailers. Traffic was reduced to one lane at the Twin Bridges until 5:55 Thursday morning.

-----------------------

PORTWORLD NEWS - LATEST NEWS - RHINE REOPENED AFTER CHEMICAL TANKER ACCIDENT, http://www.portworld.com/news/i100385/Rhine_reopened_af ter_chemical_tanker_accident

The River Rhine has re-opened to shipping in both directions for the first time since a motorised barge capsized three weeks ago.

The Waldhof was carrying 2,400 tonnes of sulphuric acid when it capsized.

Since the incident, ships have been allowed to sail upstream past the wreck on a controlled basis.

Downstream traffic was halted until yesterday because of fears of acid, or hydrogen, on board the vessel causing an explosion.

The incident is reported to have caused a backlog of more than 400 vessels, including bulk cargo barges and laden inland container vessels bound for ports including Rotterdam, and has resulted in  numerous shipping companies switching to alternative transport methods in order to move goods.

Salvage officials began removing acid from the Waldhof today, with plans for it to be hoisted by crane out of the river upon completion.

According to officials, up to 50 barges a day are being allowed to sail downstream after salvers managed to remove hydrogen from all seven tanks on the sunken tanker.

-----------------------

FIRE AT WARRENTON FARM SUPPLY STORE STILL SMOLDERS :: WRAL.COM, http://www.wral.com /news/local/story/9050597/

WARRENTON, N.C. =97 A fire at a farm supply store in downtown Warrenton still smoldered Thursday, more than 12 hours after it started, prompting the closure of schools and evacuation of homes and businesses.

"It's gone. Southern States is gone. It's sad," said Milton Cooper, a Division of Motor Vehicles inspector who directed traffic during the fire in the store at 216 W. Franklin St.
SLIDESHOW    

Warrenton farm supply store fire

Firefighters let the fire burn itself out Thursday because of concerns that spraying more water on the building would let chemicals run into the town's water supply, authorities said. The store sold hazardous and flammable materials, including fertilizer, aerosols, propane and ammunition.

"We were not sure exactly what all types of hazards we had in there, as far as chemical-wise, which we did not want to wash down into our water system and get into the creeks," Warren County Assistant Fire Chief Lee Edmonds said.

-----------------------

FREAK FIRE DESTROYS WEST CUMBRIAN HAIR SALON, http://www.timesands tar.co.uk/news/business/freak-fire-destroys-west-cumbrian-hair-salon-1.805 759?referrerPath=news/

A Maryport hairdresser has lost everything after her salon was destroyed by a freak fire that may have been caused by more than 40 years of chemical build-up.


Although investigations have not yet been completed, fire safety officers visited other salons in Maryport on Monday to make them aware of the situation and to check premises.

Owner Lorraine Hetherington said she has also been told that what happened at Hairport on Curzon Street would be used as a cautionary tale throughout Britain.

Mrs Hetherington said the fire started with a small puff of smoke on Saturday morning. There were three customers in the shop and the hairdryer had been put on for a woman who had almost finished having her hair curled.

Mrs Hetherington said: =93I saw this puff of smoke coming from the dryer. It was honestly no worse than someone who might have been blowing out cigarette smoke.=94

She followed procedure, putting a smoke blanket over the dryer and telling her stylist to call 999.

She added: =93They laughed at me because it was only a puff of smoke but then, within minutes, it got thick and black. We didn=92t really see flames, just thick, black smoke.=94

-----------------------

FIRE AT CHEMICAL FACTORY PUTS RESIDENTS ON ALERT (FROM PRESTWICH AND WHITEFIELD GUIDE), http://www.prestwichan dwhitefieldguide.co.uk/news/burynews/8830674.Fire_at_chemical_factory_puts _residents_on_alert/

RESIDENTS have been told to stay in their homes and keep windows and doors shut following a fire chemical factory.

Fire crews were called to Ferrari Electroplating, in Bury Road, Radcliffe, at 8.45pm when a vat containing 2,500 litres of copper sulphate set alight.

More than 30 firefighters worked for three hours to tackle the blaze and stop it spreading further into the building.

A cordon was set up around the warehouse and people living nearby were advised to keep their doors and windows closed to protect them from any toxic fumes.

No-one was in the factory at the time of the fire and the cause of it is now under investigation.

-----------------------

3 INJURED BY RIGGED PEPPER SPRAY CAN IN HILLCREST - SIGNONSANDIEGO.COM, http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/feb/03/3-injured- rigged-pepper-spray-can/

SAN DIEGO =97 A maintenance worker in a Hillcrest movie theater complex suffered a minor chemical burn and two people were nearly overcome by fumes from a can rigged to spew pepper spray Thursday, fire officials said.

The 8-ounce can=92s trigger was =93deliberately configured=94 to keep spraying the irritating chemical, said Maurice Luque, San Diego Fire Rescue Department spokesman.

=93It=92s basically an assault situation,=94 Luque said. =93Potentially, it could be a felony. Pepper spray can cause burns and respiratory problems.=94

-----------------------

BBC NEWS - WARNING OVER CHEMICAL SPILL FUMES, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-12356500

Firefighters tackling a chemical leak at an industrial estate in Northallerton have warned residents to stay indoors.

Fumes containing a mild irritant leaked from the premises on the Standard Way Industrial Estate following a chemical reaction at 0615 GMT, police said.

A 400m cordon is in place and the nearby A167 has been closed.

Fire officers said there was no risk of harm to the public but nearby residents should take precautions.

They are being told to remain indoors with closed windows.

Police said they were patrolling the area to ensure no motorists or pedestrians stopped there.

-----------------------

FACTORY FIRE KILLS AT LEAST 12, COPS CALLED IT MINOR - THE TIMES OF INDIA, http://timesofind ia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Factory-fire-kills-at-least-12-cops-called-it -minor/articleshow/7421869.cms

NEW DELHI: A boiler blast at an illegal garment-making unit in south Delhi which the police initially said was a minor accident, has killed 20 people so far, the victims' families claimed on Thursday. The police say 12 people have died of burns suffered in the January 25 fire, allegedly triggered by a chemical leak that knocked out workers before a blast set the factory ablaze. 

The families allege that the administration is trying to play down the tragedy that's becoming grimmer by the day. Two workers died on Thursday while 11 are still admitted in the burns ward of Safdarjung Hospital with 60% to 85% burns. 

The illegal factory at Tughlaqabad Extension ran with the tacit support of the administration, the victims' kin claimed. The victims were workers on the top floor which housed a packaging unit for the garment export factory. Residents at gali number 24, Tughlaqabad, claimed that they had so far counted 20 dead in the tragedy.

-----------------------

LIGONIER MAN CHARGED FOLLOWING SUICIDE ATTEMPT - JOHNSTOWN'S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER, http://www.ourtownonline.biz/articles/2011/02/02/some rset_news/news/local/news083.txt

A Ligonier man has been charged after attempting suicide in a public place using hydrogen sulfide.

Somerset Borough police said Glen A. Gill, 41, Gravel Hill Road, parked his truck in the Somerset County Assistance Office parking lot along Stayrook Street Jan. 15.

Police were sent to that location for a suicide attempt at 8:24 a.m. When police arrived, they were advised that Gill had hung a hand-written note on his truck stating =93Do Not Enter =97 Call Hazmat =97 Hydrogen Sulfide Inside.=94 Known as detergent suicide, hydrogen sulfide is created when certain household cleaners are mixed together.

-----------------------

I-40 BACK OPEN AFTER TANKER ROLLS - ALBUQUERQUE NEWS STORY - KOAT ALBUQUERQUE, http://www.koat.com /news/26716121/detail.html

LAGUNA, N.M. -- The eastbound lanes of Interstate 40 are back open after a dual-vessel gas tanker truck rolled early Wednesday morning.
The truck and its tanks were blocking I-40 lanes and had to be unloaded before being removed.
More than 100 gallons of fuel spilled, so hazmat teams were called to help with the clean up.

-----------------------

FUEL LEAK IMPACTS TRAFFIC IN FAYETTE CO. - NEWS STORY - WPXI PITTSBURGH, http://www.wpxi.com /news/26722703/detail.html

NORTH UNION TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A portion of Route 119 in North Union Township was closed Tuesday night while Hazmat and PennDot crews cleaned a feuel leak.
According to state police, a truck lost a portion of its load while traveling northbound on Route 119, shortly before 6:30 p.m.
A tractor trailer struck part of the load which damaged it fuel tank and caused nearly 100 gallons of fuel to leak onto the highway.

-----------------------

MAJOR FIRE AT CHEMICAL UNIT IN TALOJA - HINDUSTAN TIMES, http://www.hindustantimes.com/Major-fire-at-chemic al-unit-in-Taloja/Article1-657881.aspx

A major fire broke out at Buneesha Chemicals at Taloja in Navi Mumbai at 12.30pm on Wednesday. It took the firemen about six hours to contain the fire. The cooling process, however, continued late into the night. This comes less that a month after a massive fire broke out at the Indian Oil Corporation=92s plant in the same area.
Buneesha Chemicals situated at J-37 in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area was engulfed by the fire within minutes.

Even as fire tenders rushed to the spot, the raging fire spread and engulfed the neighbouring Rachna Agro-Chemicals (J38).

Firemen, however, claimed to have prevented it from spreading to three other units =97 Modi Pharma Pvt Ltd (J39), Taloja Petrochemicals (J41), and DC Dyes (J43).

-----------------------

FOUR FIRE FIGHTERS INJURED AFTER FIRE IN CHEMICAL PLANT - ONEINDIA NEWS, http://news.oneindia.in/2011/02/02/fo urfire-fighters-injured-after-fire-in-chemicalplant-aid0126.html

Bharuch, Feb 1 (PTI) Four fire brigade officials wereinjured while dousing fire at a chemical company in Panoliindustrial area of Ankleshwar town today, police said.

The incident took place at a plant of MeghmaniOrganics which manufactures colour pigments, they said.

According to fire officials, while packaging was goingon in the beta plant of the company, fire broke out all of asudden, causing commotion among the workers there.

The fire was so intense that it also spread to thewarehouse adjacent to the beta plant where it furtherintensified due to chemical solvents stored there, fireofficials said.

Four fire officials who had gone to douse the firesustained burn injuries in the incident, they said.

They have been rushed to the civil hospital forfurther treatment, they added.

-----------------------

BBC NEWS - OXFORDSHIRE FAMILY OVERCOME BY CLEANING PRODUCT FUMES, http:// www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-12342800

A family was overcome by chemical fumes and had to be rescued by firefighters after two cleaning products were mixed together at an Oxfordshire home.

Crews were called to a house in Clare, near Watlington, on Tuesday afternoon.

The house was cordoned off and two adults and a child were taken to hospital.

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said two cleaning products, including a drain unblocker, had been mixed together creating chlorine gas.

'Very toxic'
Crews wore specialist equipment and breathing apparatus to clear up the chemicals.

Incident Commander and station manager Gary D'Anger said: "The occupants had been using a chemical drain blocker and mixed this with a cleaning product to cleanse a waste pipe.

"These two chemicals produced a very toxic chlorine gas which caused the occupiers breathing difficulties.

"Very toxic chemicals and gases can be produced by mixing different cleaning products together which can cause very serious and sometime permanent injuries.

"Always follow the instructions on the bottle and never mix cleaning products".

-----------------------

HIGHWAY 23 REOPENS AFTER MORNING CHEMICAL SPILL - AGOURA HILLS, CA PATCH, http://agourahills.patch.com/articles/highway-23-re opens-after-morning-chemical-spill-2

All lanes of Highway 23 are open after cleanup of a chemical spill was completed Tuesday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.

At about 7 a.m., the Moorpark CHP office received a report of a one-gallon container whose contents, which was later identified as hydrochloric acid and silica, had spilled in the southbound traffic lanes, causing a chemical cloud.

In a press release, the CHP said it closed both sides of the highway while the Ventura County Fire Department identified and neutralized the chemicals. Southbound traffic was diverted off at Avenida de Los Arboles and Janss Road. The north and southbound Freeway 101 transitions to Highway 23 were also closed.

-----------------------

KELOLAND.COM | I-29 CRASH TAKES ALL DAY TO CLEAN UP, http: //www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=110235

SIOUX FALLS, SD - A pickup collided with an 18-wheeler pulling two trailers, sending the the truck out of control and causing a chemical spill. Eight hours later the crash,  between 12th and 26th street, was still being cleaned up.

The semi was hauling two tanks of liquid fertilizer. The second tank was turned on its side and emergency officials say more than a thousand gallons of the fertilizer spilled into the median. 

It's all because of a slick spot on roads that seemed clear. 

"There was a crash between the two vehicles. The semi-truck and trailers ended up in the median," South Dakota Highway Patrol Captain Kevin Joffer said. 

-----------------------

NO INJURIES IN WEST YORK PROPANE LEAK - YORK DISPATCH, http://www.yorkdispa tch.com/news/ci_17262494

There were no injuries or damage from a 30-gallon propane tank leak in West York, said Neil Gunnet, the borough's fire department chief.
Firefighters were called shortly after 3:30 p.m. to the 1600 block of King Street, where propane gas was leaking from one of the tanks on a Continental catering truck. The tank's valve was damaged and there was no way to stop the vapor from leaking, Gunnet said.
"It just vented out and we stood by to make sure there was no damage to anything or no sparks," he said. "We blocked off the area. We checked (nearby) homes and buildings to make sure everything was OK. There were no problems."

-----------------------

HAZARD: KFD RESPOND TO GAS LEAK - BREAKING NEWS | TRI-CITY HERALD : MID-COLUMBIA NEWS, http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/02/01/1350999/hazar d-kfd-respond-to-gas-leak.html

A report of a hazardous materials leak sent the Kennewick Fire Department to Kennewick=92s Oak Street Industrial Park at 4:20 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

The leak of sulfur dioxide, a heavier than air gas used in processing wine corks, happened at CorkTec, 1426 E. 3rd Ave.

=93The gas is a bio corrosive meaning it=92s hazardous to people,=94 said Battalion Chief Mike Barnett.

Sulfer dioxide is commonly used to clean equipment used in wine making. CorkTec uses the gas when sealing bags of wine corks.

=93The vessel had a loose top which allowed the gas to leak,=94 Barnett said, adding that =93the two workers evacuated the building and called 911.=94

-----------------------

HAZMAT CREWS RESPOND TO SIEGFRIED USA PLANT AFTER LINE BREAKS, RELEASES BLEACH VAPORS | NJ.COM, http://www.nj.com/salem/index.ssf/2011/02/hazmat_crews_respon d_to_siegfr.html

PENNSVILLE TWP. =97 Police and hazardous materials emergency units responded to Siegfried USA on Industrial Park Road here Tuesday after  a vent line containing bleach vapors broke.

The incident took place at 11:55 a.m. during the process of making a drug substance manufactured safely for many years at the site, according to Rita van Eck, director of Human Resources at Siegfried.

The leak was immediately contained and member of Siegfried=92s site emergency response team responded to the building where the incident took place, according to van Eck.

-----------------------

CHEMICAL SPILL CLOSES HIGHWAY 23 IN THOUSAND OAKS; ALL LANES NOW REOPENED | L.A. NOW | LOS ANGELES TIMES, http://latimesblogs.latime s.com/lanow/2011/02/chemical-spill-temporarily-closes-highway-23-in-thousa nd-oaks.html

All lanes of Highway 23 in Thousand Oaks were reopened by 10:10 a.m. Tuesday after pool-cleaning acid spilled from a truck, creating a chemical cloud that stopped traffic in both directions, authorities said.

A one-gallon container of muriatic acid fell out of a southbound truck just before 7 a.m. on the southbound lanes between Janss Road and Hillcrest Avenue, authorities said.

The northbound lanes were reopened shortly after 8 a.m., said Miguel Duarte, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol in Moorpark.

-----------------------

FIRE AT ENOREE CHEMICAL PLANT SENDS 2 WORKERS TO HOSPITALS | WSPA, http://www2.wspa.com/news/2011/jan/31/4/plant-fire-enoree-ar-1403713/

A spokesman for the Enoree Fire Department says that the two employees of the company were loading a product into a mixer at the plant when the product combusted and "flashed" at them.  

The employees were taken to the hospital, but had to be flown to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta due to their injuries.

Updated, January 31, 2010, 6:17 a.m.

Investigators are trying to find out what caused a fire at an Upstate chemical plant. They hope to have more information on Monday.

The fire started Sunday afternoon at the Henkel Corporation plant off Highway 221 in Enoree in Spartanburg county. The plant makes industrial adhesives.

-----------------------

MAJOR FIRE IN PANOLI DYES PIGMENT UNIT - THE TIMES OF INDIA, http://timesofindia.indiatimes .com/city/surat/Major-fire-in-Panoli-dyes-pigment-unit/articleshow/7406998 .cms

BHARUCH: Seven fire fighters from various agencies suffered burns and had to be hospitalised after battling a major blaze in the Meghmani Organics Ltd at Panoli industrial estate near Ankleshwar on Tuesday. They were injured when chemical drums exploded in the fire. 

The fire broke out at 6.45 am and could not be controlled till 2 pm. The flames could be seen from far and dense black smoke spread over a radius of one km. Traffic on the busy national highway No. 8 was held up for an hour because of the fire. Alarmed workers from nearby factories and villagers came out and were alarmed of the situation, said Zakir Hussain, an eye witness. 

More than 20 tankers and fire tenders from Bharuch, Ankleshwar, Panoli, Jhagadia and also from the nearby factories rushed to the spot. Fire brigade personnel said the exact cause of the fire was not known but they faced difficulties in bringing the flames under control due to its volatile chemical components.

-----------------------

TWO DIE IN EXPLOSION IN CHEMICAL UNIT IN THANE DISTRICT | NETINDIAN | INDIA NEWS | LATEST NEWS FROM INDIA | BREAKING NEWS FROM INDIA | LATEST HEADLINES, http://netindian.in/news/2011/01/31/00010544/tw o-die-explosion-chemical-unit-thane-district

Two people were killed and another person was seriously injured in an explosion in a chemical plant in Kudus village in Wada taluka of Thane district of Maharashtra, police said today.


The blast occurred on Sunday afternoon, police said.


The deceased were identified as Dhananjay Patil (50), the manager, and Sanjay Palshikar (28), lab-in-charge.


Another worker Ravindra Gaikar (35), who received severe burn injuries, was rushed to a local hospital.


The cause of the explosion is yet to be ascertained and investigations were on, police added.

-----------------------

VENEZUELAN ARMS FIRM DEPOT GUTTED IN FIRE - UPI.COM, http://www.upi. com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2011/01/31/Venezuelan-arms-firm-depot- gutted-in-fire/UPI-95841296508794/

CARACAS, Venezuela, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Troubled Venezuelan defense manufacturer CAVIM faces renewed disruptions in its plans to revamp its operations after explosions and fire gutted one of its main depots in the northern city of Maracay, 80 miles west of Caracas.

The blasts and fire left one woman dead and three others with injuries.

Senior aides to President Hugo Chavez announced a comprehensive investigation was under way but couldn't say if the blasts and fire were accidental or the result of sabotage. There were no immediate reports of arrests.

The explosions occurred late Sunday and engulfed the arms depot buildings, witnesses told Venezuelan media.

Authorities evacuated about 10,000 inhabitants of the Maracay district where the depot is located. State Gov. Rafael Isea announced all civilian structures within a 5-mile radius were cleared as part of a security operation that went on for seven hours.

-----------------------

2 WORKERS BURNED IN GALLATIN INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT - NASHVILLE NEWS STORY - WSMV NASHVILLE, http://www.wsmv.com /news/26673205/detail.html

The people were injured at Hoeganaes Corporation, a business near Steam Plant Road, at about 5 a.m.
Some sort of fire involving chemical caused the workers to be burned to more than 95 percent of their bodies, said Sumner County authorities. The injured employees were taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville in critical condition.
"I've got two men injured," said a person who called 911. "One, his clothes are mostly burned off."
The caller said skin was peeling off the workers.
The fire at the plant was under control by noon.
On the company's website, it calls itself the "world leader in the production of atomized steel and iron powders."
"The thoughts and concerns of the entire GKN/Hoeganaes Company are extended to the family and friends as well as all of our employees who are our primary concern at times such as these," Hoeganaes Corporation said in a statement.

-----------------------

CHEMICAL LEAKING IN INDUSTRIAL PARK, http://www.theadverti ser.com/article/20110131/NEWS01/110131025/Updated+4+30+p.m.++Chemical+leak ing+in+industrial+park

Authorities are on the scene of a chemical spill inside a building in the Lafayette Regional Industrial Park.

No one was injured in the incident, which happened in a building that produces cosmetics and cosmetic materials.

Alton Trahan, spokesman for the Lafayette Fire Department, said the chemical is toluene and is leaking from a container in the building.

The building has been evacuated, and employees in surrounding buildings are being told to remain inside. The chemical is considered highly flammable and has leaked into portions of the first and second floors.

This is not the first time authorities have been called to the business for a similar situation, Trahan said.

-------


Previous post   |  Top of Page   |   Next post



The content of this page reflects the personal opinion(s) of the author(s) only, not the American Chemical Society, ILPI, Safety Emporium, or any other party. Use of any information on this page is at the reader's own risk. Unauthorized reproduction of these materials is prohibited. Send questions/comments about the archive to secretary@dchas.org.
The maintenance and hosting of the DCHAS-L archive is provided through the generous support of Safety Emporium.