DCHAS-L Discussion List Archive
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2011 08:47:04 -0400
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: Kim Auletta <kauletta**At_Symbol_Here**NOTES.CC.SUNYSB.EDU>
Subject: Additional information: Re: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety Headlines
In-Reply-To: <FDD45912-33D0-4E2E-AE7D-13017818F3C3**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org>
Here's to follow -up to this story:
First, you need to understand the word for the day: Synchronicity is the
experience of two or more events, that are apparently causally unrelated
or unlikely to occur together by chance, that are observed to occur
together in a meaningful manner.
A waste container with hydrochloric acid in the fume hood was not tightly
closed. The fume hood alarm was out of calibration. The fume hood was
turned off for the night. The electricity went out & then came back on a
few minutes later from an electrical storm (resetting the alarm). It was
record breaking heat & humidity last week. The police officers walked by
the lab after the storm & heard the alarm and entered to investigate.
No one was injured - the officers were checked out & released. There was
no "leak". There was no chlorine (just the vapors in the room from the
HCl, which quickly dissipated once the fume hood was turned back on). But
the Level A Hazmat decon made really nice pictures in the paper on a slow
day.
Lots of other little things also added up (vacations for people who knew
the lab, etc) to create an "EVENT".
_________________________________________________
HAZMAT CREWS LEAVE STONY BROOK SOUTHAMPTON; SOURCE OF ODOR STILL UNDER
INVESTIGATION
http://www.27east.com/news/article.cfm/Southampton-Village-Surrounding-Areas/387041/HazMat-Crews-Respond-To-Marine-Science-Center-At-Stony-Brook-Southampton
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical
Hazardous material crews left the Marine Science Center at Stony Brook
Southampton at around noon on Friday, eight hours after they were called
to the scene to investigate the odor of leaking gas.
Investigators still have not determined the source of the odor, or the
type of gas that was detected, according to officials with the college and
the Southampton Fire Department.
"Everyone has cleared out," said Southampton Fire Department Captain Chris
Brenner on Friday afternoon. "The road is reopen," he added, referring to
Little Neck Road near the campus, which had been closed since early this
morning.
HazMat crews from Southampton Town, East Hampton Town and Brookhaven
National Laboratory all responded to the Shinnecock Hills campus, which is
owned by Stony Brook University, at around 3:30 a.m. after two campus
police officers were "initially overcome by fumes" when investigating an
alarm, according to Southampton Fire Department Chief Rodney Pierson.
Firefighting crews from Southampton, Bridgehampton, North Sea and Hampton
Bays responded to the call.
Kim Auletta
Lab Safety Specialist
EH&S Z=6200
Stony Brook University
kauletta**At_Symbol_Here**notes.cc.sunysb.edu
631-632-3032
FAX: 631-632-9683
EH&S Web site: http://www.stonybrook.edu/ehs/lab/
Remember to wash your hands!
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