Chemical Safety Headlines =46rom Google
Monday, September 5, 2011 9:36:45 AM

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Table of Contents (8 articles)

ONE DEAD IN CHEMICAL BLAST AT MENLO PARK FIRM
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, explosion, death, methane, nitrogen

DEPUTIES DISCOVER MOBILE METH LAB IN WEST WICHITA
Tags: us_KS, public, release, response, meth_lab

SYDNEY MEN CHARGED OVER DRUG LAB BLAZE
Tags: Australia, public, fire, response, meth_lab

LANDFILL FIRE QUICKLY CONTAINED
Tags: us_TN, public, fire, response, waste

MEDICAL LAB EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_WI, laboratory, release, response, solvent

CBS4 RTV4 WHBF QUAD CITIES, IL-IA NEWS WEATHER SPORTS
Tags: public, fire, response, unknown_chemical, follow-up

CHEMICAL FIRE IN PEBSHAM SKIP
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, fire, injury, waste

VISALIA TIMES-DELTA AND TULARE ADVANCE-REGISTER
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, response, dust

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ONE DEAD IN CHEMICAL BLAST AT MENLO PARK FIRM

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/09/02/BAL21KVRFL.D
TL&tsp=1
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, explosion, death, methane, nitrogen

MENLO PARK -- A scientist was killed and another employee was injured 
Friday when a methane canister exploded at a Menlo Park research and 
development company that produces systems for the gas and petrochemical 
industry, authorities said.

The male scientist, whose name was not immediately released, was 
transferring separate canisters of methane, helium and nitrogen into one 
container when the explosion occurred during a laboratory experiment, 
said Menlo Park Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman.

The victim died at the scene.

A female co-worker sustained injuries to her eardrum. She was taken to 
Stanford Hospital.

The explosion at Membrane Technology & Research Inc. at 1360 Willow 
Road was reported at 4:07 p.m. Firefighters evacuated 23 other employees 
from the company's building. No other businesses or residences in the 
area were evacuated.

Company workers were able to shut off the canisters containing helium 
and nitrogen. The methane, however, continued to leak, and fire crews 
stayed into the night venting the building with portable fans, the chief 
said.

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DEPUTIES DISCOVER MOBILE METH LAB IN WEST WICHITA

http://www.kake.com/news/headlines/Deputies_Discover_Mobile_Meth_Lab_In_We
st_Wichita_129160328.html
Tags: us_KS, public, release, response, meth_lab

Stephen T. Barnhart, 45, and Charlotte Allen, 44, have been booked into 
the Sedgwick County Adult Detention facility on charges that include 
possession of narcotics with the intent to sell.

Just before four this morning, a Sedgwick County deputy saw some 
suspicious activity at the Regency Inn on West Kellogg. That deputy then 
followed a white vehicle and made a traffic stop near I-235 and Central.

The deputy smelled a strong chemical odor coming from the driver. He 
then discovered items associated with the manufacturing of 
methamphetamine.

"Based on what he found at the traffic stop, he basically located a meth 
lab and the precursors to a meth lab in the vehicle," said Lt. Jason 
Gill, Sedgwick County Sheriff's.

Deputies then went back to the hotel where the driver had a room and 
found additional material used for a meth lab.

The Wichita Police Department Explosive Ordnance Unit was called to both 
scenes.

As a safety measure, several rooms were evacuated displacing about five 
people at the hotel. Investigators said there's a danger to inhaling 
those chemicals.

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

SYDNEY MEN CHARGED OVER DRUG LAB BLAZE

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/sydney-men-charged-over-dru
g-lab-blaze/story-e6frf7kf-1226128822386
Tags: Australia, public, fire, response, meth_lab

TWO men have been charged after an industrial complex was set alight 
during an alleged drug-making operation in northwest Sydney.

Emergency services were called to the Girraween complex shortly before 
1am (AEST) this morning when a smoke alarm was triggered in an 
industrial unit.

Police officers on the scene alerted Fire and Rescue NSW's Hazmat 
(hazardous materials) Unit after they noticed a strong smell.

Two men were arrested at the scene and charged with manufacturing a 
prohibited drug. The fire was extinguished.

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

LANDFILL FIRE QUICKLY CONTAINED

http://themountainpress.com/view/full_story/15310968/article--Landfill-fir
e-quickly-contained-?instance=latest_articles
Tags: us_TN, public, fire, response, waste

PIGEON FORGE =97 A fire Friday evening at the landfill on Ridge Road 
spread quickly over a couple acres of construction and demolition waste, 
but fortunately never threatened structures or surrounding woods.

With the help of a bulldozer operated by a Sevier Solid Waste employee, 
crews from five fire departments were able to quickly knock the blaze 
down, leaving a large cloud of thick smoke the only problem. In dealing 
with that, Emergency Management Director John Mathews issued his first 
reverse 911, a system that calls people in the area of an emergency to 
give them warning.

"My main concern out of all of this is the smoke," Pigeon Forge Fire 
Department Chief Tony Watson said. "It's not something we want 
spreading, since we've got those construction materials burning in 
there, so we've got to control it."

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

MEDICAL LAB EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
http://www.wauwatosanow.com/news/129102123.html
Tags: us_WI, laboratory, release, response, solvent

Employees were evacuated from the Wheaton Franciscan Health Care central 
laboratory, 11020 Plank Court, just before 3 p.m. Thursday because of a 
chemical spill, Wauwatosa Fire Chief Rob Ugaste said.

Franciscan spokeswoman Anne Ballentine said no one was injured. Seventy 
lab associates were evacuated, as were 15 people from an adjoining 
business.

Laboratory employees told fire officials the solvent Clear Rite 3 
spilled when a machine malfunctioned. Clear Rite 3 is a chemical used in 
tissue processing and staining, according to a website for the product.

The chemical started to smoke and the Wauwatosa Fire Department was 
called. The Wauwatosa and Milwaukee Hazardous Material teams responded.

Hot and warm zones were established and a decontamination shower was set 
up as a precaution, Ugaste said. Wauwatosa Haz Mat technicians entered 
the building using self-contained breathing apparatus. Inside, they 
monitored air quality and evaluated the spill area. In addition, they 
moved some of the remaining chemical into a drum where it could be 
safely sealed.

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

CBS4 RTV4 WHBF QUAD CITIES, IL-IA NEWS WEATHER SPORTS

http://www.whbf.com/story/15388014/clinton-man-seriously-burned-by-fire-po
t
Tags: public, fire, response, unknown_chemical, follow-up

A QCA man is seriously burned by a household decoration and now his 
family is warning folks about fire pots and fuel gel.  They're sold in 
home and garden stores across the country.

A Clinton family is trying to cope with the physical and emotional scars 
they said the gel left behind.  We want to warn you, some of the images 
in our video post may be disturbing.

Krista Othon said they were visiting with friends a month ago, when the 
gel ignited inside the pot, exploding onto her husband body.  She said 
Gene now has second and third degree burns on 14% of his body.

"It's disfiguring.  The agony, the torture that my husband's had to go 
through on a daily basis, several times a day, is pretty horrible," said 
Krista Othon.

The Othons and their friends, who were also burned, are now suing the 
manufacturer and retailer.  The Consumer Products Safety Commission said 
millions of the fuel gel bottles are being recalled after being blamed 
for dozens of flash fires.

"It's just a scary thing to think that something like that can be sold 
to the public and that you're not made aware of it and how dangerous it 
is," Othon said.

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

CHEMICAL FIRE IN PEBSHAM SKIP

http://www.bexhillobserver.net/news/bexhill-news/chemical_fire_in_pebsham_
skip_1_3018808
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, fire, injury, waste

FIREFIGHTERS who dealt with chemicals burning in a skip in Pebsham 
warned they might be =93highly toxic=94 according to a worried resident.

She contacted the Observer to say tins inside the skip were burning all 
weekend and the fire was not put out until Bank Holiday Monday in the 
late afternoon.

Afterwards members of the Bexhill fire crew warned people living near to 
the light industrial site to be aware fumes could have been harmful.

She said; =93We called the fire crew out because the fire had been going 
for a couple of days.

=93We are just not happy about this. They were concerned about residents 
because of the type of materials being burned so they even put the 
hospital on alert.=94

She reported there had been =93a lot of smoke=94 during Saturday and 
Sunday and =93when you went out, it caught your breath=94.

She added: =93We weren=92t at risk because it was too far from where we 
live but it was still close enough, because apparently whatever was in 
there was resin which sends out toxic plumes which you don=92t 
necessarily see but which you can inhale.=94

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service were alerted at 5.15pm on Monday and 
stayed until 7.04pm to make sure the fire was under control.

ESFRS confirmed this week the skip contained chemical substances and 
said some locals who spoke to firefighters at the scene complained of 
experiencing sore throats and headaches and expressed concern that the 
smoke may be toxic.

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

VISALIA TIMES-DELTA AND TULARE ADVANCE-REGISTER
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20110903/NEWS01/109030312
Tags: us_CA, transportation, release, response, dust

A chemical used in saltwater pools spilled Friday afternoon in northwest 
Visalia causing roads to be closed and a hazardous materials team to 
clean the mess.

A caller told Visalia Police Department that a white powder had fallen 
from the back of a pool-cleaning supply truck westbound Goshen Avenue at 
Akers Street. Because the caller couldn't identify the powder, Visalia 
firefighters were called at about 2 p.m.

When they couldn't identify the powder that had spilled from two clear 
plastic bags, Battalion Chief Danny Wristen called in the city's hazmat 
team to investigate.

"We have to rule out everything. If it's toxic, it can be fatal in large 
amounts," said fire Capt. Ray Ramirez. "Inhaled or absorbed in large 
amounts, these pool chemicals can be very dangerous."

After analyzing the powder, a hazmat team determined it was sodium 
chloride, which is most often used in saltwater pools as a chlorine 
substitute. Fire Capt. Darrin Hughes said about 20 pounds of the 
chemical spilled from the truck. The company or the driver of the 
vehicle could be responsible for the cost of cleaning up the spill, 
including the cost to pay at least 15 firefighters, two motorcycle 
officers, two ambulance paramedics and supplies used in the clean-up 
processes, Ramirez said.

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