From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (13 articles)
Date: November 16, 2012 7:54:30 AM EST
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, November 16, 2012 7:54:12 AM

A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Connecting Chemistry and Safety at http://www.dchas.org
All article summaries and tags are archived at http://pinboard.in/u:dchas

Table of Contents (13 articles)

IPSWICH: ROAD RE-OPENS AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL IN IPSWICH
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, response, cleaners

SMALL FIRE IN B-R SCIENCE LAB, SECOND THIS MONTH AT HIGH SCHOOL
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, fire, response, waste

NIOSH SAFE NANO DESIGN WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, nanomaterials

SULFUR-LIKE SMELL PROMPTS SCARE IN ST. JOSEPH MEDICAL CENTER'S EMERGENCY ROOM
Tags: us_PA, public, release, response, batteries, sulphur

HOME LEVELED IN HEATING OIL FIASCO
Tags: Canada, public, release, environmental, petroleum

THREE AFFECTED BY TOXIC FUMES IN WEST RYDE
Tags: Australia, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical

MENLO PARK BUSINESS EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, hydrochloric_acid, sodium_hydroxide

NO THREAT FOUND IN MALOTT AFTER CALL ABOUT BAD SMELL IN THE BUILDING
Tags: us_KS, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

UPDATE: DUPONT CONFIRMS CHEMICAL LEAK IN WURTLAND
Tags: us_KY, industrial, release, response, sulfuric_acid

A CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT AT A SCIENCE FAIR THAT WENT AWRY
Tags: India, laboratory, fire, injury, carbon_disulphide

BAD SMELL, BUT NO EXPLOSION RISK FROM ROSEMOUNT CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_IL, public, release, response, other_chemical

CHEROKEE NITROGEN PLANT EXPLOSION SHAKES MULTIPLE COUNTIES
Tags: us_AL, industrial, explosion, injury, ammonia

HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL LEAK A TICKING BOMB
Tags: South_Africa, public, release, response, petroleum


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IPSWICH: ROAD RE-OPENS AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL IN IPSWICH
http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/ipswich_road_re_opens_after_chemical_spill_in_ipswich_1_1694488
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, response, cleaners

The incident happened at 11.20am today after about 100 litres of hazardous cleaning fluid was spilled on the street after it was taken away from a dry cleaners.

A cordon was put in place and five fire crews were sent to the scene. Traffic was closed in both directions between Sherrington Road and Chevallier Street.

Residents were told to avoid the area and close their windows and doors. Shop owners were also told to stay in their shops.

The road was re-opened at about 4.15pm.

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SMALL FIRE IN B-R SCIENCE LAB, SECOND THIS MONTH AT HIGH SCHOOL
http://www.tauntongazette.com/newsnow/x1978602831/Small-fire-in-B-R-science-lab-second-this-month-at-high-school
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, fire, response, waste

ridgewater Ñ
Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School was evacuated Thursday afternoon after a small fire broke out in a trash barrel in a science lab Ñ the second minor blaze at B-R this month.

Fire Chief George Rogers Jr. said the fire was contained to the trash barrel in the science lab in the "H" wing of the school and extinguished by a teacher.

No students were present in the classroom at the time and no one was injured.

The fire was called in at 12:50 p.m. and all students were evacuated and remained outside for 20 to 30 minutes, Rogers said.

There was light smoke in the "H" wing, which will remain closed until the Board of Health performs an air quality inspection and gives the go-ahead to reopen it, Rogers said.

Rogers said the cause of the fire was a chemical reaction.

A chemical used in the science lab was disposed of in the barrel, where it came in contact with water, causing the reaction, he said.

The school has safety procedures in place for science labs, Rogers said. His department is investigating whether they were followed or might need to be revised.

The previous fire occurred on Thursday, Nov. 8 in the boys bathroom near the cafeteria. It caused some damage but no one was injured. The cause is still under investigation, Rogers said on Thursday, Nov. 8.

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

NIOSH SAFE NANO DESIGN WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS
http://cnse.albany.edu/Outreach/NIOSHPresentations.aspx
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, nanomaterials

NIOSH Safe Nano Design Workshop Presentations web page

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SULFUR-LIKE SMELL PROMPTS SCARE IN ST. JOSEPH MEDICAL CENTER'S EMERGENCY ROOM
http://www.wfmz.com/news/news-regional-berks/Sulfur-like-smell-prompts-scare-in-St-Joseph-Medical-Center-s-emergency-room/-/121418/17410878/-/e61crqz/-/index.html
Tags: us_PA, public, release, response, batteries, sulphur

BERN TWP., Pa. -
The reported smell of sulfur inside the emergency room caused some tense moments at St. Joseph Medical Center in Bern Twp., Berks Co.,, Wednesday night.

Dozens of firefighters from across the county rushed to the hospital to find the source of the strange smell.

"It had a distinct sulphur-type smell, similar to like a clogged drain or even a fresh perm," said Cheif Brian Fisher, Greenfields Fire Company.

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

HOME LEVELED IN HEATING OIL FIASCO
http://www.vicnews.com/news/179395441.html
Tags: Canada, public, release, environmental, petroleum

A Saanich home that was the site of a large heating oil spill last February was torn down this week to allow for environmental repair of the property.

The spill, which occurred on Feb. 3, 2012, was the fourth incident in Saanich since November 2011 in which home heating oil leaked into the natural surroundings.

This spill, however, wasn't the result of a faulty tank or fuel line. Rather, an employee of Island Pacific Oil pumped more than 300 litres of heating oil into the wrong house on Adelaide Avenue - one that didn't burn oil for heat.

Dave Rogers, senior incident commander for B.C. Hazmat, said the property at 2853 Adelaide Ave. should have been torn down in February to get access to whatever oil may be left on the property. It took until now for Pacific Oil and the homeowner to come to an agreement on a remediation plan.

"The problem is the house is built on top of a huge, huge rock, and É the oil just flowed on top of this huge rock," Rogers said. "We couldn't get underneath the house (to access the oil) without destroying the integrity of the house."

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

THREE AFFECTED BY TOXIC FUMES IN WEST RYDE
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/three-affected-by-toxic-fumes-in-west-ryde/story-e6frg6n6-1226517341498
Tags: Australia, public, release, injury, unknown_chemical

THREE water workers have been taken to hospital following a toxic gas leak in northwest Sydney.

Four fire crews including a HazMat team are at Winbourne Street in West Ryde.

A NSW Ambulance spokesman told AAP paramedics rushed to the scene at 10.15am on Thursday to help three water workers who had begun vomiting after they were exposed to an unknown airborne substance.

"We were called with reports that three workers working on a sewage drain were overcome by fumes or a gas, we're not sure," he said.

The three were stabilised and taken to Royal North Shore Hospital.

Superintendent Tom Cooper of NSW Fire and Rescue said fire crews would remain on the site "for some time".

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

MENLO PARK BUSINESS EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/peninsula&id=8886140
Tags: us_CA, industrial, release, response, hydrochloric_acid, sodium_hydroxide

MENLO PARK, Calif. (KGO) -- Hazmat crews right now are trying to determine what spilled inside a cheese plant. It happened Wednesday night inside Lyrical Foods Inc. in an industrial area of Menlo Park.

Fire officials told ABC7 News they believe the substance is either hydrochloric acid or lye. There are concerns the chemicals would create a toxic vapor.

About eight employees were inside the plant at the time and all had to be evacuated.

"They create and process cheese and it looks like the actual cleaning materials that they use to clean the apparatus afterwards had some sort of catastrophic failure," said Menlo Park Fire Capt. John Wurdinger.

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

NO THREAT FOUND IN MALOTT AFTER CALL ABOUT BAD SMELL IN THE BUILDING
http://kansan.com/news/2012/11/15/no-threat-found-in-malott-after-call-about-bad-smell-in-the-building/
Tags: us_KS, laboratory, release, response, unknown_chemical

No hazardous threat was found after University police, firefighters and a hazmat team responded to a call of an irregular odor on the fourth and fifth floors of Malott Hall yesterday evening.

The fire alarm went off, and police evacuated Malott shortly after arriving on the scene at around 5:30 p.m. KU Public Safety Sergeant James Anguiano said the caller said there was a strong, pugnant odor. And after a hazmat team cleared all the floors, students and staff were allowed back in and classes resumed at 7 p.m.

"It was initially a skunk-like odor," Anguiano said.

Rob Kasper, a senior in mechanical engineering, was on the second floor when the building was evacuated. "Smelled a little weird on the ground floor, but that was it," Kasper said.

Anguiano said no odor showed up after the hazmat team cleared each floor.

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

UPDATE: DUPONT CONFIRMS CHEMICAL LEAK IN WURTLAND
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/Residents-Fear-Unconfirmed-Chemical-Leak-in-Wurtland-179225901.html
Tags: us_KY, industrial, release, response, sulfuric_acid

WURTLAND, Ky. (WSAZ) -- It's been frustrating few days for Julia Shafer. There was a time on Tuesday she thought the woods behind her home were on fire.

"There was what appeared to be a smoke cloud over the house right here," Shafer said. "We thought the woods were on fire. We didn't know what was going on."

It turns out the DuPont Plant, less than a quarter mile away, and an accidental release of sulfuric acid.

"This event should have never happened," plant manager Curtis Tritapoe said. "We activated our emergency response system as soon as we were notified."

Tritapoe says the calls went out to their corporate neighbors to shelter in place after the release of 10 pounds of sulfuric acid. Regulatory agencies and the local office of emergency management were also notified of the release.

"When it happened, we knew nothing about it," said Sherry Chapman, deputy director with Greenup County 911.

The local 911 office was not notified directly by DuPont, and Chapman is hoping that changes in the future.

"If someone sees something like that, the public's going to call in," Chapman said. "The first place they call is 911. So, I believe no matter how much is released, small or big, we should be the first to be notified."

DuPont's plant manager tells WSAZ it's going through its emergency response procedures and critique them to make sure it's notifying the right people in a timely fashion.

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

A CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT AT A SCIENCE FAIR THAT WENT AWRY
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/a-chemistry-experiment-at-a-science-fair-that-went-awry/article4097496.ece
Tags: India, laboratory, fire, injury, carbon_disulphide

At first sight it appears to be a prank leading to a mishap. A wrong mixture inside the chemical laboratory causing those inside to scamper out of the room. But what happened at the science fair at St. Paul's International School Kalamassery on Wednesday, incidentally the Children's Day, could have been more serious than that.

The day was marked for science fair, where all students from class one to twelve showcased their science projects inside the class room. Children were to visit all the exhibits during the day. And one class of the Plus One students chose to demythify the magic of chemical reaction. However, a mix-up during the experiment led to fumes spreading over the entire block, and more than 50 children had to be rushed to the Cooperative Medical College to administer first aid. Luckily, no one was seriously injured.

The handwritten description on a chart paper stuck to the window behind the bench where the mishap occurred said that it featured "Magic Lamp". This was a mixture of Potassium permanganate and Sulphuric Acid, which is an oxidising agent. "This is inflammable and thus burns," warned the note.

However, Shyama, the chemistry teacher, told the media at the hospital that the mishap happened when one of the students inadvertently lit a match near a girl holding a test tube filled with carbon disulphide. Panicked, the girl dropped the test tube, leading to the chemical catching fire and causing fumes.

"Only three students with a history of wheezing were admitted in the ICU for observation, all others have been released after first aid. The school had all safety precautions in place. The building where it happened was just four years old and it has proper fire fighting mechanism," said Father Douglas Pinhero, director of the school.

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

BAD SMELL, BUT NO EXPLOSION RISK FROM ROSEMOUNT CHEMICAL LEAK
http://applevalley-rosemount.patch.com/articles/bad-smell-but-no-explosion-risk-from-rosemount-chemical-leak
Tags: us_IL, public, release, response, other_chemical

The bad smell in the air in Rosemount Wednesday morning does not pose any risk of fire or explosion, Rosemount officials say.

Here is the news release issued on the City of Rosemount's website:

A chemical odor but not a safety risk resulted this morning from an incident at a private gas-handling facility near Highway 3 and 160th Street West in Rosemount.

Rosemount Fire crews responded at 7 a.m. to a report of a valve break at the facility. The valve controlled the chemical used as an odor agent. No natural gas leaked at the facility, and there was no risk of fire or explosion.

The smell may spread from the immediate area, and community notification phone calls will be issued from the Dakota Communications Center to advise residents they are not at risk of a gas leak from this incident.

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

CHEROKEE NITROGEN PLANT EXPLOSION SHAKES MULTIPLE COUNTIES
http://www.myfoxal.com/story/20090504/cherokee-nitrogen-plant-explosion-shakes-multiple-counties
Tags: us_AL, industrial, explosion, injury, ammonia

CHEROKEE, AL (WAFF) -
An explosion at a chemical plant in Colbert County sent a man to the hospital late Tuesday night.

Emergency crews responded to the explosion at the Cherokee Nitrogen plant on Industrial Road around 10 p.m.

Colbert County EMA officials said the explosion was a small one.

Residents from as far as Lauderdale County reported they heard a loud boom. Some residents reported the noise shook their homes.

Cherokee Plant General Manager Don Phillips said one employee was injured and sent to Helen Keller Hospital. The employee's name and condition have not been released but Phillips said his injuries were minor.

The explosion happened when a high pressure line ruptured as ammonia was being produced, according to Phillips.

He said there has been some damage to the plant, including some broken windows.

Phillips said the plant is conducting an investigation to determine what exactly caused the pressure line to burst.

The investigation could take days and repairs to the plant could take weeks.

Phillips attributed the loud explosion to the high-pressure nature of the ruptured line.

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

HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL LEAK A TICKING BOMB
http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/hazardous-chemical-leak-a-ticking-bomb-1.1423918#.UKTc7uRi548
Tags: South_Africa, public, release, response, petroleum

Durban - The eThekwini municipality and Transnet have come under fire for poor communication to the public after a large spillage of petroleum chemicals at the Island View chemical storage area in Durban Harbour, on the boundary of several densely populated residential areas.

A strong smell of chemical fumes in the vicinity of Island View was reported on Monday, and on Tuesday scores of fire and emergency, police and official vehicles lined up outside the entrance to Cutler Complex, a national key point that contains more than 1 000 storage tanks for petroleum and chemicals, some of which are highly toxic or volatile.

Five years ago, hundreds of residents fled from their homes in nearby Fynnlands, Marlborough Park and the Bluff after an explosion lit up the night sky above the complex, creating a fireball visible from uMhlanga and shattering windows in several homes on the Bluff.

This week, despite the fumes and presence of emergency vehicles, it was not until Wednesday that city officials released a statement confirming that an undisclosed volume of hydrocarbons and water had been found in an emergency drain for hazardous material.

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


Ralph Stuart
secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Secretary
Division of Chemical Health and Safety
American Chemical Society

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