From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety" <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (14 articles)
Date: May 20, 2013 10:08:27 AM EDT
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: <45A9C246-4746-4195-8E20-72F850752339**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org>

Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, May 20, 2013 10:08:02 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 (14 articles)

CREWS FROM DISS AND EAST HARLING AMONG THOSE CALLED TO SHED FIRE AFTER CONCERNS ABOUT CHEMICAL FUMES
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, fire, response, unknown_chemical

RACQUET CLUB EMPLOYEE INJURED TRYING TO STOP CHLORINE LEAK; HAZMAT TEAM CALLED
Tags: us_MI, public, release, injury, chlorine

UP TO 100 ACETYLENE CYLINDERS EXPLODE AT WEST VIRGINIA PLANT
Tags: us_WV, industrial, explosion, injury, acetylene, gas_cylinders

C&EN: SAFETY PROBE OF ACADEMIC LABS
Tags: laboratory, follow-up, environmental

1 HURT, 2 ARRESTED FOR ILLEGAL FIREWORKS OPERATION
Tags: us_WY, public, explosion, injury, fireworks, illegal

TEXAS BEHIND THE CURVE ON REGULATING FERTILIZER PLANTS
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, response, ammonium_nitrate

PART OF MANCHESTER'S NORTHERN QUARTER CLOSED-OFF AFTER CHEMICAL INCIDENT
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, response, unknown_chemical

TANKER ROLLS IN CHELMSFORD, SPILLS SOME OF ITS FUEL; ROADS SHUT
Tags: us_MA, transportation, release, response, petroleum

COMMUNICATION ESSENTIAL FOR YUNNAN CHEMICAL PROJECT|SOCIETY|CHINADAILY.COM.CN
Tags: China, industrial, discovery, environmental, petroleum, xylene

POOL SANITIZER CAUSES HAZMAT SCENE IN NN
Tags: us_VA, public, release, injury, chlorine

HAZMAT SPILL SENDS 5 TO HOSPITAL IN BUCKS COUNTY
Tags: us_PA, transportation, release, injury, pesticides

PHOSPHORIC ACID SPILLED IN CRASH CAUSED I-95 SOUTH CLOSURE, LENGTHY CLEANUP
Tags: us_VA, transportation, release, response, phosphoric_acid

AFTER DEADLY CHEMICAL PLANT DISASTERS, THERE'S LITTLE ACTION
Tags: industrial, follow-up, response

CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT CAUSES MILD EXPLOSION IN UNO LAB
Tags: us_LA, laboratory, explosion, response, acids


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

CREWS FROM DISS AND EAST HARLING AMONG THOSE CALLED TO SHED FIRE AFTER CONCERNS ABOUT CHEMICAL FUMES
http://www.dissexpress.co.uk/news/latest-news/crews-from-diss-and-east-harling-among-those-called-to-shed-fire-after-concerns-about-chemical-fumes-1-5108126
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, fire, response, unknown_chemical

Firefighters from Diss, East Harling and Attleborough were among those called to a fire at an old duck shed in Rockland St Peter yesterday that was being used to store chemicals.

Other crews from Hingham, Thetford and Watton, the environmental protection unit with a support appliance from Sprowston, the control unit with a support appliance from Wymondham and a water carrier with a support appliance from Hethersett were called just after 6.30pm.

Concerns were raised about fumes from the chemicals and residents of nearby properties were advised to keep their doors and windows closed.

Firefighters used main jets to extinguish the fire.

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

RACQUET CLUB EMPLOYEE INJURED TRYING TO STOP CHLORINE LEAK; HAZMAT TEAM CALLED
http://www.annarbor.com/news/racquet-club-employee-injured-trying-to-stop-chlorine-leak-hazmat-team-called/
Tags: us_MI, public, release, injury, chlorine

An employee of the Racquet Club of Ann Arbor suffered chemical burns to his hands and arms after trying to stanch a leak from a chlorine storage tank at the athletic club Friday, the Ann Arbor Fire Department said.

The incident occurred around 3:11 p.m. Friday when a drain valve broke during maintenance, acting Battalion Chief Derek Wiseley said in a news release issued Saturday evening. The employee put his hands over the drain in an attempt to stop the leak while coworkers called 911.

Firefighters and the Washtenaw County Hazardous Materials Team arrived and managed to temporarily secure the leak while they decontaminated and evaluated the employee. He declined treatment and sought his own medical treatment, Wiseley said.

Firefighters and hazmat workers later safely secured the leak.

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

UP TO 100 ACETYLENE CYLINDERS EXPLODE AT WEST VIRGINIA PLANT
http://www.hazmatmag.com/news/up-to-100-acetylene-cylinders-explode-at-west-virginia-plant/1002323250/?ref=rss&ctid=1002323250
Tags: us_WV, industrial, explosion, injury, acetylene, gas_cylinders

Two workers were injured when gas stored at a West Virginia industrial site exploded on the afternoon of May 13, 2013.

Up to 100 cylinders filled with acetylene exploded from a bunker in the plant.

Fire crews were sent to Airgas, a distributor of specialty gases in Poca, outside of Charleston, at about 3:20 p.m., officials say.

Airgas deals in industrial, medical and special gases. It also deals with propane, hydrogen, helium, and nitrous oxide.

The West Virginia Department of Transportation closed nearby Route 62 for about two hours while crews responded to the fire.

Clark Truck Parts is about a half-mile from Airgas. There are some homes between the two industrial sites.

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

C&EN: SAFETY PROBE OF ACADEMIC LABS
http://cen.acs.org/articles/91/i20/Safety-Probe-Academic-Labs.html
Tags: laboratory, follow-up, environmental

Safety in academic and other nonindustrial chemical research laboratories will be the focus of a yearlong investigation by a National Academy of Sciences committee, which held its first meeting last week in Washington, D.C. The study will consider how safe lab practices can be promoted in academic and government labs, explained H. Holden Thorp, committee chairman, chemistry professor, and chancellor of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

The examination sprang from numerous chemistry-related lab accidents, particularly ones at the University of California, Los Angeles, in December 2008, and Texas Tech University in January 2010. Since the Texas Tech incident, 65 accidents have occurred at academic and government chemical research labs, according to Mary Beth Mulcahy, a Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) investigator who spoke at the meeting. Those accidents injured 136 and killed two.

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

1 HURT, 2 ARRESTED FOR ILLEGAL FIREWORKS OPERATION
http://kstp.com/article/stories/s3038071.shtml
Tags: us_WY, public, explosion, injury, fireworks, illegal

A medical call lands two men in jail after Wyoming police discovered an illegal fireworks operation Saturday.

Police responded to the call around noon at 7002 Lake Blvd.

One man suffered first degree burns to his arms, hands and face. He was sent to Regions Burn Unit with non-life threatening injuries. He could be facing charges, police said.

According to investigators there was a small explosion in the home due to the manufacturing of illegal mortar-style fireworks in the garage. Two to three of these types of fireworks were discovered during a search warrant. The fireworks were dismantled and seized.

Two men were arrested for manufacturing illegal fireworks, which is a felony if convicted. Their names have not been released.

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

TEXAS BEHIND THE CURVE ON REGULATING FERTILIZER PLANTS
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/without-fire-code-or-safety-inspections-texas-behi/nXwY9/
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, response, ammonium_nitrate

If the West Fertilizer Co. plant had been in Illinois, state regulators there likely would have inspected it annually, making sure that its bins storing tons of ammonium nitrate were still in good shape and that the potentially explosive chemical wasn't spilling out. Though not charged with fire prevention, had they spotted a fire hazard, officials say, there is a good chance they would have alerted local authorities.
Had the plant been in California, a team of local officials may have inspected the plant, looking at everything from building codes to worker safety.

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

PART OF MANCHESTER'S NORTHERN QUARTER CLOSED-OFF AFTER CHEMICAL INCIDENT
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/part-manchesters-northern-quarter-closed-off-3871459
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, response, unknown_chemical

Part of the Northern Quarter in Manchester city centre has been closed after a chemical accident at an underground sauna.

Fire fighters were called to Basement Complex on Tariff Street at around 7.15am today after a member of staff mistakenly put cleaning fluid in a drum of chemicals commonly used in the sauna industry.

Noxious fumes were released and staff at the complex dialled 999.

An area including parts of Tariff Street, Brewer Street and Hilton Street has been cordoned off and members of the public have been advised to avoid the area.

Environmental protection experts from Greater Manchester Fire Service have made the drum safe by placing it inside another metal drum.

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

TANKER ROLLS IN CHELMSFORD, SPILLS SOME OF ITS FUEL; ROADS SHUT
http://www.wcvb.com/news/local/boston-north/tanker-rolls-in-chelmsford-spills-some-of-its-fuel-roads-shut/-/11984708/20202384/-/5fb05hz/-/index.html
Tags: us_MA, transportation, release, response, petroleum

CHELMSFORD, Mass. ÑA fuel tanker rolled over on Route 3 near the Lowell Connector late Friday night, spilling some of its fuel on the highway, Massachusetts State Police said.

A tanker loaded with 11,000 gallons of fuel leaked fuel after rolling over on Route 3 near the Lowell Connector.

State police said the tanker, which was carrying 11,000 gallons of fuel, was leaking and that a regional Hazmat team responded.

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

COMMUNICATION ESSENTIAL FOR YUNNAN CHEMICAL PROJECT|SOCIETY|CHINADAILY.COM.CN
http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-05/18/content_16508480.htm
Tags: China, industrial, discovery, environmental, petroleum, xylene

At 9 am on Friday, Kunming's Mayor Li Wenrong opened his new micro blog to solicit suggestions on the latest developments in Yunnan's provincial capital.
The blog is being seen as a major a step forward in strengthening his communication with local communities, especially in light of recent events surrounding controversial plans for a chemical plant in one of the best-known tourism destinations in Southwest China.
The planned China National Petroleum Corp refinery, in the city of Anning, will refine 10 million metric tons of oil a year, and has sparked a local controversy due to its potentially harmful environmental impact.
On Thursday, around 1,000 Kunming residents took to the streets to show their opposition to the refinery, and a paraxylene, or PX, project nearby.

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

POOL SANITIZER CAUSES HAZMAT SCENE IN NN
http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/newport_news/pool-sanitizer-causes-hazmat-scene-in-nn
Tags: us_VA, public, release, injury, chlorine

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) - Reports of a strong chlorine spill started pouring in around 11 a.m. Friday morning in Newport News.

Fire crews responded to the 100 block of Springhouse Way, at the Springhouse Apartment complex, where they discovered several gallons of pool sanitizer had spilled, and a hazmat scene was declared.

The chemical had leaked from a container. The scene has been contained, according to Fire Chief Scott Liebold.

Medical personnel are assessing seven people on scene, who were possibly exposed to the vapors. Two of them were close to the fumes at the time of the spill, but no one has been transported to the hospital.

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

HAZMAT SPILL SENDS 5 TO HOSPITAL IN BUCKS COUNTY
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=9106882
Tags: us_PA, transportation, release, injury, pesticides

LANGHORNE, Pa. - May 17, 2013 (WPVI) -- Five people were transported the hospital to be decontaminated after an accident spilled hazardous chemicals onto a roadway in Bucks County.

Officials say two vehicles collided near a Friendly's restaurant on Business Route 1 in Langhorne.

Firefighters shut down the highway as a precaution after learning that one of the vehicles was carrying strong pesticides.

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

PHOSPHORIC ACID SPILLED IN CRASH CAUSED I-95 SOUTH CLOSURE, LENGTHY CLEANUP
http://washington.cbslocal.com/2013/05/17/i-95-south-closed-in-fredericksburg-due-to-hazmat-situation/
Tags: us_VA, transportation, release, response, phosphoric_acid

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (CBSDC/AP) Ñ The southbound lanes of Interstate 95 have reopened following a lengthy cleanup of a crash involving hazardous materials in Stafford County.

Shortly before 5:15 a.m. two tractor-trailers collided with one another near exit 133, officials say.

One of the tractor-trailers was carrying barrels of phosphoric acid, described as an "organic, corrosive, liquid material." HazMat crews are working to clear minor leakage from at least one of the barrels.

The roadway remained completely blocked during the more than five hour cleanup effort. All lanes reopened around 11 a.m.

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

AFTER DEADLY CHEMICAL PLANT DISASTERS, THERE'S LITTLE ACTION
http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184500477/after-deadly-chemical-plant-disasters-theres-little-action
Tags: industrial, follow-up, response

"Chemical plants are really pre-positioned weapons of mass destruction," says Charles Sam Faddis, a former CIA officer who ran the CIA team that searched for WMDs in Iraq after the U.S. invaded. They didn't find weapons of mass destruction there, but Faddis says he realized that if terrorists had attacked a U.S. chemical plant instead of the twin office towers, they might have caused a bigger disaster.

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

CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT CAUSES MILD EXPLOSION IN UNO LAB
http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/05/chemistry_experiment_causes_mi.html
Tags: us_LA, laboratory, explosion, response, acids

A vial of acid exploded Friday afternoon in a University of New Orleans chemistry lab. No one was injured, according to a New Orleans Fire Department news release.

The explosion was the result of a gas buildup during an experiment on the third floor of the UNO Chemistry-Sciences Building, the release said. The vial combusted while it was inside a cabinet designed for that purpose.

The only student nearby was on the other side of the room at the time of the explosion, the release said. A few other students were evacuated from the third floor until the NOFD Hazardous Materials Unit cleared the area. The unit tested the air quality and the spilled liquids, which were found to be mild to medium-strength acids that were not dangerous.

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


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

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.