From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (25 articles)
Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2018 07:25:37 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: D7541D51-EBFF-46CB-9D84-0FFE74440171**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


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Table of Contents (25 articles)

LFR: TECH TERRACE EXPLOSIONS CAUSED BY FIRE HEATING CYLINDERS OF
Tags: us_TX, public, explosion, response, gas_cylinders, metals

FOUR FACTORY WORKERS AFFECTED BY AMMONIA GAS LEAK
Tags: Malaysia, industrial, release, injury, ammonia

SMALL CHEMICAL SPILL AT WILLOWICK ALDI SENDS 3 TO HOSPITAL
Tags: us_OH, public, release, injury, freon

CHLORINE GAS HOLDS NEIGHBORHOOD HOSTAGE
Tags: us_CA, education, release, injury, pool_chemicals

TRACTOR TRAILER LEAKS HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL WHILE STUCK UNDER WORCESTER BRIDGE
Tags: us_MA, transportation, release, response, cumene

ONE CHILD HURT, ANOTHER CHARGED IN REGINA PLAYGROUND EXPLOSION
Tags: Canada, education, explosion, injury, corrosives

NO ONE INJURED IN INDUSTRIAL EXPLOSION IN COLUMBIA HEIGHTS ‰?? TWIN CITIES
Tags: us_MN, industrial, explosion, response, metals

WALMART ALIGNS DISCLOSURE POLICY WITH CALIFORNIAN LAW
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental

FOCUS ON SAFE CHEMICAL HANDLING
Tags: Australia, industrial, discovery, environmental, ag_chems

OSHA INVESTIGATING EXPLOSION ON HP CAMPUS IN CORVALLIS
Tags: us_OR, laboratory, follow-up, injury, hydrogen

TWO PLANT WORKERS EXPECTED TO FULLY RECOVER FROM CHEMICAL EXPOSURE
Tags: us_VA, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical

MICHIGAN FIRE MARSHAL WANTS DATA ON PFAS-LADEN FIREFIGHTING FOAM
Tags: us_MI, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical

HARTFORD ROAD REOPENS 12 HOURS AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK
Tags: us_CT, industrial, release, response, sulfuric_acid

TANKER TIPS OVER IN LEWIS COUNTY
Tags: us_WV, transportation, release, response, flammables, methanol

FIRE IN CHEMICAL FACTORY IN JAIPUR
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

EXPIRED STOCK OF CRACKERS SEIZED FROM RESIDENTIAL AREAS
Tags: India, public, release, response, fireworks

COMPUTER FIRE SCORCHES BASEMENT LAB AT CALTECH
Tags: us_ca, fire, laboratory, response, unknown_chemical

GIRL KILLED, 3 HURT IN CHEMICAL EXPLOSION
Tags: india, public, explosion, death, fireworks

IGNITION OF VAPOR CLOUD BLAMED FOR VICKSBURG CHEMICAL COMPANY FIRE
Tags: us_mi, industrial, explosion, follow-up, solvents

DAY OF EXCITEMENT, AS DOWNTOWN GLOBE EVACUATED
Tags: us_az, public, discovery, response, picric_acid

CHEMICAL SPILL AT MEDICAL CLINIC HOSPITALIZES 15
Tags: us_il, public, release, injury, phenol

UPDATE: 2 INJURED IN NITRIC ACID EXPLOSION AT U OF U MEDICAL BUILDING
Tags: us_UT, laboratory, explosion, injury, nitric_acid

A TOXIC CHEMICAL KILLED MY SON‰??BUT WE COULD HAVE PREVENTED IT
Tags: us_TN, public, follow-up, environmental, methylene_chloride

OMNIBUS BILL PROVIDES STABLE FUNDING TO SAFETY AGENCIES FOR REMAINDER OF FY 2018
Tags: us_WA, public, follow-up, environmental

WHY ALL COLLEGES SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO A RULING ON THEIR DUTY TO PROTECT STUDENTS
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, environmental


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LFR: TECH TERRACE EXPLOSIONS CAUSED BY FIRE HEATING CYLINDERS OF
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/37841952/hazmat-back-on-scene-of-tech-terrace-house-explosion
Tags: us_TX, public, explosion, response, gas_cylinders, metals

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) -
Lubbock fire investigators released their initial report on Thursday night, as they work to determine the cause of a deadly fire and house explosion in Tech Terrace.

The report says a fire started at the rear of the structure under the carport. The heat from the fire "impinged on several cylinders of compressed gas," causing them to explode. The first cylinders exploded just before Lubbock firefighters arrived on scene. Explosions continued as other cylinders reached an overpressure point.

Our crew grabbed a photo of an exploded metal tank in the driveway of the home next door.

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FOUR FACTORY WORKERS AFFECTED BY AMMONIA GAS LEAK
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/2018/03/30/four-factory-workers-affected-ammonia-gas-leak
Tags: Malaysia, industrial, release, injury, ammonia

SHAH ALAM: Leaking ammonia gas at a food-processing factory in Klang today caused four workers to suffer from breathing difficulties, which led to three of them having to be rushed to a hospital, according to the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department.

Its chief of operations, Alimaddia Bukri, said in a statement the gas leaked from a 1,000-litre-capacity tank at about 10am. 21 firefighters from the Kapar Fire and Rescue Station responded to a distress call at 10.14am, finding one female and three male workers suffering from breathing difficulties.

They were attended to on site by a medical team, he said, adding that a Hazmat (hazardous materials) team had rushed there from the Shah Alam Fire and Rescue Station.

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SMALL CHEMICAL SPILL AT WILLOWICK ALDI SENDS 3 TO HOSPITAL
http://www.news-herald.com/general-news/20180329/small-chemical-spill-at-willowick-aldi-sends-3-to-hospital
Tags: us_OH, public, release, injury, freon

A malfunctioning line in a cooling system inside Aldi in Willowick March 29 sent three people to the hospital and caused symptoms in a fourth, a Willowick fire official said.

Willowick Fire Department Lt. Tom Henry said the department was alerted about 9:06 a.m. about a chemical spill.

The initial crews arrived on scene, 30960 Lake Shore Blvd., at 9:09, after which three patients experiencing respiratory distress were treated and transported to Lake Health‰??s West Medical Center in Willoughby. A fourth was treated and released at the scene, Henry said.

Because of health privacy laws, Henry said he couldn‰??t comment on any specific symptoms these people were experiencing. He said generally speaking, the chemical in question ‰?? Freon No. 407A ‰?? can cause dizziness, headaches, chest pain and, in larger amounts, cardiac-related symptoms.

The amount released at Aldi on March 29, however, was small, he said.

‰??It was actually a very small amount of the product,‰?? he said, adding that it was about 4 pounds. ‰??Think of a regular, household refrigerator. That would have a couple of pounds in it. Or, if you think about a small, pancake air compressor. The quantity (of Freon involved at Aldi) was actually smaller than that.‰??

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CHLORINE GAS HOLDS NEIGHBORHOOD HOSTAGE
http://gilroydispatch.com/2018/03/29/chlorine-gas-holds-neighborhood-hostage/
Tags: us_CA, education, release, injury, pool_chemicals

Hundreds of apartments and homes in central Gilroy experienced a tense four hours on March 23, as hazardous materials crews contained a potentially deadly chlorine gas incident.

City firefighters said that a maintenance worker at the Bellagio Villas Apartments, 1129 Montebello Drive, miraculously escaped injury when the apartment complex pool house filled with chlorine gas.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health describes the gas as a ‰??chemical warfare choking agent.‰?? It was used in the trench warfare of World War I.

Gilroy Division Fire Chief Jim Wyatt, the incident commander, said that about 10:30am the maintenance worker was pouring 14 gallons of chlorine into a filtering system dispenser inside a pool house next to the outdoor pool in the center of several apartment structures.

The man said he thought he was pouring water into the dispenser from a old plastic juice jug to dilute the pool chemical. Instead, the jug contained concentrated muriatic acid, which is used as a cleaner.

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TRACTOR TRAILER LEAKS HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL WHILE STUCK UNDER WORCESTER BRIDGE
https://www.necn.com/news/new-england/Truck-Hazardous-Chemical-Bridge-Worcester-478314933.html
Tags: us_MA, transportation, release, response, cumene

A tractor-trailer was reportedly leaking a hazardous chemical after getting stuck under a bridge in Worcester, Massachusetts, on Thursday afternoon.
The accident occurred around 1 p.m. on Cambridge Street, and police said a regional hazardous materials team was at the scene. The truck was carrying cumene hydroperoxide, which fire officials said can be an irritant to the skin if touched.
The chemical leak forced residential and commercial evacuations in the area.
There were detours in and around Cambridge Street near Southbridge Street and Brosnihan Square for several hours. Police had warned drivers to avoid the area and expect delays.

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ONE CHILD HURT, ANOTHER CHARGED IN REGINA PLAYGROUND EXPLOSION
https://larongenow.com/article/512135/one-child-hurt-another-charged-regina-playground-explosion
Tags: Canada, education, explosion, injury, corrosives

12-year-old girl is hurt and a 12-year-old boy is facing charges after Regina police say a chemical explosion went off on a school playground.

Police said the principal reported a chemical explosion Wednesday afternoon on the grounds of the school, which is located in the city‰??s northwest along 7th Avenue, just south of Sherwood Drive.

Early investigation from police indicates the boy allegedly mixed ingredients together in a closed container, which created an improvised explosive device.

The explosion injured a girl who was nearby. Officers said she was taken to hospital with injuries consistent with a chemical burn.

The boy‰??s home was searched. Police said they don‰??t believe this act was directed at any particular individual.

The boy is facing a number of charges, which include using explosives (throwing a corrosive substance), assault with a weapon and mischief under $5,000.

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NO ONE INJURED IN INDUSTRIAL EXPLOSION IN COLUMBIA HEIGHTS ‰?? TWIN CITIES
https://www.twincities.com/2018/03/29/no-one-injured-in-industrial-explosion-in-columbia-heights/
Tags: us_MN, industrial, explosion, response, metals

Authorities say no one was hurt when a small melting machine exploded at a metal casting company in Columbia Heights.

Columbia Heights Fire Chief Gary Gorman says the machine at Invest Cast Inc. had molten metal in it when an apparent mechanical problem caused it to explode early Thursday afternoon. Some of the molten metal flew and started pallets and cardboard boxes on fire.

Gorman said firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire, and there was no chemical leak.

Employees were evacuated but have since returned to the building.

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

WALMART ALIGNS DISCLOSURE POLICY WITH CALIFORNIAN LAW
https://chemicalwatch.com/65561/walmart-aligns-disclosure-policy-with-californian-law
Tags: us_CA, public, discovery, environmental

An update to US retailer Walmart‰??s ingredient disclosure policy means that product suppliers can now comply with it, by adhering to California‰??s list of chemicals of concern.

In 2013, the company informed its suppliers that it wanted online disclosure of products containing substances on its list of priority chemicals by 2015 and on labels by 2018. Walmart's priority chemicals are compiled from 22 regulatory lists.

However, they can now use California‰??s list of chemicals, which will be required under the state‰??s Cleaning Product Right to Know Act, to check which substances need to be included on their product labels. Walmart has made the change to lessen the burden for suppliers, which would otherwise have to comply with two lists when California‰??s requirements are implemented.

California‰??s labelling requirements enter into force in 2021, while Walmart‰??s have been in force since January.

Walmart‰??s director of sustainability communications, Micah Ragland, told Chemical Watch: "In seeking closer alignment with California‰??s [Act], our aim is to help enhance efficiencies for our suppliers and increase transparency and ingredient disclosures for our customers."

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

FOCUS ON SAFE CHEMICAL HANDLING
http://www.farmweekly.com.au/news/agriculture/general/news/focus-on-safe-chemical-handling/2756952.aspx
Tags: Australia, industrial, discovery, environmental, ag_chems

CHEMICAL training and farm safety around chemical use was a topical issue for the SafeFarms WA training day at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) on Monday.

SafeFarms WA executive officer Maree Gooch led the three-hour interactive session with 15 attendees including broadacre and horticulture farmers, as well as representatives from agricultural colleges at Denmark and Narrogin.

‰??This is the first Chemical Safety Training course and we are going to run them once a month in Perth to start with, however if an organisation would like us to come and run them, we are more than happy to do it,‰?? Ms Gooch said.

Alarming statistics were highlighted at the workshop including 800 deaths a year (90 in WA) that are linked to work-related cardiovascular disease from chemical exposure.

Ms Gooch said it was the responsibility of the employer to provide a safe workplace, train people and provide relevant information for them.

‰??We actually need to be aware of handling hazardous substances and how it can significantly affect our health also in the long term,‰?? she said.

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

OSHA INVESTIGATING EXPLOSION ON HP CAMPUS IN CORVALLIS
http://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/osha-investigating-explosion-on-hp-campus-in-corvallis/article_cd2ff40a-2c60-5bf4-ad7e-e4cc70ada8ab.html
Tags: us_OR, laboratory, follow-up, injury, hydrogen

The Oregon Occupational Safety & Health Division is looking into last week‰??s explosion on the HP Inc. campus in Corvallis, according to the government agency.

OSHA enforces statewide workplace safety and health rules. Corvallis Fire Department officials have said a hydrogen generator inside an HP laboratory exploded last Thursday, injuring four people. Two people were transported to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. Their injuries were non-life threatening. Officials have declined to release the names of the people who were injured.

Aaron Corvin, a spokesperson for OSHA, said the agency is investigating the explosion and has 180 days to complete its investigation. Corvin said he could not discuss the details of an active investigation. The results of the investigation will be made public, he said.

Generally, when OSHA investigates workplace incidents, officials collect evidence from the scene, interview witnesses and company officials and review safety records, Corvin said. Investigators may look into what training and supervision had been involved and what safety protocols were in place, as well as examine any equipment involved, he said.

Corvin said OSHA then determines whether an employer violated safety rules and decides whether to issue a citation with penalties.

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

TWO PLANT WORKERS EXPECTED TO FULLY RECOVER FROM CHEMICAL EXPOSURE
https://wfirnews.com/news/two-plant-workers-expected-to-fully-recover-from-chemical-exposure
Tags: us_VA, industrial, release, injury, unknown_chemical

The Montgomery County Sheriff‰??s Office says two workers at an Elliston chemical plant are expected to fully recover from exposure to chemicals that resulted in hospital treatment. Officials say the two were performing routine chemical work Tuesday at Pro Chem when they were overcome. OSHA is now investigating.

From the Montgomery County Sheriff‰??s Office: On the afternoon of March 27, 2018, deputies from the Montgomery County Sheriff‰??s Office were dispatched to Pro Chem on Enterprise Drive in the Elliston area of Montgomery County. Emergency responders with Elliston Fire Department, Shawsville Rescue Squad, and the Roanoke Regional HazMat team responded to the scene, as well as the Montgomery County Emergency Services Coordinator. Two workers who were inside the building, doing routine chemical work, had been overcome by exposure. Emergency personnel were able to remove the workers, conduct decontamination, and then transport the workers to area hospitals. One was taken to Lewis Gale Montgomery, the other to Roanoke Memorial. Both are expected to fully recover. OSHA was contacted regarding the incident.

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

MICHIGAN FIRE MARSHAL WANTS DATA ON PFAS-LADEN FIREFIGHTING FOAM
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2018/03/statewide_survey_on_pfas-laden.html
Tags: us_MI, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical

LANSING -- The state fire marshal wants Michigan fire departments to report their use and disposal of a chemical-laden firefighting foam that has contaminated state groundwater.

The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) announced the survey effort on Wednesday, March 28.

State Fire Marshal Kevin Sehlmeyer wants to know how much Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) is, or was, in use around the state and develop a strategy for its disposal, the state says.

The foam is known to contaminate groundwater with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances called PFAS or PFCs. The chemistry, invented by 3M, is the chemical backbone for AFFF foam.

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

HARTFORD ROAD REOPENS 12 HOURS AFTER CHEMICAL LEAK
http://www.wfsb.com/story/37826977/hartford-road-closed-due-to-chemical-leak-to-reopen-this-evening
Tags: us_CT, industrial, release, response, sulfuric_acid

HARTORD, CT (WFSB) -
Busy Capitol Avenue has finally reopened after being shut down Wednesday for a chemical leak.

Deputy Chief Brian Foley said the incident happened at 490 Capitol Ave. on Wednesday morning.

According to fire officials, a tank containing sulfuric acid ruptured and spilled inside the building of Capital District Energy Center Cogeneration Associates.

"The tank ruptured at a certain level where the possibility of 200 to 300 gallons of sulfuric acid may have escaped the tank and outside retaining walls spilling onto the floor," said Deputy Chief Alvaro Cucuta, Hartford Fire Department.

The building was evacuated around 7:30 a.m. and roads in the area were closed.

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

TANKER TIPS OVER IN LEWIS COUNTY
http://www.wboy.com/news/lewis/tanker-tips-over-in-lewis-county/1086022350
Tags: us_WV, transportation, release, response, flammables, methanol

JANE LEW, W.Va. - Emergency officials were scrambling to contain a chemical leak after a tanker truck tipped over in Lewis County Wednesday morning.

It happened around 6:30 this morning in the driveway to the Southwest Energy facility in Jane Lew.

The tanker was carrying methanol, a flammable chemical, into the facility, when it tipped as it was turning in.

The Jane Lew Fire Department said the tank began to leak after the crash, and officials from the Department of Environmental Protection were containing the spill.

The immediate area was evacuated until another tanker could be brought to empty the first truck.

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FIRE IN CHEMICAL FACTORY IN JAIPUR
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/fire-in-chemical-factory-in-jaipur/565678.html
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical

A chemical factory was gutted in a fire in Viswakarma area of the city on Wednesday night, a fire official said on Thursday.
The fire broke out in the factory where a large number of chemicals were stored.
No one was present in the factory at the time of the incident, fire officer Jalaj Ghasia said, adding that the cause of the blaze was not immediately clear. PTI

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EXPIRED STOCK OF CRACKERS SEIZED FROM RESIDENTIAL AREAS
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jalandhar/expired-stock-of-crackers-seized-from-residential-areas/565633.html
Tags: India, public, release, response, fireworks

Following the death of a teenage girl in a suspected chemical explosion on Tuesday, the police today woke up from its deep slumber and arrested four persons for allegedly storing firecrackers illegally.
Although all of them were arrested under Section 286 of the IPC, which amounts to negligent conduct with respect to explosive substances, they were all released on bail on the same day.
While the police recovered maximum stock from Govind nagar area, where according to the investigating officer Inspector Gulshan Kumar, the team recovered fire crackers worth Rs 2 lakhs, another recovery of fire crackers worth Rs 1.5 lakhs was made from the congested Gandhi camp area.
The police recovered fire crackers from the Gupta colony and Adda Hoshiarpur areas as well.
According to area SHO Ashwani Gotyal of division 1, ‰??The traders have to destroy the unsold stock after the expiry of the temporary licence. ‰??They instead stored them in residential areas which could have caused some major tragedies amounting to the loss of human lives,‰?? said Gotyal.

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COMPUTER FIRE SCORCHES BASEMENT LAB AT CALTECH
http://www.pasadenanow.com/main/fire-scorches-basement-lab-at-caltech/#.WruDcmaG9TY
Tags: us_ca, fire, laboratory, response, unknown_chemical

A fire broke out in a laboratory labeled with hazardous materials placards at Caltech Tuesday night, resulting in the evacuation of a building but no injuries, authorities said.

The fire was first reported about 8 p.m. in a basement lab in the Linde+Robinson Laboratory building, near Wilson Avenue and California Boulevard, Pasadena fire and interim city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.

Fire sprinklers quickly doused the flames, which remained confined to a single room, she said. But security officials noticed placards posted indicating the possibility of hazardous materials stored inside the lab.

Officials evacuated the building. No injuries were reported.

A fire department Hazmat team responded in case any hazardous chemicals were involved in the fire, Derderian said. But they soon determined the source of the blaze was a computer that had caught fire.

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GIRL KILLED, 3 HURT IN CHEMICAL EXPLOSION
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jalandhar/girl-killed-3-hurt-in-chemical-explosion/565062.html
Tags: india, public, explosion, death, fireworks

A teenaged girl was killed and three persons were injured in a blast on the rooftop of a shed of a house in the congested Riaz Nagar area in the Central Town here on Tuesday afternoon.
The shed was found to have stored a huge quantity of fire crackers illegally.
The deceased was identified as Radhika (16), a native of Nepal who, along with the three injured persons, Karan, Sunil (18) and Deepa (18), was working in the warehouse at the time of the incident. They were reportedly working for Gurdeep Singh who, according to the victims, allegedly made fire crackers at his home and used to sell these to cracker sellers in Burlton Park during Diwali.
While Sunil received maximum burn injuries up to 60 per cent, Deepa and Karan too received burn injuries up to 20 per cent. Sunil was referred to a private hospital for super-specialty treatment, while the other two are getting treated at the Civil Hospital.

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IGNITION OF VAPOR CLOUD BLAMED FOR VICKSBURG CHEMICAL COMPANY FIRE
http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2018/03/bridge_organics_fire.html
Tags: us_mi, industrial, explosion, follow-up, solvents

VICKSBURG, MI -- An explosion Monday evening at a Vicksburg chemical company was caused by ignition of a vapor cloud, a scientist at Bridge Organics said.

Brad Hewitt, senior scientist and vice president of engineering and facilities at Bridge Organics, said deflagration, or rapid burn of a chemical vapor cloud, caused a fire in one of the company's seven laboratories at about 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 26.

Bridge Organics, a contract research and chemical manufacturing company, works with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in "early development" by creating chemical intermediates, or molecular entities, which are later combined by the customer companies to create ingredients.

About two gallons of a flammable solvent were involved in Monday's accident, when solvent was vaporized under a ventilation hood and ignited, Hewitt said.

How the vapor was released into the air and how it ignited are still under investigation. But, the incident was not caused by human error, such as mixing the wrong chemicals together, Hewitt said Tuesday.

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

DAY OF EXCITEMENT, AS DOWNTOWN GLOBE EVACUATED
https://silverbelt.com/article/day-of-excitement-as-downtown-globe-evacuated
Tags: us_az, public, discovery, response, picric_acid

On Wednesday, March 21 around 10 a.m., downtown Globe was evacuated because of hazardous material found at three locations in and around the downtown area.

It all began early that morning when a cleaning crew was emptying a building near CVS on Broad Street.

Gila County Historical Society President Vernon Perry happened to walk by and noticed some bottles that looked familiar to him.

‰??They were cleaning out the downstairs of the Masonic building and I noticed some bottles that I thought looked cool,‰?? Perry said.

Upon closer inspection, he saw the bottles contained Picric acid, so he brought it to the attention of the Globe Fire Department.

Picric acid is an organic compound once primarily used as an explosive, but that has also been used in medicine as an antiseptic and burn treatment, as well as in dyes. It is also used as a chemical reagent in metallurgy.

When the compound ages, it dehydrates and crystallizes, becoming more volatile than TNT.

‰??I know that the potential hazard for an explosion from crystallized Picric acid is great,‰?? Perry said. ‰??My sister taught chemistry in Ajo and found a crystallized Picric acid in her stockroom. The bomb squad removed it and detonated it the desert.‰??

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CHEMICAL SPILL AT MEDICAL CLINIC HOSPITALIZES 15
http://abc7chicago.com/chemical-spill-at-medical-clinic-hospitalizes-15/3271278/
Tags: us_il, public, release, injury, phenol

BERWYN, Ill. -- Authorities say 15 people were hospitalized after a substance spill at a suburban Chicago medical clinic.

Berwyn firefighters were called Tuesday to JenCare Senior Medical Center after phenol - a chemical substance used in certain medical treatments and to kill bacteria - spilled in an exam room.

Fire Chief Denis O'Halloran says at the time of the spill there were 35 people in the building, with some experiencing difficulty breathing, coughing and nausea. After first responders arrived, 15 were taken to area hospitals. Their conditions weren't immediately disclosed.

O'Halloran says the building was evacuated and closed. The clinic won't reopen until a hazmat remediation company can clean it up and the city's building department deems it safe.

JenCare president Frank Mancuso in a statement said the company is investigating what happened.

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

UPDATE: 2 INJURED IN NITRIC ACID EXPLOSION AT U OF U MEDICAL BUILDING
http://gephardtdaily.com/local/2-injured-in-explosion-at-u-of-u-medical-building/
Tags: us_UT, laboratory, explosion, injury, nitric_acid

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March 27, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) ‰?? A chemical explosion injured two people at the University of Utah on Tuesday.

The incident occurred shortly after 5 p.m. in the third-floor laboratory of the Emma Eccles Jones Medical Research Building, 15 N. Medical Drive (1830 East).

Salt Lake City Fire Department issued a news release late Tuesday night, saying two people had chemical-burn injuries resulting from an explosive chemical reaction that included red fuming nitric acid.

RFNA is an oxidizer used as a rocket propellant.

‰??The victims followed decontamination protocol, self-evacuated, and walked to University of Utah Hospital‰??s Emergency Room,‰?? the news release says.

The condition of the injured people wasn‰??t disclosed.

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A TOXIC CHEMICAL KILLED MY SON‰??BUT WE COULD HAVE PREVENTED IT
https://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/2018/03/27/opinion-toxic-chemical-killed-my-son-but-we-could-have-prevented/319396002/
Tags: us_TN, public, follow-up, environmental, methylene_chloride

Last April, I lost my son, Kevin, to a chemical you can find in any hardware store.

I was shocked to learn that the chemical ‰?? methylene chloride ‰?? is responsible for dozens of tragedies across the country. Yet, you can still buy it by the gallon, just as easily as you can a gallon of milk.

Federal officials recently announced they will postpone consideration of a ban on this killer chemical ‰?? a delay that will almost certainly cost lives.

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OMNIBUS BILL PROVIDES STABLE FUNDING TO SAFETY AGENCIES FOR REMAINDER OF FY 2018
http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/16853-omnibus-bill-provides-stable-funding-to-safety-agencies-for-remainder-of-fy-2018
Tags: us_WA, public, follow-up, environmental

Washington ‰?? The passage and signing of the Consolidated Appropriations Act ‰?? also known as the omnibus bill ‰?? on March 23 means stable funding for safety agencies through at least September. Among the highlights: NIOSH avoids a potentially large cut to its budget, the Chemical Safety Board stays open and OSHA‰??s Susan Harwood Training Grant Program continues.
CSB and the Harwood Grants were slated for the chopping block in President Donald Trump‰??s fiscal year 2018 budget request, issued May 23. NIOSH was in line to receive $200 million, a sizable decrease from its $335.2 million budget for FY 2017.
Instead, NIOSH will receive $335.2 million again for FY 2018, which ends Sept. 30, and CSB ‰?? which was budgeted to receive $9.4 million to wind down operation ‰?? is getting $11 million.

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WHY ALL COLLEGES SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO A RULING ON THEIR DUTY TO PROTECT STUDENTS
https://www.chronicle.com/article/Why-All-Colleges-Should-Pay/242942?cid=wcontentlist_hp_latest
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, follow-up, environmental

he California Supreme Court ruled last week that a woman who was stabbed by a classmate in a lab can sue the University of California at Los Angeles, where the stabbing took place. The judges wrote in their decision that "universities have a special relationship with their students and a duty to protect them from foreseeable violence during curricular activities."

The victim, Katherine Rosen, survived the stabbing. She alleged that the university did not do enough to protect her from the attacker, Damon Thompson. Thompson had already been expelled from university housing and had reported hearing voices and having paranoid thoughts, according to the ruling. (He was found not guilty of attempted murder by reason of insanity.)

Benjamin C. Zipursky, a law professor at Fordham University, has been following the case, and he thinks its implications could be significant. He spoke to The Chronicle about what it means for California‰??s universities and, possibly, for universities in other states. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

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