From: Edward Movitz <movitz**At_Symbol_Here**OLEMISS.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] DRY DRAIN BROUGHT HAZMAT TO DREW UNIVERSITY
Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2018 19:58:51 +0000
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: SN2PR18MB0814EF071AA49E7C60208646D1A80**At_Symbol_Here**SN2PR18MB0814.namprd18.prod.outlook.com
In-Reply-To
Demystify:
In case anyone needs to know, the caption of the original "illustration" is ...
Woman at work in yellow hazardous material protective hazmat suit gas mask rubber gloves and rubber boots checking out a underground train tunnel with geiger counter.
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU> on behalf of Alan Hall <oldeddoc**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM> Sent: Wednesday, December 5, 2018 11:28 AM To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] DRY DRAIN BROUGHT HAZMAT TO DREW UNIVERSITY
The picture is quite interesting. It certainly does not appear to have been taken in a laboratory setting. It most resembles a subway platform with the yellow safety line and wat appear to be a sngle set of train tracks. It appears this person
is holding what looks to be a rather old Geiger-Mueller counter, but not employing the probe. The gloves look like butyl rubber nd are not properly taped. I don't recognize the suit material. The person seems to be wearing a full-facepiece filter respirator
with two catrridges (and which kind is unclear nor would how they have been selected as appropriate for use). No mention is made of having tested for O2 percentatges before deciding that such a repirator would be appropriate (it certainly would not is a HAZMAT
incident inan hypoxic atmosphere with O2 below current OSHA regulations. Therefore, I have serious doubts that this is an actual photo from the incident scene. If it is, I would seriously hope that someone initiates major re-training for the responder.
I share others concerns that using a 4-gas meter onlyand declaring an aera safe is not appropriate.
One odor problem case I recall was solved when one of the employee's desk drawers was opened and a very rotten orange left over from a partially-consumed sack lunch was discovered.
I really appreciate the chemical safety headlines, keep please them coming.
The photograph in the press release (see link below) about the dry drain incident caught the eye of our RSO. I must admit this is the first time I've seen anyone using
a Geiger counter to investigate an odor!
W.
Wayne Wood | Director, Environmental Health and Safety - Directeur, Sant=E9, securit=E9 et environnement| McGill University | 3610 rue McTavish Street, 4th floor | Montreal,
Quebec, Canada, H3A 1Y2 | Tel: (514) 398-2391
MADISON, NJ - A chemical smell from a dry drain in a science lab at Drew University is what brought in several sets of first responders to investigate on Thursday afternoon.
According Morris County Director Office of Emergency Management Jeffrey S. Paul said hazmat units were called to Drew University's Madison campus to investigate the report
of a chemical or gasoline related odor.
The Madison Police Department and Madison Fire Department along with the Whippany Fire Departments Hazardous Materials Team were on site and the Whippany Fire Chief coordinated
with the Morris County Hazardous Materials Team while they investigated the source of the odor, Paul said.
The smell was reported in the hall of the sciences building and first responders eventually the source was determined to be a dried out floor drain, Paul said.
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