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From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (13 articles)
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2019 07:31:56 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 85AFFF6F-B9A1-43D7-83CF-AE72D5710EDF**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Wednesday, April 3, 2019 at 7:31:37 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)
TESLA FIRE IS A REMINDER FOR BUSINESSES STORING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ‰?? HAZMAT MANAGEMENT
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental
LIQUID SPILL IN PICO RIVERA FAST FOOD EATERY LEADS TO TEMPORARY EVACUATION; SUBSTANCE FOUND TO BE NOT HAZARDOUS ‰?? WHITTIER DAILY NEWS
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, pepper_spray
ST PETERSBURG EXPLOSION: MULTIPLE PEOPLE INJURED AFTER BLAST AT MILITARY ACADEMY IN RUSSIA
Tags: Russia, education, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
DIABETES DEATHS DUE TO AIR POLLUTION HIGHEST IN INDIA
Tags: India, public, discovery, response
ONE DEAD, TWO INJURED IN EXPLOSION, FIRE AT CHEMICAL PLANT NEAR HOUSTON
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
TOXIC ACCIDENTS DATABASE COULD IMPROVE EMERGENCY PLANNING
Tags: us_TX, public, discovery, environmental
SAFETY DATA SHEETS FOR BULK LIQUID FLAVORINGS MAY BE INCOMPLETE, STUDY SHOWS
Tags: us_WV, public, discovery, environmental
KMCO CROSBY PLANT HAS LONG HISTORY OF ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY VIOLATIONS
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
CAL POLY SLO EVACUATES BUILDINGS OVER HAZARDOUS LIQUID
Tags: us_CA, education, release, response, other_chemical
UTAH HIGH SCHOOL EVACUATED AFTER STUDENT RELEASES PEPPER SPRAY, SICKENS 19 PEOPLE
Tags: us_UT, education, fire, response, pepper_spray
SAN DIEGO FIRE, BOMB SQUAD RESPOND TO HAZMAT SITUATION IN KEARNY MESA
Tags: us_CA, industrial, fire, response, titanium
U.S. INVESTIGATORS TO BEGIN HUNT FOR CAUSE OF TEXAS PETROCHEMICAL DISASTER
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, oils
HEALTH DISTRICT STUDIES LONG-TERM IMPACTS OF DEADLY WEST EXPLOSION
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental, ag_chems
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TESLA FIRE IS A REMINDER FOR BUSINESSES STORING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ‰?? HAZMAT MANAGEMENT
http://hazmatmag.com/2019/04/tesla-fire-is-a-reminder-for-businesses-storing-hazardous-materials/
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, environmental
A fire broke out on Saturday, February 17 at Tesla‰??s car plant in Fremont, California. This isn‰??t anything new, because we do hear about businesses that have fires from time to time.
But, what makes this fire different is that it happened in an area where the company stores some of its hazardous materials outside. And, because of this, Tesla was forced to call the local Fremont Fire Department and required a hazardous materials unit.
According to reports, Tesla has a history of fires at this facility. This includes a fire in their paint shop in April 2018 and another outdoor fire in August 2018.
Add to this, Tesla was already under investigation by Cal-OSHA cited in January and fined $29,000 for allegedly violating six different worker safety regulations in their general assembly 4 (GA4) production line.
According to the Silicon Valley Business Journal:
‰??Tesla allegedly didn‰??t obtain a building permit or inspect the tent for safety violations, train workers on how to get out of the building in an emergency, or protect themselves from heat illness. Cal-OSHA also claims the tent had exposed metal rods and rebar that workers could potentially impale themselves on, and failed to cover a hole in the floor that was 22 inches wide, 14 inches wide and 8 inches deep.‰??
Suffice it to say‰?|this fire isn‰??t helping Tesla‰??s safety record with OSHA.
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LIQUID SPILL IN PICO RIVERA FAST FOOD EATERY LEADS TO TEMPORARY EVACUATION; SUBSTANCE FOUND TO BE NOT HAZARDOUS ‰?? WHITTIER DAILY NEWS
https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2019/04/02/liquid-spill-inside-pico-rivera-fast-food-eatery-leads-to-evacuation/
Tags: us_CA, public, release, response, pepper_spray
Deputies evacuated a Jack in the Box in Pico Rivera on Tuesday after a red liquid leaked out of a backpack, causing people to cough.
A hazmat team determined the liquid was not a hazardous substance, Los Angeles County Sheriff‰??s Department Lt. Jodi Hutak said.
‰??When they tested it, it was consistent with ingredients put in pepper spray,‰?? she said.
Authorities do not think a crime occurred.
Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Sky Cornell said no one was taken to a hospital.
It happened shortly before 1:15 p.m. Hutak said a man with a backpack walked into the restaurant in the 6000 block of Rosemead Boulevard for a refund of some sort.
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ST PETERSBURG EXPLOSION: MULTIPLE PEOPLE INJURED AFTER BLAST AT MILITARY ACADEMY IN RUSSIA
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1108658/St-Petersburg-explosion-military-academy-russia-injured-latest
Tags: Russia, education, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
Three people have been injured in the blast which hit A.F. Mozhaysky's Military-Space Academy. A further 15 people were trapped on the third floor of the building after a staircase collapsed following the explosion.The explosion was on the second floor of a faculty at the academy which is seen as training GRU military intelligence officers and other armed forces personnel.
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DIABETES DEATHS DUE TO AIR POLLUTION HIGHEST IN INDIA
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/diabetes-deaths-due-to-air-pollution-highest-in-india/story-rcljhfJNQlv8IoDGdggS7J.html
Tags: India, public, discovery, response
The burden of Type 2 diabetes contributed by exposure to fine particulate pollution is the highest in India, according to the State of Global Air 2019 report released on Wednesday. Air pollution lowers insulin sensitivity, contributing to diabetes.
In 2017, exposure to PM 2.5 pollution was found to be the third leading risk factor globally for Type 2 diabetes-related deaths and disability after high blood sugar and excessive body weight.
Globally, such exposure contributed to about 2.76 lakh deaths and 15.2 million life years lost to disability in 2017. This burden was highest in India, where it accounted for 55,000 deaths and 2.7 million life years lost, according to the report by Health Effects Institute (HEI) and Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation‰??s Global Burden of Disease project. India was followed by China, Indonesia, Mexico and Brazil.
‰??PM 2.5 particles are endocrine disruptors. They can affect insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity. They can also damage the beta cells in the pancreas that produces insulin... the exact pathways are not known yet. But increasingly, research is showing these connections. So apart from poor diet, obesity etc., air pollution definitely plays a role in diabetes,‰?? said Dr Vishwanathan Mohan, diabetologist and chairman of Dr Mohan‰??s Diabetes Specialties Centre
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ONE DEAD, TWO INJURED IN EXPLOSION, FIRE AT CHEMICAL PLANT NEAR HOUSTON
https://www.khou.com/video/news/local/one-dead-two-injured-in-explosion-fire-at-chemical-plant-near-houston/285-0a3eab78-d76e-4cb5-8cf7-00b46548a0da
Tags: us_TX, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
One person has died and two others were badly injured in an explosion and fire Tuesday at a Crosby chemical plant in east Harris County. The explosion at the KMCO plant happened around 10:45 a.m.when a transfer line ignited a tank full of a chemical called isobutylene. The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office said the fire was contained by 4:20 p.m.
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TOXIC ACCIDENTS DATABASE COULD IMPROVE EMERGENCY PLANNING
https://www.marketplace.org/2019/04/02/world/toxic-accidents-database-could-improve-emergency-planning
Tags: us_TX, public, discovery, environmental
Environmental groups say people living near industrial chemical facilities could soon get better information on what‰??s being spewed into the air around them when accidents happen. That‰??s thanks to a recent court ruling that ordered the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board to make certain facilities report accidental air emissions. Transparency around industrial accidents is a hot topic in Houston, Texas, at the moment, after a chemical facility fire sent smoke into the city‰??s air for days and closed part of a major shipping channel.
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SAFETY DATA SHEETS FOR BULK LIQUID FLAVORINGS MAY BE INCOMPLETE, STUDY SHOWS
https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/18252-safety-data-sheets-for-bulk-liquid-flavorings-may-be-incomplete-study-shows
Tags: us_WV, public, discovery, environmental
Morgantown, WV ‰?? Two potentially hazardous chemicals are missing from the Safety Data Sheets for bulk liquid flavorings, findings from a recent NIOSH Respiratory Health Division study show.
Researchers analyzed samples of 26 liquid flavorings from a pair of U.S. coffee roasting and packing facilities, looking for any of 20 volatile organic chemicals. Those found in the flavorings then were compared with the ingredient list on the SDSs.
None of the SDSs listed diacetyl despite its presence in 21 of the 26 samples. Another chemical, 2,3-pentanedione, was present in 15 of the samples but not listed on their SDSs.
The chemicals are considered safe for ingestion but can cause respiratory problems in workers. Previous research has linked diacetyl to obliterative bronchiolitis, which the study deems a ‰??debilitating lung disease.‰??
The chemicals may be part of ‰??a proprietary mixture deemed a trade secret, or may not be required to be listed if they are present at [less than] 1% composition,‰?? the study states.
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KMCO CROSBY PLANT HAS LONG HISTORY OF ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY VIOLATIONS
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/KMCO-Crosby-plant-has-long-history-of-13736718.php
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical
One dead and seven injured. Millions in fines. Decades of lawsuits.
On Tuesday, the KMCO facility in Crosby became the latest Houston area chemical facility to be engulfed in flames. The company is also one of the region‰??s worst offenders of environmental and workplace safety laws, according to the Harris County Attorney‰??s office.
‰??As long as I‰??ve been doing environmental work for Harris County, I‰??ve been involved in case with this company, either with the previous owner or the current owner,‰?? said Rock Owens, managing attorney for the Harris County Attorney‰??s environmental section. ‰??And I‰??ve been doing this for close to 30 years. This company has been around forever causing trouble.‰??
---------------------------------------------
CAL POLY SLO EVACUATES BUILDINGS OVER HAZARDOUS LIQUID
https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article228698074.html
Tags: us_CA, education, release, response, other_chemical
Cal Poly buildings were evacuated, roads were closed and hazmat teams swept through a portion of campus on Monday after reports of a suspicious substance bubbling up in one of its parking lots.
The source of all the hubbub? A leaky water boiler.
Emergency crews evacuated three engineering buildings on campus shortly after noon for ‰??an abundance of caution,‰?? a Cal Poly Emergency Services department representative said soon after the evacuation.
California Boulevard and North Perimeter roads were closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic, while emergency crews investigated the strange substance.
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UTAH HIGH SCHOOL EVACUATED AFTER STUDENT RELEASES PEPPER SPRAY, SICKENS 19 PEOPLE
https://www.ksl.com/article/46522680/utah-high-school-evacuated-after-unknown-substance-sickens-19-people
Tags: us_UT, education, fire, response, pepper_spray
PARK CITY ‰?? Park City High School was evacuated when nearly 20 people became sick after a student released pepper spray in or near the school, fire officials said.
Police were called to the school about 2 p.m. on reports of a natural gas leak, Park City fire information officer Tricia Hazelrigg said. Law enforcement officials arrived and confirmed the substance wasn't natural gas but an "unknown substance," she said.
The student later called the school and admitted to releasing pepper spray, Park City Police Capt. Phil Kirk said. He did not immediately know how the pepper spray had gotten into the school's air system.
As of about 4:30 p.m., police hadn't interviewed the student or taken him or her into custody. Additional details about the student were not immediately available.
---------------------------------------------
SAN DIEGO FIRE, BOMB SQUAD RESPOND TO HAZMAT SITUATION IN KEARNY MESA
https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/san-diego-fire-bomb-squad-on-scene-of-hazmat-situation-in-kearny-mesa
Tags: us_CA, industrial, fire, response, titanium
SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- The San Diego Fire Department and Bomb Squad responded to a hazmat situation in Kearny Mesa Monday.
According to the department, the incident started just before 3 p.m. near the intersection of Balboa Avenue and Ponderosa Avenue near Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport.
According to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, workers at Senior Aerospace Jet Products routinely put titanium shavings in barrels.
Monday afternoon, one of the barrels, a 55-gallon drum, began to get hot and started expanding.
Firefighters arrived at the business and poured water on top of the barrel to cool the contents after evacuating the building.
The bomb squad and hazmat technicians were also called to the scene and, after opening the barrel, say the titanium was reacting with another chemical.
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U.S. INVESTIGATORS TO BEGIN HUNT FOR CAUSE OF TEXAS PETROCHEMICAL DISASTER
https://kfgo.com/news/articles/2019/apr/01/us-investigators-to-begin-hunt-for-cause-of-texas-petrochemical-disaster/
Tags: us_TX, industrial, follow-up, environmental, oils
HOUSTON (Reuters) - U.S. investigators hope this week for the first time to enter the site of a massive fuel fire and chemical spill outside Houston to begin the hunt for a cause and to determine whether the operator followed safety regulations.
The blaze, at Mitsui & Co's Intercontinental Terminals Co (ITC) storage facility in Deer Park, Texas, began March 17 and released toxic chemicals into the air and nearby waterways. Shipping along the largest oil port in the United States remained disrupted on Monday, as did operations at two nearby refineries.
Fumes from benzene-containing fuel and fear of another fire have prevented investigators from going into the tank farm's "hot zone," officials said Monday. Three tanks holding oils remain to be emptied this week, and responders continue to sop up fuels on the tank farm grounds.
Investigators from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) and Environmental Protection Agency, as well as state and local authorities, plan to enter the site once it is safe.
Access to the site, along the Houston Ship Channel, will help determine what happened and how a fire at one tank holding tens of thousands of barrels of naphtha spread quickly to 10 other giant tanks.
---------------------------------------------
HEALTH DISTRICT STUDIES LONG-TERM IMPACTS OF DEADLY WEST EXPLOSION
https://www.kwtx.com/content/news/Health-District-studies-long-term-impacts-of-deadly-West-explosion-507959621.html
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental, ag_chems
WEST, Texas (KWTX) The Waco-McLennan County Health District has launched a follow-up study on the long-term health impacts on West residents following the deadly April 2013 fertilizer plant explosion.
‰??The study will provide information on residents‰?? behavioral health, respiratory health, and other conditions associated with the explosion,‰?? officials said in a press release.
‰??The findings of this study could be useful for the policy makers, health care providers, and public health officials in understanding long-term consequences associated with such incidences,‰?? officials said.
Residents may complete the survey online starting Monday and continuing until May 31.
Face-to-face interviews will be conducted with residents who don‰??t complete the survey online from April 22 to May 3 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The powerful explosion on April 17, 2013, left 15 dead including 12 first responders, injured more than 200 and damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes and buildings including a nursing home, a two-story apartment building and three of West‰??s schools.
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