From: Ralph Stuart <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (8 articles)
Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2022 06:57:09 -0600
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: 9F609ED9-DEFB-426C-9351-8F4F0724A5E4**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, July 15, 2022 at 6:56:46 AM

A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Connecting Chemistry and Safety at http://www.dchas.org
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Table of Contents (8 articles)

WEST SIDE LAB EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL CONTAINER LEAKED HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE, AUTHORITIES SAY
Tags: us_WI, laboratory, release, response, flammables

BURNING CHEMICAL TANKER TOWED OUT OF PORT OF TEMRYUK
Tags: Russia, transportation, fire, response, unknown_chemical

WARNING: CHEMICAL SPILL ON WESTERN RING ROAD AT TULLAMARINE
Tags: Australia, transportation, release, response, pesticides, runoff

FIRE DEPT. SEARCHING FOR SOURCE OF GAS SMELL IN CHARLOTTE
Tags: us_NC, public, release, response, thiols

SAFETY: CHEMICAL ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, follow-up, environmental

PHARMA PLANT EXPLOSION IN INDIA KILLS 3 WORKERS
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, pharmaceutical

NOX-CRETE FIRE UPDATE: NO DETERMINABLE CAUSE FOR OMAHA CHEMICAL FIRE
Tags: us_NE, industrial, follow-up, response, unknown_chemical

YOUNGSTOWN YMCA REOPENS THURSDAY AFTER CHEMICAL CRISIS
Tags: us_OH, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals


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WEST SIDE LAB EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL CONTAINER LEAKED HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE, AUTHORITIES SAY
https://madison.com/news/local/west-side-lab-evacuated-after-chemical-container-leaked-hazardous-substance-authorities-say/article_65856d56-6f5b-5b83-b0c7-6bde47bb5a9b.html
Tags: us_WI, laboratory, release, response, flammables

West Side lab was evacuated Tuesday morning after a chemical container leaked a hazardous substance, the Madison Fire Department reported.

The evacuation of Mirus Bio, 5602 Research Park Blvd., began after the container holding a chemical known to be toxic and flammable became compromised, causing a leak and chemical vapors reportedly to waft through the hallways and to another floor via the building's ventilation system, Fire Department spokesperson Cynthia Schuster said in a statement.

Ladder 2 activated the building's fire alarm to prompt a full and complete evacuation and the department's Hazardous Incident Team was called to the scene, Schuster said.

The chemical leak was contained by chemists at the lab prior to HIT entering the building. The HIT isolated the areas where chemical leaks and spills had been identified, then released the building back to its staffer for proper cleanup, Schuster said.

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BURNING CHEMICAL TANKER TOWED OUT OF PORT OF TEMRYUK
https://maritime-executive.com/article/burning-chemical-tanker-towed-out-of-port-of-temryuk
Tags: Russia, transportation, fire, response, unknown_chemical

[Brief] State-owned Russian port operator Rosmorport has issued a commendation to a marine pilot who helped navigate a burning chemical tanker out of the Sea of Azov port of Temryuk last week.

According to Rosmorport, pilot Konstantin Dereberya was assigned to bring the Turkish chemical tanker Ahmet Telli into port at Temryuk on July 9. The vessel navigated into the port, but once within the complex, a fire started in the engine room. The blaze disabled the main engine, leaving the vessel adrift and on fire.

The Telli dropped anchor as a precautionary measure, but as the fire grew, it became clear that it would be necessary to move the vessel out of the port. The fire could not be extinguished and raised the possibility of an explosion aboard the vessel. This could potentially spread fire to nearby marine terminals.

Dereberya remained aboard the vessel and helped direct the operation to tow it to the outer anchorage, and for his efforts he has been awarded a commendation. Once the ship was safely outside the port, the fire was extinguished by first responders of Russia's Marine Rescue Service.

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WARNING: CHEMICAL SPILL ON WESTERN RING ROAD AT TULLAMARINE
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/warning-chemical-spill-on-western-ring-rd-at-tullamarine/news-story/9df1b9d705edcaebc942f0ddc987eec8
Tags: Australia, transportation, release, response, pesticides, runoff

Victorian residents near the state's largest airport have been urged to stay indoors following a chemical spill.

A B-double truck, which was carrying a chemical fungicide, crashed through a barrier and rolled over on the Western Ring Rd in Tullamarine just before 2am on Friday.

Hazmat crews are at the scene as hazardous fumes are being released.

A truck has toppled over on Western Ring Rd at Tullamarine. Picture: Supplied/Nine News
Assistant chief fire officer Craig Brownlie told 3AW radio station that the clean-up is expected to take most of the day.

'This is a large incident,' he said.

'We are getting the specialist equipment that we will need to resolve this coming now.'

Environmental Protection Authority officers also attended the scene.

They are working with emergency services to ensure that there is no chemical run-off into local waterways.

Gladstone Park, Strathmore Heights and Airport West residents are urged to stay indoors and avoid the area.

Residents in Melbourne's Northern suburbs surrounding Tullamarine should stay indoors until further notice.

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FIRE DEPT. SEARCHING FOR SOURCE OF GAS SMELL IN CHARLOTTE
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2022/07/14/natural-gas-smell-draws-numerous-911-calls-in-charlotte--fire-department-investigating
Tags: us_NC, public, release, response, thiols

Piedmont Natural Gas said it found the source of the smell that spread around Charlotte Thursday morning. A company destroyed tanks of mercaptan, the chemical used to add the sour smell to odorless natural gas, PNG said.

The company said there was no natural gas leak in its system.

The fire department said the city was getting a lot of 911 calls about the smell of gas. The city asked people not to call 911 unless there's an emergency.

"There is no need to report this order. Unless you have a medical emergency or believe the gas is coming from your home or building - please call 911," the fire department said on Twitter.

The smell prompted the county to evacuate the courthouse in Uptown Charlotte, but the building has since been cleared by the fire department, according to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office.

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SAFETY: CHEMICAL ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION
https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/features/safety-chemical-accident-investigation/
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, follow-up, environmental

I AM concerned that in the UK, the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) drive to prosecute companies and individuals when they breach health and safety regulations is preventing important technical information and lessons learnt from being published.

For example, on 17 July 2015 there was large explosion at Wood Treatment, Bosley Mill, Congleton that completely destroyed the factory and killed four workers. Almost certainly this would have been caused by a dust explosion, but I have been unable to find any official report on the cause of the explosion.

The case did go to court and four possible scenarios were highlighted during the court case, but in the end manslaughter charges were dropped. However, the managing director pleaded guilty to health and safety offences and was fined å£12,000 (US$14,500) and banned from being a company director. The firm was fined å£75,000. The court case was concluded on 29 April 2021.

Similarly, on 3 December 2020 there was a large explosion in a silo at Wessex Water's waste treatment plant in Avonmouth. The ongoing investigation is being led by the Avon and Somerset Police with the help of HSE. So far there has been no word on what caused it.

I believe it's high time the UK had a separate process industry accidents investigation unit that gets safety lessons to the engineers who need them before more mistakes are repeated.

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PHARMA PLANT EXPLOSION IN INDIA KILLS 3 WORKERS
https://www.fiercepharma.com/manufacturing/pharma-plant-explosions-india-kills-three-workers
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, pharmaceutical

For the second time in eight weeks, there have been deaths tied to an explosion at a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, this time in India.

Three workers were killed instantly when the boiler they were working on at Pusilin Biotechnology Private exploded, the Xinhua News Agency reported. The plant is in Haryana, near New Delhi.

According to the Chinese Embassy in India, two of the engineers were Chinese and one was Indian, the news agency reported.

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NOX-CRETE FIRE UPDATE: NO DETERMINABLE CAUSE FOR OMAHA CHEMICAL FIRE
https://www.wowt.com/2022/07/14/nox-crete-fire-update-no-determinable-cause-chemical-fire/
Tags: us_NE, industrial, follow-up, response, unknown_chemical

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - The investigation into what caused the Nox-Crete chemical fire in May is closed; the cause cannot be determined.

Omaha Fire Department officials told 6 News on Wednesday that it's common for fires of this size to not have a determined cause because the chemicals present make it impossible for the investigators to be able to rummage through most of the material.

The spokesman said OFD finished its investigation June 2, but private investigators from insurance companies and other entities are still looking at the scene and gathering information, 'which is a common practice from a big fire due to potential civil litigation.'

EPA officials told 6 News in June that 'except for lead at one property,' no concerning levels of contaminants had been found in samples of soil, debris, or ash ' and not in wipe samples either ' taken downwind of the fire. Any elevated results ' of heavy metals and volatile organic compounds ' for pooled water were communicated to NDEE, as they were working with facility operators to develop a storm-water management plan to minimized any potential facility runoff.

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YOUNGSTOWN YMCA REOPENS THURSDAY AFTER CHEMICAL CRISIS
https://www.wfmj.com/story/46868926/hazmat-crews-respond-to-pool-chemical-incident-at-youngstown-ymca
Tags: us_OH, public, release, injury, pool_chemicals

The Central YMCA has on Champion Street in Youngstown will be open regular hours on Thursday following a chemical reaction issue that prompted the closure of the facility on Wednesday.

The Y's Deep Pool will be closed in the morning until 7:30 am when the Health Department will be testing chemical levels. At that time, it will be determined if the Deep Pool can reopen. The Shallow Pool will open at 5:00 am.

Hazmat crews from multiple counties responded late Wednesday morning to a chemical incident at the YMCA in Youngstown that sent three people to the hospital.

Officials tell 21 News that pool chemicals were mixed incorrectly, causing a chemical reaction that sent one chemical worker, one YMCA employee and one person who was in the pool to the hospital with respiratory issues.

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