Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Friday, September 16, 2022 at 6:29:34 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 (16 articles)
US EPA PROPOSAL CALLS FOR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS STORAGE TO ACCOUNT FOR NATURAL HAZARDS
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, unknown_chemical
POSSIBLE TRAILER CHEMICAL SPILL CLOSES I-20 EASTBOUND LANES
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
HYDERABAD: FIRE BREAKS OUT AT CHEMICAL RESEARCH CENTER
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
SAYRE MAN DIES AFTER EXPLOSION AT WATER TREATMENT FACILITY
Tags: us_PA, industrial, explosion, death, methanol, water_treatment
FREEWAY CLOSES IN BALCH SPRINGS AFTER DIESEL TANKS SPILL FUEL
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, diesel
HYDROFLUOROSILIC ACID SPILL
Tags: us_NC, transportation, release, injury, other_chemical, acids
FIRE AT LAB IN QUALCOMM BUILDING EXTINGUISHED BY FIRE-SPRINKLER SYSTEM
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical
FIRE IN CAB LAB CLASSROOM, BUILDING EVACUATED
Tags: us_TX, laboratory, fire, response, ethanol
RRC POLYTECH BUILDING EVACUATED FOR CHEMICAL LEAK – WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Tags: Canada, education, release, response, freon
CO ARMAGH SCHOOL PRAISED FOR PROMPT ACTIONS IN EVACUATING PREMISES AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL – ARMAGH I
Tags: United_Kingdom, education, release, response, unknown_chemical
NATURAL GAS LEAK PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE IN HILLSDALE
Tags: us_MI, public, release, response, natural_gas
FISH KILLED BY POOL CHLORINE IN FOUR MILE RUN STREAM, OFFICIALS SAY
Tags: us_VA, public, follow-up, environmental, chlorine
TO IMPROVE COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATIONS, TAP EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, discovery, environmental
FLINT RIVER’S NO-CONTACT ORDER STILL IN EFFECT AS CLEAN-UP EFFORTS CONTINUE AFTER SPILL
Tags: us_MI, public, follow-up, environmental, used_oil, waste
RISE OF HYPE SEE MORE AND MORE ‘NOVEL’, ‘CRITICAL’ AND ‘KEY’ GRANT APPLICATIONS
Tags: Canada, laboratory, discovery, environmental
US CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD LEADERS AIM TO REBOOT AGENCY
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
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US EPA PROPOSAL CALLS FOR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS STORAGE TO ACCOUNT FOR NATURAL HAZARDS
https://chemicalwatch.com/565177/us-epa-proposal-calls-for-hazardous-materials-storage-to-account-for-natural-hazards
Tags: public, discovery, environmental, unknown_chemical
The US EPA has proposed changing its Risk Management Program (RMP) regulations – which apply to facilities that store, manufacture, use or handle certain quantities of hazardous chemicals – so that the risks from natural hazards and climate change are explicitly addressed in hazard reviews.
The agency says while there has been a long-term trend of reducing accidents, this could be improved to protect human health and the environment. The proposed Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention (SCCAP) rule aims to:
improve safety;
assist in preparedness and response to accidents; and
improve public awareness of chemical hazards at regulated facilities.
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POSSIBLE TRAILER CHEMICAL SPILL CLOSES I-20 EASTBOUND LANES
https://www.cbs19.tv/article/traffic/dps-official-1-vehicle-crash-shuts-down-eastbound-lane-on-1-20/501-9f0cbc6b-3956-4ac5-bae6-390ae7b188bc
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, unknown_chemical
SMITH COUNTY, Texas — A one vehicle crash involving a big truck with a trailer and possible chemical spill closed the eastbound lanes on I-20, according to Department of Pubic Safety.
The crash occurred around 6:20 p.m. on I-20 near the mile marker 552.
DPS official Greg Williams said he is not sure what chemical was spilled but the fire department called hazmat to clean it up.
I-20 is currently backed up for miles and there is no estimated time when the lanes will reopen, said Williams.
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HYDERABAD: FIRE BREAKS OUT AT CHEMICAL RESEARCH CENTER
https://www.siasat.com/hyderabad-fire-breaks-out-at-chemical-research-center-2413572/
Tags: India, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
Hyderabad: In an incident reported from Nacharam on Thursday a fire broke out at a chemical research center due to a short circuit.
The incident occurred at sunuka life sciences, flat number 41, tech park, IDA Nacharam. Approximately 300 liters of chemical were burnt due to the fire, no casualties have been reported as of now. The owner of the reseach centerwas identified as E Satyam.
ALSO READHyderabad: Metro was initially written off as a foolish idea, says HMRL MD
Three fire engines were deployed to put out the fire, following which calm prevailed in the area. More details regarding the incident are awaited.
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SAYRE MAN DIES AFTER EXPLOSION AT WATER TREATMENT FACILITY
https://www.morning-times.com/news/article_be77cf16-64bf-5497-a8cc-a4605a674b41.html
Tags: us_PA, industrial, explosion, death, methanol, water_treatment
STANDING STONE — A Sayre man has lost his life following an apparent explosion at the Eureka Resources water treatment facility in Standing Stone Township.
According to Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio, Jeremy J. Lanzo, 39, was pronounced dead at 2:13 p.m. on Tuesday at Lehigh Valley Hospital following a chemical explosion at approximately 5 a.m. Tuesday at the plant.
An autopsy, which was completed Thursday, revealed the cause of death to be chemical and thermal burns, Buglio explained. He added that Lanzo’s death was ruled an accident.
In addition to the coroner’s office, the death is being investigated by OSHA, Buglio noted.
Attempts to reach Eureka Resources for comment on the explosion were unsuccessful Thursday.
Eureka Resources, headquartered in Williamsport, opened its Standing Stone plant in 2013, according to its website. The facility “extract(s) purified water, high-quality lithium, purified salt, pure calcium chloride, oil and methanol from wastewater.”
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FREEWAY CLOSES IN BALCH SPRINGS AFTER DIESEL TANKS SPILL FUEL
https://www.cbsnews.com/dfw/news/freeway-closes-in-balch-springs-after-diesel-tanks-spill-fuel/
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, diesel
BALCH SPRINGS, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A big rig crash in Balch Springs has resulted in a major freeway closure Wednesday afternoon.
The accident happened about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the eastbound lanes of 635 and I-20.
TxDOT says the truck's diesel tanks broke open and spilled fuel over the roadway.
A state hazmat team is on the way to the scene.
No word when the freeway might be reopened.
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HYDROFLUOROSILIC ACID SPILL
https://www.mitchellnews.com/local-news/hazmat-spill-closes-red-hill-area-roads
Tags: us_NC, transportation, release, injury, other_chemical, acids
A hazmat spill this past week shut down stretches of road in the Red Hill area and forced crews to clean and contain the spill.
Just before 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 7, a tanker hauling 4,500 gallons of hydrofluorosilicic acid (a form of fluoride) spilled its load on Highway 226, near Highway 197 in Bakersville.
By Wednesday afternoon, most surrounding roads were open again, save a small stretch of Highway 197 where the spill happened. Cleanup continued into Thursday, Sept. 8.
Mitchell County Emergency Management personnel, along with Asheville Hazmat, took measures to contain the spill with sand while limiting environmental damage.
The truck driver sustained minor injuries.
Authorities said the spill happened after a hanging tree limb ripped a portion of the truck off, making a small hole through which the acid escaped.
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FIRE AT LAB IN QUALCOMM BUILDING EXTINGUISHED BY FIRE-SPRINKLER SYSTEM
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/public-safety/story/2022-09-14/fire-at-lab-in-qualcomm-building-extinguished-by-fire-sprinkler-system
Tags: us_CA, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical
SAN DIEGO — A fire early Wednesday in a second-floor laboratory in a Qualcomm building in Sorrento Valley was put out by sprinklers before firefighters arrived, San Diego Fire-Rescue officials said.
The fire was reported around 6:40 a.m. in a four-story building on McKellar Court off Pacific Center Boulevard called the Qualcomm Pacific Center Campus. When crews arrived, they didn’t see any smoke or fire showing from the outside the building but when they got inside, they found a fire that had been extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system.
After searching the building to check for any spread of the fire, crews worked to ensure the fire didn’t reignited. Just under 50 firefighters from San Diego and Chula Vista had responded to the fire.
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No injuries were reported. No damage estimate was immediately available. A cause of the fire also wasn’t reported.
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FIRE IN CAB LAB CLASSROOM, BUILDING EVACUATED
https://mesquite-news.com/fire-in-cab-lab-classroom-building-evacuated/
Tags: us_TX, laboratory, fire, response, ethanol
In the early evening of Sept. 14, a small fire in a science lab of the Central Academic Building at Texas A&M University-San Antonio caused about 150 people to evacuate.
No injuries were reported, according to a San Antonio Fire Department official. The university canceled night classes and temporarily closed the building.
The fire department received the call at approximately 5:45 p.m., said Russell Johnson, San Antonio Fire Department Battalion Chief 2.
Students, faculty and staff streamed out of the building as an alarm blared, announcing a fire emergency and advising people to not use the elevators.
Johnson said the fire began on a lab table in classroom 302 of CAB. According to JagWire, a lab for BIOL 2421, Introduction to Microbiology, is held 3-5:45 p.m. Wednesdays in Room 302 of CAB.
“They were working with ethanol or some kind of flammable liquid,” Johnson said.
A small beaker of the liquid caught fire and got into the plastic dividers between the stalls.
Although the fire caused a lot of black smoke, it was not hot enough to set off any fire sprinklers.
The fire was put out quickly with a fire extinguisher. However, the black smoke was a challenge for the firefighters.
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RRC POLYTECH BUILDING EVACUATED FOR CHEMICAL LEAK – WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2022/09/14/rrc-polytech-building-evacuated-for-chemical-leak
Tags: Canada, education, release, response, freon
A chemical leak on Red River College Polytechnic’s Notre Dame Avenue campus prompted the school to halt classes and evacuate a research centre Wednesday.
Shortly before lunchtime, RRC Polytech evacuated its Vehicle Technology Research Centre, also known as Building Z, due to a “safety incident,” said Conor Lloyd, director of college and public relations.
“The incident was a freon leak that occurred outside a classroom while a contractor was performing regular maintenance work, resulting in a small spill of less than (five) litres,” Lloyd wrote in an email.
The school said it immediately activated its safety protocols at the northwest Winnipeg facility, which included evacuating the affected building and notifying staff and students about the event via its campus alerting system.
No injuries were reported and nurses assessed individuals who were near the spill, Lloyd said, adding normal operations continue in other buildings while the affected facility remains closed for clean-up, further testing and repairs.
RRC Polytech anticipates the building will be declared safe by workplace safety and health staff and classes will be able to resume Thursday.
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CO ARMAGH SCHOOL PRAISED FOR PROMPT ACTIONS IN EVACUATING PREMISES AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL – ARMAGH I
https://www.armaghi.com/news/craigavon-news/co-armagh-school-praised-for-prompt-actions-in-evacuating-premises-after-chemical-spill/183303
Tags: United_Kingdom, education, release, response, unknown_chemical
A County Armagh school has been praised for their prompt and proper reaction to a chemical spill on its premises earlier today (Wednesday).
The NI Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) were called to Lismore Comprehensive School in Craigavon shortly after 11am, following reports of a chemical spill.
As a result a number of people were taken to hospital to be checked over as a precaution.
A spokesperson for the school said normal class resumed after NIFRS concluded their work at 12.30pm.
“This morning we contacted the Fire Service, as a precautionary measure, as a chemical leak had been identified from a bottle in a secured chemical store,” said the spokesperson.
“All procedures were followed, with pupils temporarily evacuated to a safe area and the identified area was sealed off.
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NATURAL GAS LEAK PROMPTS HAZMAT RESPONSE IN HILLSDALE
https://www.hillsdale.net/story/news/accident/2022/09/13/natural-gas-leak-prompts-hazmat-response-in-hillsdale/69493281007/
Tags: us_MI, public, release, response, natural_gas
HILLSDALE — Emergency personnel are on the scene of an active HAZMAT situation near the heart of downtown Hillsdale.
At least one home voluntarily evacuated near the corner of Budlong Street and Waldron Street where contractors were working to place a new fiber line.
Contractors were using a Ditch Witch to place the line underground, which caused the natural gas line to rupture into a storm sewer line.
A strong smell of natural gas filled the neighborhood as emergency personnel, Michigan Gas Utilities, Hillsdale City Police, Department of Public Services and Hillsdale’s Board of Public Utilities converged on the area.
MGU technicians worked quickly to find the newest gas shutoff line to stop the leak while additional crews arrived in the area.
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FISH KILLED BY POOL CHLORINE IN FOUR MILE RUN STREAM, OFFICIALS SAY
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/09/13/fish-killed-four-mile-run/
Tags: us_VA, public, follow-up, environmental, chlorine
Officials said Monday that pool chlorine was the cause of a hazmat incident in a Northern Virginia stream that killed about 100 fish last week.
On Sept. 7, the Arlington County Department of Environmental Services said about 100 fish were found dead at the Four Mile Run stream between South Walter Reed Drive and South Taylor Street.
Peter Golkin, an agency spokesman, said at that time that officials noted a “chemical smell” near a storm drain and that “would indicate that someone probably poured something not good down there.”
Fish die after hazmat incident in Northern Virginia stream
On Monday, Golkin said in an email that the fish deaths were caused by “flawed seasonal pool care involving chlorine.” Overflow from a multifamily property swimming pool ran into the storm sewer after the pool was treated with an abundance of chlorine as a part of late-season maintenance, he said Tuesday.
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TO IMPROVE COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATIONS, TAP EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/to-improve-compliance-regulations-tap-employee-engagement
Tags: us_MA, laboratory, discovery, environmental
An exhausted hospital worker forgets to change her gloves between patient visits. A long-haul truck driver eager to reach his destination speeds along a narrow highway. A new scientist at a research lab fails to correctly clean up a chemical spill, contaminating a shared workspace.
Whether on the road, in a hospital, at a laboratory, or in any other workspace, managers can find themselves struggling to get frontline employees to comply with regulations — even when those regulations are designed for safety and legality.
New research from MIT Sloan professorSusan Silbey uncovers insight into why even senior-level employees sometimes overlook regulations.
In a 17-month study of laboratory scientists, Silbey learned that the scientists used a mix of formal rules and their own expert judgment to determine how and when they complied with regulations designed to prevent risks.
She found that in making their decisions, the scientists prioritized work tasks and collegiality with coworkers.
“This is what builds the scientific community, this attention to what others are doing,” Silbey said. “It’s also about relying on each other. These labs can function only because people pay close attention to what each other are doing, and that's something we should take note of.”
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FLINT RIVER’S NO-CONTACT ORDER STILL IN EFFECT AS CLEAN-UP EFFORTS CONTINUE AFTER SPILL
https://www.wnem.com/2022/09/13/flint-rivers-no-contact-order-still-effect-clean-up-efforts-continue-after-spill/
Tags: us_MI, public, follow-up, environmental, used_oil, waste
FLINT, Mich. (WNEM) – An order that prohibits contact with the Flint River remains in effect as clean-up efforts continue.
It has been almost three months since a chemical spill in the Flint River prompted the Genesee County Health Department to issue a no-contact order.
Jill Greenberg, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) says that cleanup efforts are ongoing.
“It’s going to take a while,” Greenberg said. “It’s complicated.”
Greenberg is talking about the status of the investigation into Lockhart Chemical’s Flint River spill that happened in June. Greenberg said clean-up efforts are ongoing.
“We’ve collected 69,000 gallons of waste oil from the site, from Lockhart,” Greenberg said. “And close to 20,000 gallons of waste oil from the outfall going into the river.”
Greenberg also said that there’s a small discharge of waste oil at the outfall.
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RISE OF HYPE SEE MORE AND MORE ‘NOVEL’, ‘CRITICAL’ AND ‘KEY’ GRANT APPLICATIONS
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/rise-of-hype-see-more-and-more-novel-critical-and-key-grant-applications/4016213.article
Tags: Canada, laboratory, discovery, environmental
A steady and dramatic increase in ‘hype’ in the abstracts of successful grant applications funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) since the mid-1980s has been documented by a new analysis.
The researchers from Japan and Canada, who work in applied linguistics, biomedical research and machine learning, found that the prevalence of 130 out of 139 ‘hype adjectives’ increased by an average of more than 1300% in successful applications submitted to the NIH between 1985 and 2020. The study analysed more than 900,000 NIH abstracts with the researchers coding adjectives as non-hype or hype based on how promotional they were in context, and whether they could be removed or replaced by a less subjective word without changing a sentence’s meaning.
In 1985, 72% of these NIH abstracts included at least one such hype adjective, and by 2020 this percentage had increased to 97%. The interim years, overall, showed annual increases.
Over this 35-year time period, the words ‘novel’, ‘critical’ and ‘key’ saw the largest absolute increases, and the biggest relative increases were for the terms ‘sustainable’, ‘actionable’ and ‘scalable’.
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US CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD LEADERS AIM TO REBOOT AGENCY
https://cen.acs.org/safety/industrial-safety/US-Chemical-Safety-Board-leaders/100/i34
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
“We think problems are in fact opportunities.”
That positive, hopeful cliché was oft repeated by new US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) members Sylvia Johnson and Steve Owens in a lengthy interview with C&EN. Looking at where the CSB is now and where the two hope to take it, Johnson and Owens have a bonanza of new opportunities.
Their goal is to turn around the small agency, which investigates significant chemical-related accidents, and restore it to its former authority. Safety experts and regulators, members of Congress, and even accident-prone companies once considered it to be the worldwide gold standard in conducting industrial accident investigations. Its reports and animated videos are valued by industry, regulatory authorities, and communities worldwide.
But the agency has been struggling for a while. For more than a year, the CSB has not initiated a new accident investigation. It has a backlog of 17 incomplete investigations; one is 6 years old. It also has merely nine dedicated incident investigators—the heart of the agency—less than half its past high. The total number of staff is 29, including Johnson and Owens. The agency employed more than 40 people before the presidency of Donald J. Trump, who tried three times to eliminate it but was thwarted by Congress. The board lacks three of five board members. Staff morale has tanked, according to Johnson, Owens, and a host of former staff.
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