Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, November 21, 2022 at 6:54:22 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 (16 articles)
LITHIUM BATTERY FIRE AT RIT; NO SERIOUS INJURIES
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, fire, response, batteries
CHILDREN SUFFER SERIOUS BURNS AFTER OUTDOOR SCIENCE EXPERIMENT GOES WRONG AT SYDNEY SCHOOL
Tags: Australia, education, release, injury, sodium_bicarbonate
CHEMICAL WAREHOUSE GOES UP IN FLAMES IN SHREVEPORT
Tags: us_LA, industrial, fire, response, runoff, various_chemicals
FIRE OUTBREAK CONSUMES GAS, KEROSENE DEPOT IN ANAMBRA
Tags: Nigeria, transportation, fire, response, kerosene
PAINT CREEK RESIDENTS WAIT ON TRUCKING COMPANY'S RESPONSE TO CHEMICAL CLEANUP
Tags: us_WV, transportation, follow-up, environmental, cleaners
PASSENGER AIRLINER COLLIDES WITH FIRE TRUCK, CATCHES FIRE
Tags: Peru, transportation, fire, death, jet_fuel
CHEMICAL BLAZE AND EXPLOSIONS IN TOZER ST
Tags: Australia, public, explosion, response, cleaners
KASTURBA COLLEGE OFFICIALS WANT DUMP YARD SHIFTED TO AVOID CHEMICAL EMISSION REPEAT
Tags: India, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical
STAFF VACANCIES, INFIGHTING PLAGUE CHEMICAL SAFETY AGENCY
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
SACRAMENTO FD STOLEN TRAILER WITH HAZARDOUS MATERIALS FOUND
Tags: us_CA, transportation, follow-up, response, unknown_chemical
CHEMICALS SPILLED AT INDUSTRIAL LAUNDROMAT BRINGS HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RESPONSE TO NILES
Tags: us_IL, industrial, release, injury, cleaners
25 COLLEGE STUDENTS FALL ILL AFTER CHEMICAL GAS LEAK IN HYDERABAD
Tags: India, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical
YMCA CAPE COD REOPENS AFTER CHEMICAL EXPOSURE
Tags: us_MA, public, follow-up, injury, pool_chemicals
HAZMAT TEAM CLEARS SCENE AT OSCEOLA GRAND HOTEL IN EVART
Tags: us_MI, public, release, response, chlorine
CSB WARNS SCHOOLS OF DANGER IN CHEM LABS
Tags: us_VA, laboratory, follow-up, environmental, flammables
A ‘DIFFERENT MINDSET’ AND ‘SMARTER TOOLBOX’ IS NEEDED FOR CHEMICAL SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental, toxics
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LITHIUM BATTERY FIRE AT RIT; NO SERIOUS INJURIES
https://www.whec.com/top-news/firefighters-at-rit-for-possible-battery-fire/
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, fire, response, batteries
UPDATE: At 3:17 p.m. on Sunday Henrietta Fire District units were dispatched to the Nathaniel Rochester Hall on the RIT campus for a reported lithium ion battery fire on the 8th floor. Crews arrived to find a fire in a work area, on the 8th floor. It took about 30 minutes to bring the fire under control. There were no serious injuries. Due to the volatile nature of lithium ion batteries, a hazardous materials incident was also declared. This is now a common practice due to the chemical reactions involved with these fires. The battery in question today was for an “E Bike” type scooter. These types of batteries have caused several fatal fires in the NYC area. Assistance was provided at the scene by the City of Rochester FD, Gates FD, CHS EMS and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
UPDATE: RIT said it was a small fire that started in a lab in Nathaniel Rochester Hall where some students were working. There was minor water damage. There were no injuries, and no students were displaced.
HENRIETTA, N.Y. – Henrietta firefighters are on the scene of a possible fire from a Lithium ion battery at RIT. The fire has been knocked down and is under control.
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CHILDREN SUFFER SERIOUS BURNS AFTER OUTDOOR SCIENCE EXPERIMENT GOES WRONG AT SYDNEY SCHOOL
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/nov/21/children-injured-explosion-manly-west-public-primary-school-students-science-experiment-sydney
Tags: Australia, education, release, injury, sodium_bicarbonate
Two primary school students suffered serious burns to their face and chest and were taken to hospital after a science experiment conducted outdoors in high winds went wrong at a school on Sydney’s northern beaches.
They were among 11 students and one adult – believed to be their teacher – injured in the incident at Manly West public school about 1.20pm on Monday.
One of the students with serious burns was airlifted to Westmead children’s hospital while the other student was taken to that hospital by ambulance.
The nine other students were taken to the Royal North Shore and Northern Beaches hospitals. The adult was also admitted to hospital in a stable condition.
It is understood the year 5 students were taking part in a science demonstration to create a “black snake” or “sugar snake” with baking soda, a sugar mixture and an accelerant.
NSW Ambulance Acting Supt, Phil Templeman, said the wind had blown some materials around causing the injuries.
“We received multiple triple zero calls reporting that a number of children had sustained burns during a science experiment, which was being conducted outside,” he said.
“Today’s high winds have impacted the experiment and blown some of the materials around. The children have sustained burns to the upper body, chest, face and legs. Thankfully, the majority of the students were not badly injured.”
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CHEMICAL WAREHOUSE GOES UP IN FLAMES IN SHREVEPORT
https://www.ktbs.com/news/chemical-warehouse-goes-up-in-flames-in-shreveport/article_a836af70-68c2-11ed-adce-f7fa80cd45c4.html
Tags: us_LA, industrial, fire, response, runoff, various_chemicals
SHREVEPORT, La - A huge warehouse fire overnight Sunday in Shreveport.
Firefighters were called to the 2000 Block of Cedar Street close to midnight for a commercial building on fire. When crews arrived at Valence Drilling Fluids, they found a 25,000 sq. foot warehouse fully involved in a fire.
The warehouse contains multiple chemicals, so firefighters established a defensive fire attack operation to control the fire and protect the public. All products and runoff were confined to the property, and no citizens were at risk.
>From a Google Maps estimate, approximately a half mile worth of hose had to be used for the fire and subsequent control efforts.
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FIRE OUTBREAK CONSUMES GAS, KEROSENE DEPOT IN ANAMBRA
https://www.sunnewsonline.com/fire-outbreak-consumes-gas-kerosene-depot-in-anambra/
Tags: Nigeria, transportation, fire, response, kerosene
here was a fire outbreak in a gas and kerosene depot in Nkpor community, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State. The incident happened at about 12:25 pm on Sunday.
Chief Fire Officer at Anambra State Fire Service, Martin Agbili, an engineer, said in a statement that the cause of the fire was not known. He, however, said that his men were able to put out the inferno.
“At about 1225hrs (12:25 pm) of today Sunday 20-11-2022, Anambra State Fire Service, received a distress call from the DPO of Ogidi Police Division, of a fire outbreak at a gas and kerosene depot at No. 42 Eziowelle Street, behind Nkpor park, Nkpor.
“Immediately, we deployed our two fire trucks and brave firefighters to the fire scene for proper firefighting operations. The cause of the fire outbreak was unknown as a series of tank explosions were heard from the fire scene but there was no loss of life.
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PAINT CREEK RESIDENTS WAIT ON TRUCKING COMPANY'S RESPONSE TO CHEMICAL CLEANUP
https://wchstv.com/news/local/paint-creek-residents-wait-on-trucking-companys-response-to-chemical-clean-up
Tags: us_WV, transportation, follow-up, environmental, cleaners
KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS) — In August, a tractor trailer crashed on the West Virginia Turnpike while carrying a cleaning solution, contaminating portions of nearby Paint Creek and affecting the lives of those who lived in the area.
The Kanawha County Commission has been working with multiple agencies for months to get answers for those people and has now served a notice to the trucking company and driver involved in the crash.
"If they don't have the answers, who is doing what to get the answers to the questions that we have?" Collinsdale resident Melissa White asked.
White calls Paint Creek home. She has raised her children and grandchildren here for years, but the safety of her well water is uncertain.
"What effects could that have on us and on my grandchildren? They are babies," White said. "What effects does it have on them? You can't tell them, 'Oh, don't take a bath.' "
Last month, water samples found the chemical to be "non detectable" for more than a dozen hand-dug and shallow wells. Officials could not confirm that the wells were safe to drink from, so the Kanawha County Commission reached out to the DEP to see what else could be done.
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PASSENGER AIRLINER COLLIDES WITH FIRE TRUCK, CATCHES FIRE
https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/273117705/passenger-airliner-collides-with-fire-truck-catches-fire
Tags: Peru, transportation, fire, death, jet_fuel
The incident with the LATAM jet happened during takeoff in Peru's capital of Lima, causing the death of two firefighters
A LATAM Airlines plane burst into flames after crashing into a fire engine during takeoff in Peru's capital of Lima on Friday. The carrier confirmed that two firefighters perished in the incident, while 40 passengers on the jet were hospitalized.
According to medical services cited by the media, four of them were in serious condition.
The Airbus A320neo bound for the city of Juliaca in southeastern Peru was carrying 102 passengers at the time of the incident at Jorge Chavez International Airport.
Footage posted on social media depicts the moment of the collision and the fire that broke out in the immediate aftermath.
One of the eyewitnesses described to the media a "harrowing feeling" as he watched the jet being devoured by the blaze, adding that the "flames were very tall."
Authorities are currently investigating how the fire truck ended up on the runway during the plane's takeoff. The prosecutor's office said the case could be classified as manslaughter.
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CHEMICAL BLAZE AND EXPLOSIONS IN TOZER ST
https://gympietoday.com.au/news/2022/11/20/chemical-blaze-and-explosions-in-tozer-st/
Tags: Australia, public, explosion, response, cleaners
Firefighters are battling a major chemical fire in Tozer St, with reinforcements thought to have been brought in from Pomona and Cooroy, as explosions woke residents this morning (Sunday 20 November).
One resident said the fire seemed to have started about 5.30am, but firefighters were still arriving soon after 7am to back up first response efforts.
“It was a deep roaring explosion, not like a gunshot but more a deep large boom,” he said.
Ankother resident said he thought the blaze may have affected a cleaning products business.
As at 7.30am, firies were still trying to calm the blaze and make the area safe enough for them to get inside and extinguish it.
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KASTURBA COLLEGE OFFICIALS WANT DUMP YARD SHIFTED TO AVOID CHEMICAL EMISSION REPEAT
https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/191122/kasturba-college-officials-want-dump-yard-shifted-to-avoid-chemical-em.html
Tags: India, education, release, injury, unknown_chemical
HYDERABAD: Officials of Kasturba Gandhi Junior College for Women said that the incident of a gas emission on Friday took place near a garbage dump outside the college premises and requested authorities to move the dump to avoid a repeat of such incidents.
On Friday, students of classrooms 204 and 205 smelt a pungent gas from outside their window around 1.30 pm, when they were returning for the post-lunch session.
A college official said that around 30 students who were exposed to the fumes started feeling dizzy and nauseated, following which they evacuated all students and admitted those affected to a nearby hospital.
College officials said that they had noticed GHMC sanitation workers break a chemical bottle while clearing garbage from the dump, following which two workers at the spot started vomiting and the fumes started spreading to the college.
The authorities concerned were also informed.
“Government departments (police, clues team, fire and medical service) came to the college and did a complete inspection of the whole building, including checking of CCTV footage. They did not find any cause for the smell or lapse in safety measures in the college. It was later identified that the cause for the gas fumes was coming from outside the garbage dump adjacent to the college compound wall,” a college official said.
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STAFF VACANCIES, INFIGHTING PLAGUE CHEMICAL SAFETY AGENCY
https://www.nola.com/news/environment/chemical-investigations-board-plagued-by-vacancies-as-backlog-grows/article_a5278868-6773-11ed-8f85-6783c32d03b1.html
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
Staffing shortages and infighting among a dwindling number of decision-makers are hampering investigations of chemical fires, explosions and other petrochemical industry accidents in Louisiana and across the country, according to a new federal inspector’s report.
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, commonly known as the CSB, has yet to fill three vacancies on its five-member governing board, and the agency has several “mission-critical” staff positions that have remained unfilled for more than year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s office of inspector general said in the report. These leadership and staffing gaps are making it difficult for the agency to investigate a growing backlog of chemical accidents, the report said.
“Two new top management challenges … may prevent the CSB from efficiently and effectively driving chemical safety change through independent investigations that protect people and the environment,” the inspector general’s office said.
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SACRAMENTO FD STOLEN TRAILER WITH HAZARDOUS MATERIALS FOUND
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article268922287.html
Tags: us_CA, transportation, follow-up, response, unknown_chemical
Police recovered a trailer early Friday morning that authorities say was stolen from the Sacramento Fire Department earlier this week and which contained potentially hazardous materials.
Officers responded around 2:30 a.m. to reports of a suspicious trailer left at a property in the 7200 block of Luther Drive in Sacramento’s Parkway neighborhood, finding and detaining “several” people near the trailer, the Sacramento Police Department said in social media posts.
Police arrested Tawab Shereendeel, 33, on suspicion of possession of stolen property, according to the posts.
Investigating officers learned that the hazardous materials inside the trailer had been discarded in the 2600 block of Florin Road, less than a mile from Luther Drive, in Sacramento’s Meadowview neighborhood. The Fire Department responded to that scene, while police detectives investigate the Luther Drive property.
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CHEMICALS SPILLED AT INDUSTRIAL LAUNDROMAT BRINGS HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RESPONSE TO NILES
https://www.journal-topics.com/articles/chemicals-spilled-at-industrial-laundromat-brings-hazardous-materials-response-to-niles/
Tags: us_IL, industrial, release, injury, cleaners
Firefighters responding to a medium-level hazardous materials call evacuated an industrial laundromat after a worker moving drums of chemicals within the facility spilled four different cleaning chemicals totaling about 30 gallons, causing a chemical reaction, Niles Fire Chief Marty Feld said.
Firefighters were dispatched to 6977 N. Austin Ave. at 2:53 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15. Arriving firefighters found the worker moving the chemicals had spilled some of those fluids on his pants, which Feld said irritated the man’s skin. Feld said after consulting material data sheets on the chemicals, water was applied to the worker’s legs to stop the chemical burn. The chief said the worker did not require transportation to an area hospital.
An absorbent material was applied to the liquids on the concrete floor caused by the spill. Feld said the material was used to soak up the chemicals and prevent them from going down any drains. The building was ventilated to remove any lingering vapors.
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25 COLLEGE STUDENTS FALL ILL AFTER CHEMICAL GAS LEAK IN HYDERABAD
https://www.dtnext.in/national/2022/11/18/25-college-students-fall-ill-after-chemical-gas-leak-in-hyderabad
Tags: India, laboratory, release, injury, unknown_chemical
HYDERABAD: As many as 25 students suffered from giddiness and fell ill after an alleged chemical gas leak in a lab in Hyderabad's Kasturba Government College.
Affected students were rushed to the hospital and as per the medical officials, the students are now out of danger.
Forensic teams have reached the spot to ascertain which gas got leaked.
Further details are awaited.
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YMCA CAPE COD REOPENS AFTER CHEMICAL EXPOSURE
https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/local/2022/11/18/ymca-cape-cod-reopens-after-chemical-exposure/69653994007/
Tags: us_MA, public, follow-up, injury, pool_chemicals
WEST BARNSTABLE — YMCA Cape Cod has reopened its aquatic center, several weeks after chemical exposure injured seven children in October.
On Wednesday the pool reopened to all aquatics programming, including swim lessons, aqua fitness, and lap swimming. And all seven children injured in the chemical exposure, returned to YMCA classes and activities, said Stacie Peugh, chief executive officer of YMCA Cape Cod.
"We were collectively devastated by this accident at our pool. The impact on all board and staff was, and is very significant," said Peugh in an email. "Our first priority is the health and safety of the children in our care. We at the Y wish to convey our most heartfelt concern for all impacted by this incident."
On Oct. 7, the YMCA added granular chlorine, and later muriatic acid into the pool’s filtration system, rather than directly into the pool. The pool was not closed, and the granular chlorine was not diluted before being added to the filtration system.
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HAZMAT TEAM CLEARS SCENE AT OSCEOLA GRAND HOTEL IN EVART
https://www.9and10news.com/2022/11/18/hazmat-team-onsite-at-osceola-grand-hotel/
Tags: us_MI, public, release, response, chlorine
We now know what caused a hazmat team to be called to Osceola Grand Hotel in Evart.
Evart Area Fire and Rescue says an investigation into an unknown odor was caused by a chlorine chemical imbalance in the hotels pool room.
A hazmat team from Muskegon assisted in clearing the effected area and getting the chemicals back to normal levels. Evart Fire says the chemical imbalance appears to be accidental.
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CSB WARNS SCHOOLS OF DANGER IN CHEM LABS
https://sunnewsreport.com/csb-warns-schools-of-danger-in-chem-labs/
Tags: us_VA, laboratory, follow-up, environmental, flammables
Middle and high school science labs across the US are overflowing with potentially dangerous and unstable chemicals. If handled improperly, they can explode, catch on fire or burn through the skin.
The chemicals include:
Piric acid, which can explode instantly if mishandled;
Bromine and chlorine, once used as chemical warfare agents; and
Ethyl ether, also potentially explosive.
In response to a recent fire in a high school chemistry laboratory that resulted in multiple injuries, the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is calling on schools and educators to review agency guidance for lab and classroom work involving flammable liquids.
CSB states that although it isn’t investigating the Oct. 12 incident at Dinwiddie High School in Virginia, it’s reminiscent of past instances that prompted an incident investigation.
In those cases, an individual, as part of a lab demonstration, poured the flammable chemical methanol from a bulk container onto flames. A flashback to the bulk containers led to fires that caused injuries.
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A ‘DIFFERENT MINDSET’ AND ‘SMARTER TOOLBOX’ IS NEEDED FOR CHEMICAL SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY
https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2022/11/18/a-different-mindset-and-smarter-toolbox-is-needed-for-chemical-safety-and-sustainability
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental, toxics
Tightening regulatory requirements and heightened public expectations around the use of safe and sustainable chemicals in the food and beverage industry offers ‘substantial opportunities’ and ‘new risks’, according to TSG Consulting.
The focus on ‘safer’ products has been sharpening in the European Union since it introduced its ground-breaking chemicals regulation in 2006, according to Sue Bullock who heads up the chemical compliance, stewardship and sustainability team at TSG. And she believes that ‘the pace of change is set to quicken’.
Rising standards for safety and sustainability
Indeed, since the EU published the Green Deal in 2019, focus has turned to the systemic change that is needed to promote sustainable food systems. The industrial use of chemicals has come under increasing scrutiny in Europe, where the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability proclaimed its ambition to combat toxic chemicals and pollution that is detrimental to human health and ecosystems in 2020. A year later, the European Commission initiated a process to update EU laws governing chemicals in food contact materials (FCM). According to CHEM Trust, a charity based out of the UK and Germany, this review is long overdue - the EU’s FCM laws are ‘outdated and ineffective in protecting people and the environment’.
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