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Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:29:15 -0500
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From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety"

Subject: Chemical Safety Headlines From Google (15 articles)
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Chemical Safety Headlines =46rom Google
Friday, December 23, 2011 10:22:11 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 (15 articles)

DEPUTIES, TROOPER EXPOSED TO TOXIC FUMES IN METH LAB BUST
Tags: us_KY, public, explosion, response, batteries, meth_lab

COLLABORATIVE ON HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT ::
Tags: follow-up

SAFETY CONCERNS ON RISE AS MAJOR ACCIDENTS OCCUR IN PHARMA COMPANIES
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, drugs, dust, pharmaceutical, follow-up

BREAKING NEWS, LOCAL NEWS, LOCAL WEATHER, LOCAL SPORTS
Tags: us_OR, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical, follow-up

CLEANUP OF MAKESHIFT CHEMISTRY LAB WILL STRETCH INTO 2012
Tags: us_SC, laboratory, release, environmental, metals, follow-up

METH LAB FOUND IN FLAG MOTEL
Tags: us_AZ, public, release, response, meth_lab

FATHER JUDGE HIGH SCHOOL HAZMAT MYSTERY SOLVED
Tags: us_PA, education, release, response, unknown_chemical, follow-up

3 HOSPITALIZED WITH CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN GWINNETT
Tags: us_GA, public,release, injury, carbon_monoxide

UB BUILDING SAFE AFTER BIO HAZARD SCARE
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, fire, response

SMALL FIRE BREAKS OUT AT WEST DEPTFORD CHEMICAL PLANT; NO INJURIES REPORTED
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, fire, response, plastics

RAGS COMBUST, CAUSE FIRE DAMAGE TO CONGRESS STREET BUILDING
Tags: us_NH, industrial, fire, response, polyurethane

BOTTLE BOMBS EXPLODE IN SANTEE, 3 ARRESTED
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, response, bomb

WAXAHACHIE CHEMICAL FIRM CITED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATIONS
Tags: us_TX,public, fire, environmental, unknown_chemical, follow-up

CHEMICAL EXPLOSION AT UNIVERSITY OF OREGON BIO LAB BURNS RESEARCHER ON ARM, BREAKS GLASS
Tags: us_OR, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

HAZARDOUS WASTE EXPLOSION
Tags: us_NY, industrial, explosion, death, waste


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DEPUTIES, TROOPER EXPOSED TO TOXIC FUMES IN METH LAB BUST
http://www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/Officers_exposed_to_toxic_fumes_in_meth_lab_bust_136121448.html?ref=448&amp;mobile=yes&amp;c=y
Tags: us_KY, public, explosion, response, batteries, meth_lab

Five Scott County Sheriff's Deputies and a Kentucky State trooper arrived at a home on North Dividing Ridge, near Sadieville, on a tip that there was apossible meth lab inside. Once inside, the officers confronted two men, Jeremy Centers and Philip Jean, the KSP says Centers then went and began to dispose of the evidence, and in the process put everyone's lives in jeopardy.

"It's a very, very dangerous situation that could have been a lot worse," described Kentucky State Trooper, Ron Turley.


"Their meth lab contained lithium batteries, and anytime lithium batteries and water mix, you have a fire, or explosion. It also causes a very toxic fume that caused some bronchial irritation [for everyone exposed]," he explained.

Neighbors, nearby, say they suspected something was wrong at the mobile home, "Yeah, it kind of worried me, there," said Allie Morrison, who lives just a few yards away.

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COLLABORATIVEON HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT ::
http://www.healthandenvironment.org/tddb/
Tags: follow-up

The CHE Toxicant and Disease Database is a searchable database that summarizes links between chemical contaminants and approximately 180 human diseases or conditions. Diseases and or toxicants can be viewed by clicking on the diseases below or by utilizing the search engine in the column on the right. See a full description of the database and its limitations.

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SAFETY CONCERNS ON RISE AS MAJOR ACCIDENTS OCCUR IN PHARMA COMPANIES
http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=66708&amp;sid=1
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, drugs, dust, pharmaceutical, follow-up

Of late with the rising incidents of fire accidents in pharmaceutical factories the safety concerns have become a serious matter of debate. There has been a succession of fire accidents happening in chemical factories in and around Hyderabad.
Last week if it was an explosion in a chemical factory which killed 4 people in Green Park at Polepalli Pharma Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Jadcherla, two days later, the explosion of a chemical reactor had charred the bodies of two employees in a huge fire at a pharmaceutical company at Patancheru about 50 kms from Hyderabad.

The fire broke out at the chemical factory of Rantus Pharma in Pashamylaram industrial area of Patancheru in Medak district. The factory wascompletely gutted. Two employees working at the factory did not return home. Their families lodged a complaint with the police. Investigators found skeletal remains of the missing employees in the rubble. The dead have been identified as stores manager Ravindranath and worker Ram Singh.

Earlier it was believed that only six workers had been injured in the fire. According to police, the fire engulfed the factory after areactor exploded due to an electrical short-circuits. The fire broke out and spread to neighbouring factories. Fire-fighting personnel battled for fivehours to control the flames.

"It is high time that the pharmaceutical companies should take utmost care and precautions to avoid any kind of fire accidents. Otherwise it gives a wrong impression to the world and may compel investors to look out for other safer zones. Already the pharma industry is moving a bit slow due to agitations locally and economic slow down in the international markets," said an industry analyst.

For worker and operator who are working in chemical factories near reactors or blast furnaces they should be mind full of accidents and always be alert and cautious. Because in most of the chemical factories and chemical reactors there are possibilities of explosions from uncontrolled chemical reactions due to overpressure or dueto release of energy from exothermal reactions (a result of mechanical damage or corrosion).

The worker should also becautious and take precautions against exposure to hazardous substances due to a sudden release of toxic materials from reactors due to the work-related accident or as a result of human error.

Exposure to high temperatures and heat-stress from chemical reactors and exposure to carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic substances present in the reactor or released from the reactor during cleaning and maintenance work may also cause catastrophic damage to the working force in the chemical factories.

Exposure to substances that can harm the nervous system and exposure to suspended dust PM10 can give rise to respiratory diseases.

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BREAKING NEWS, LOCAL NEWS, LOCAL WEATHER, LOCAL SPORTS
http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/story/UO-continues-investigating-bio-lab-explosion/aT4ihrlMzEuVBrZ5SmBXmw.cspx
Tags: us_OR, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical, follow-up
EUGENE, Ore. (KMTR) - New details are emerging as investigators are trying to determine what caused a chemical explosion at the UO Wednesday afternoon that injured afaculty member.
The small explosion happened around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 at Huestis Hall on the UO campus. It happened in a biology lab on the third floor, in the northeast corner of building.

The University of Oregon still hasn' released the name of the person involved due to medical privacy laws, but the male faculty member's injuries aren' as serious as originally thought.

UO spokesman Phil Weiler says the injured faculty member was not burned in the incident, but did receive cuts to his arm which had to be stitched.

At the time of the explosion, the UO says the faculty member involved was cleaning a fume hood used to evacuate chemical exhaust.

The UO's campus environmental safety technicians arestill investigating, looking into what chemicals were in use when the explosion occurred.

"I think the big take away is that the system that we had in place, both at the University leveland the Eugene Fire level worked really well," said UO spokesman Phil Weiler.

"People responded very quickly, we had all the resources we need if this were a serious incident. Fortunately, it was not, but I think it was good for us to see that the systemdoes work," said Weiler.

The explosion did not cause any exterior damage. Inside, several glass containers broke in the explosion, spreading shattered glass in the small laboratory.

Tuesday night

---------------------------------------------

CLEANUP OF MAKESHIFT CHEMISTRY LAB WILL STRETCH INTO 2012
http://www.independentmail.com/news/2011/dec/22/cleanup-makeshift-chemistry-lab-will-stretch-2012/
Tags: us_SC, laboratory, release, environmental, metals, follow-up

ANDERSON COUNTY =E2=80=94 Federal environmental workers hoped to finish cleaning a crude lab site near Hartwell Lake by Christmas, but the discovery of yet another chemical element on the property will keep them cleaning untilat least mid-February.

Cadmium, a bluish-white metal, has been found in the soil behind the site's "main lab" =E2=80=94 a leaky old warehouse where a man in his 70s told authorities he was trying to make organic fuel.

The makeshift chemistry lab near Interstate 85 in Anderson has yielded 946 containers of chemicals since it was discovered by the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency in June, six months after a worker from the state health department investigated a complaint in the same neighborhood and reported that she could find no problems.

Chemicals were found in hundreds of jars, bottles, tubs and drums on the property. Some of those chemicals, including arsenic and now the carcinogen cadmium, have been found in the soil surrounding the lake.Benjamin Franco, the EnvironmentalProtection Agency's on-scene coordinator of the cleanup, said the presence of cadmium in the soil will affect how workers can dispose of the dirt.

---------------------------------------------

METH LAB FOUND IN FLAG MOTEL
http://azdailysun.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/meth-lab-found-in-flag-motel/article_9c6e79f2-052d-5ba9-988d-7f573275d383.html
Tags: us_AZ,public, release, response, meth_lab

Two Ohio residents are in custody after police found a working meth lab in a Flagstaff motel room late Monday night.
Police found the lab at the Pinecrest Motel, 2818 E. Route 66, at about 11 p.m. during a domestic dispute call, said Sgt. Ryan Beckman of the Metro anti-narcotics task force.
Officers, upon making contact with the guests in the room in question, noticed itemsof drug paraphernalia in plain sight, Beckman added.
According to information from the police department, the officers also began noticing a "strong chemical odor" coming from inside the room.
"It was actually cooking off when officers got in," Beckman said, adding that the lab was a "one-cook pot" to make a single batch of meth.

---------------------------------------------

FATHER JUDGE HIGH SCHOOL HAZMAT MYSTERY SOLVEDhttp://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/Father_Judge_Hazmat_Mystery_Solved_122111
Tags: us_PA, education, release, response, unknown_chemical, follow-up

PHILADELPHIA - The mystery of what irritated dozens at a local school has been solved.

The problem surfaced at Father Judge High School in Northeast Philly earlier this month.
It was earlier this month that dozens of people wentto area hospitals complaining of eye irritation after a weekend cheerleading tournament at the high school.

We first reported that fire investigators suspected it was due to a broken light fixture.

Even so, the school went through several hazardous materials tests and was even closed for a couple of days while officials investigated.

Well, on Wednesday health officials confirmed the irritation was due to a defective metal halidelamp. They believe it emitted UV rays, which caused the irritation.

The school is fixing the bulb.

The FDA reports that broken and unshielded bulbs have been known to cause eye and skin injuries, particularly in school gymnasiums.

None of the people who went to the hospital with eye irritation are expected to have any lasting problems.

We first learned about this story through a tip from one of our FOX 29 viewers. Send us your story ideas by logging on to MyFoxPhilly dot com and clicking on the white envelope icon, or send us an email at fox29**At_Symbol_Here**foxtv.com .

---------------------------------------------
3 HOSPITALIZED WITH CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN GWINNETT
http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett/3-hospitalized-with-carbon-1266785.html
Tags: us_GA, public, release, injury, carbon_monoxide

Three people were hospitalized after being sickened by carbon monoxide fumes at a home in Gwinnett County early Wednesday, authorities said.

Lt. Eric Eberly,spokesman for the Gwinnett County fire department, said paramedics responded to a call from a house in the 1000 block of Bridal Path Drive in Lawrenceville shortly after 5:30 a.m.
Inside the house, crews found one man with an "obvious medical emergency," Eberly said, and called for additional units.

An engine company with a hazmat unit detected extremely high levels of carbon monoxide, which was coming from a generator in the garage being used to power a heater. The home's electricity had been cut off, Eberly said.

---------------------------------------------

UB BUILDING SAFE AFTER BIO HAZARD SCARE
http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/local/UB-building-safe-after-bio-hazard-scare
Tags: us_NY, laboratory, fire, response

AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB)- There was a scare at the University at Buffalo, when crews were called tothe scene of a possible bio hazard.

When fire crews hear a call of smoke in an eight-story building it raises eyebrows, when they hear that building houses chemical laboratories it raises even more concerns. But, all ended safelyWednesday night.

Around 8:30 p.m. firefighters got a call from a student or researcher who smelled smoke inside the natural sciences complex. It turns out, the smoke had nothing to do with the chemicals.

A vacuum pump in a lab overheated and oil associated with the pump started burning, giving out a light smoke that went through the building.

---------------------------------------------

SMALL FIRE BREAKS OUT AT WEST DEPTFORD CHEMICAL PLANT; NO INJURIES REPORTED
http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2011/12/small_fire_breaks_out_at_west.html
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, fire, response, plastics

WEST DEPTFORD TWP. =E2=80=94 Workers were temporarily evacuated from a local chemical manufacturing plant Wednesday when an outdoor filtering vessel caught fire, Thorofare Volunteer Fire Company Chief Phil Zimm said.
Area firefighters were dispatched not long before noon to the Coim USA Inc. facility for the small blaze that Zimm said caused no injuries.
Coim, an international company, manufactures a variety of packaging materials, sealants, polymers and other products.
Zimm said paint on portions of the carbon filter vesselwas bubbling, showing that there was a fire inside. The vessel basically disposes of manufacturing by-products.
Zimm said as of early afternoon, officials did not yet know what caused the fire, which was still under investigation.
Firefighters continually flooded the vessel with foam and kept cooling it in order to ensure it didn' reignite, the chief said, adding that it should be easily fixed and placed back into working order.

---------------------------------------------

RAGS COMBUST, CAUSE FIRE DAMAGE TO CONGRESS STREET BUILDING
http://m.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?aid=/20111221/NEWS/111229938&amp;template=wapart
Tags: us_NH, industrial, fire, response, polyurethane

PORTSMOUTH =E2=80=94 While firefighters prioritized crash calls due to icy roads Wednesday morning, they also responded to a fire in the basement of the Franklin Block building where polyurethene-soaked rags ignited by spontaneous combustion, said Assistant Fire Chief Steve Achilles.

The fire sparked in a basement workshop where the chemical-soaked rags were "not properly disposed of" and reached a temperature high enough to catch fire, said Achilles. Flames from the burning pile of rags spread up a wall in the 75 Congress Street building and melted plastic wiring before a nearby sprinkler was activated and "controlled the fire," said Achilles.

The fire caused about $2,000 worth of damage and ground-floor business were unaffected, said the assistant fire chief. Because sprinklers and alarms worked as designed, Achilles said, the fire serves as a good reminder of the importance of fire prevention devices. He said if the same rags had ignited in the same location 20 or 30 years ago, when fire codes did not require sprinklers and alarms, "it could have gone to two or three alarms."

"It's an older building and there would have been a big fire through the roof," he said. "Fire prevention and code enforcement are an integral part of public safety and that's what happened here."

---------------------------------------------

BOTTLE BOMBS EXPLODE IN SANTEE, 3 ARRESTED
http://www.kusi.com/story/16371489/bottle-bombs-explode-in-santee-3-arrested
Tags: us_CA, public, explosion, response, bomb

SANTEE (CNS) - Chemical acid bombs made with plastic water bottles exploded in front of a Santee residence Wednesday, resulting in three arrests, but no one was injured.

The bombs exploded in the 9400 block of Mast Boulevard about 5:30 a.m., said Detective Dan Wilson of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. The detective described the damage as minimal.

Shortly afterward, deputies stopped a vehicle nearby and arrested the three occupants, according to Wilson, who said items related to the bombs were allegedly foundinside the vehicle.

---------------------------------------------

WAXAHACHIE CHEMICALFIRM CITED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATIONS
http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Waxahachie-chemical-firm-cited-for-environmental-violations-136044838.html
Tags: us_TX, public, fire, environmental, unknown_chemical, follow-up

WAXAHACHIE =E2=80=94 The company responsible for that massive chemical fire at a Waxahachie blending plant in October is now under additional scrutiny from state regulators.
After the fire, investigators from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality found alleged violations at another Magnablend plant. The facility near downtown Waxahachie is being cited for emitting unauthorized chemicals and for improper ventilation of contaminants.
Magnablend has 30 days to correct any problems.

---------------------------------------------

CHEMICAL EXPLOSION AT UNIVERSITYOF OREGON BIO LAB BURNS RESEARCHER ON ARM, BREAKS GLASS
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/9fb699a78abb42e6a12b3f9e40941fa9/OR--UO-Lab-Explosion/
Tags: us_OR, laboratory, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical

EUGENE, Ore. =E2=80=94 A University of Oregon faculty member suffered burns on an arm and some cuts in a chemical explosion Wednesday in a lab at a campus science building.

The man was treated at Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield.
The university says the explosion was confined to the work station where the man was handling chemicals. It broke glass but there was no substantial fire damage.

The Register-Guard reports (<a href="http://is.gd/emQgV2">http://is.gd/emQgV2</a> ) the building, Huestis Hall, was evacuated for about an hour.

Classes have ended for the term but research and other work continues through the break.

---------------------------------------------

HAZARDOUS WASTEEXPLOSION
http://www.salemnews.net/page/content.detail/id/548998/Glenmoor-man-dies-of-injuries-from-fire-at-WTI.html?nav=5007
Tags: us_NY, industrial, explosion, death, waste

EAST LIVERPOOL - A Glenmoor man is dead of injuries received Saturday in a fire at Heritage-WTI's hazardous waste incinerator, and another worker remains hospitalized.

Although company officials declined to identify the victims, they did say one of the men, a service technician who had been with the company five years, died in a Pittsburgh hospital.
....

Both men were transported to Pittsburgh after initially being taken to East Liverpool City Hospital following the fire.

Bailey andBechak were in the process of separating products from a barrel when the material reacted, causing a small explosion, followed by a larger explosion, according to city fire department reports.

The explosion caused a flash fire in which the men were burned.

Fire reports indicated the barrel they were separating contained cutting oil, hafnium, niobium, water and zirconium, and according to Michael Parkes, head of community/employee relations, "We've split containers for years," and the men were doing a routine procedure.

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