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Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, September 10, 2012 7:05:54 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 (22 articles)
AMMONIA LEAK AT PROCESSING PLANT PROMPTS EVACUATION
Tags: us_KY, industrial, release, response, ammonia
SIVAKASI FIRE TRAGEDY: CRACKER FACTORY OWNER ARRESTED IN MADURAI
Tags: India, industrial, follow-up, injury, illegal
FIRE BREAKS OUT ON SHIP OFF MUMBAI COAST; CHEMICAL CARGO ON BOARD
Tags: India, transportation, fire, response, unknown_chemical
FLAMES BREAK OUT IN CHEMICAL PLANT
Tags: us_NY, industrial, fire, injury, other_chemical
WHY SCARY LAB ACCIDENTS HAPPEN
Tags: laboratory, follow-up, response
FIREFIGHTERS HELP MILLERCOORS IN HAZMAT INCIDENT
Tags: us_GA, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
2 BURNED IN SOUTHWEST OMAHA CHEMICAL FIRE
Tags: us_NE, public, fire, injury, acetone
HAZMAT SPILL SPURS ROSWELL EVACUATIONS
Tags: us_NM, transportation, release, response, sodium_hydroxide
UPDATE: CHEMICAL CLOUD ACCIDENTALLY RELEASED AT BAYWOODS
Tags: us_MD, public, release, response, pool_chemicals
PANERA BREAD CLOSED AFTER EMPLOYEES BECOME ILL FROM FUMES
Tags: us_PA, public, release, injury, chlorine
CLEVELAND POSTAL CARRIER DISCOVERS SMOKING PACKAGE
Tags: us_OH, public, discovery, response, meth_lab
EXPLOSION AT CHEMICAL PLANT IN ELGIN
Tags: us_SC, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
EXPLOSION AT CHEMICAL PLANT IN DEL.
Tags: us_DE, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
CHEMICAL INCIDENT LEADS TO CHANGES IN PROCEDURES
Tags: us_RI, laboratory, follow-up, injury, formaldehyde
NO INJURIES AFTER DEBRIS SPARKS FIRE IN STEEL PROCESSING BUILDING
Tags: us_IL, industrial, fire, response, aluminum_dust
CHEVRON GIVES UPDATE ON RICHMOND REFINERY
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, response, petroleum
HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO MEDICAL FORUM BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN BIRMI
Tags: us_AL, public, release, injury, batteries, sulphur
HAZMAT REPORTS CLEANING PRODUCT IN STORM DRAIN
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, response, cleaners
HAZMAT TEAM CLEARING UP AMMONIA LEAK NEAR FISHERMAN'S TERMINAL
Tags: us_WA, transportation, release, injury, ammonia
AUSTRALIA: TANKER TRUCK LEAKS SODIUM HYDROXIDE
Tags: Australia, transportation, release, response, corrosives
LLANELLI CHEMICAL PLANT EVACUATED AS EXPERTS CALLED TO CLEAR BOMB
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, discovery, response, bomb
SIVAKASI FIREWORKS TRAGEDY: DID CHEMICAL MIX CAUSE THE EXPLOSION
Tags: India, public, follow-up, death, fireworks
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AMMONIA LEAK AT PROCESSING PLANT PROMPTS EVACUATION
http://www.wlwt.com/news/local-news/news-northern-kentucky/Ammonia-leak-evacuates-Covington-business/-/13608792/16539682/-/a53rb7z/-/index.html
Tags: us_KY, industrial, release, response, ammonia
COVINGTON, Ky. Ñ
A hazardous materials team remained on the scene of an ammonia leak in Covington late Sunday afternoon, along with officials from Homeland Security.
The leak happened inside Club Chef, a vegetable processing plant on Lake Park Drive in Covington.
The owner of Club Chef told News 5 about 100 employees were evacuated from the facility about 11 a.m. Sunday. He said the ammonia leak has been contained, but the incident was still under investigation.
"I've got plenty of fuel for my refrigeration units," Club Chef driver Weber said. "Ammonia is a nasty leak. I pull hazmat. I've got hazmat-endorsement on my CDL. It's just a nasty gas, that simple. It can kill you."
No one was hurt in the spill.
"We run drills on this all the time, so luckily everyone got out of the building and was out of the building and is safe. Right now, hazmat is in there cleaning up and figuring out when we can get back in," Club Chef representative Libby Korosec said.
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SIVAKASI FIRE TRAGEDY: CRACKER FACTORY OWNER ARRESTED IN MADURAI
http://www.ndtv.com/article/south/sivakasi-fire-tragedy-cracker-factory-owner-arrested-in-madurai-265028
Tags: India, industrial, follow-up, injury, illegal
Madurai: After being on the run for four days, the owner of Om Sakthi Crackers factory was finally arrested in Madurai today. On Wednesday, a major fire had broken out in the factory located in Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, claiming 38 lives and injuring 60 others.
The owner, Murugesan, is accused number one in the case. Charges against him include culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Ten teams had been formed by the police to nab him. They had, till now, arrested 12 others in the case including three contractors, a chemical mixer and the factory lessee Paul Pandi, who according to the police is accused number two in the case.
Mr Murugesan, who held the licence to run the factory, had leased it to Mr Pandi, which was illegal. Cases have been registered against the lease holders and owner under various sections of IPC and Explosives Act.
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FIRE BREAKS OUT ON SHIP OFF MUMBAI COAST; CHEMICAL CARGO ON BOARD
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/fire-breaks-out-on-ship-off-mumbai-coast-chemical-cargo-on-board-265020
Tags: India, transportation, fire, response, unknown_chemical
Mumbai: A major fire broke out on merchant vessel MV Amsterdam Bridge off the coast of Mumbai this afternoon. The 54,405 ton vessel is carrying chemical cargo which is hazardous and noxious in nature; if released into marine environment, it will have detrimental effect on human and marine life.
The Coast Guard received the first SOS call at 5.15 pm from the captain of the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged cargo vessel, following which two Coast Guard ships - Samudra Prahari and Subhadra Kumari Chouhan - were pressed into action. The crew was rescued immediately.
However, when these two ships could not contain the fire, two more ships - Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Sankalp and ICGS Sangram - were roped in, along with an emergency towing vehicle.
---------------------------------------------
FLAMES BREAK OUT IN CHEMICAL PLANT
http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/local/flames-break-out-in-chemical-plant
Tags: us_NY, industrial, fire, injury, other_chemical
TONAWANDA, N.Y (WIVB) - A firefighter from Kenmore was taken to ECMC with 2nd degree burns to the wrist, after crews took extra caution responding to a chemical plant fire in Tonawanda.
They got the call around 1:40am Sunday morning,where crews rushed to FMC Industrial Chemicals Group on Sawyer Avenue.
Upon their arrival, there was smoke showing. The fire is believed to have started inside a super stack machine on the first floor and spread to machines on the second and third floor.
Crews determined that ammonia persulfate was burning inside the machines that had to be put out with large volumes of water.
The run-off was contained and there was no release of the chemical outside of the building.
---------------------------------------------
WHY SCARY LAB ACCIDENTS HAPPEN
http://www.science20.com/chemical_education/why_scary_lab_accidents_happen-93815
Tags: laboratory, follow-up, response
If a chemist has never been in a lab accident, he has been lucky. Of course luck is more likely to come to those whose mentors have learned from bad experiences and to those who have taken preventive measures seriously, despite their anal nature. Chemical reactions create products with behaviors that differ from those of the ingredients. That's what makes them intriguing, and it's also what makes them potentially dangerous. No matter how simple and controllable a reaction seems on paper, when it's carried out in real life, the exact conditions determine its rate. And when gases or acids acquire too much kinetic energy, no one wants eyes, lungs and flesh in their way.
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FIREFIGHTERS HELP MILLERCOORS IN HAZMAT INCIDENT
http://www.walb.com/story/19431174/firefighters-help-millercoors-in-hazmat-incident
Tags: us_GA, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
ALBANY, GA -
A chemical mixture mistake at MillerCoors Brewery in Albany Friday but there were no injuries or spills.
Albany Firefighters were called to the plant on Cordele Road just after 11:30 after workers accidentally mixed two chemicals in a container.
Firefighters say MillerCoors employees off-gassed the container, and then off loaded the chemicals into another tank for disposal.
Firefighters say MillerCoors officials never told them what the chemicals were. Plant officials said they would issue a statement, but we have not received it yet.
---------------------------------------------
2 BURNED IN SOUTHWEST OMAHA CHEMICAL FIRE
http://www.omaha.com/article/20120908/NEWS/120909775/1694
Tags: us_NE, public, fire, injury, acetone
Two men were seriously burned in a chemical fire at a southwest Omaha home.
Fire officials said the men were spraying the basement floor with acetone to do concrete etching about 8:30 p.m. Friday.
The gas water heater's pilot light had not been shut off, and the chemical caused the utility room and baseboards to catch fire. The accident occurred at 13428 Valley St.
The homeowner and his brother escaped through a window but suffered second- and third-degree burns on their legs and arms, fire officials said.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT SPILL SPURS ROSWELL EVACUATIONS
http://www.kasa.com/dpps/traffic/hazmat-spill-spurs-roswell-evacuations_4503247
Tags: us_NM, transportation, release, response, sodium_hydroxide
ROSWELL, N.M. (KRQE) - A semi truck hauling a hazardous substance crashed near Roswell Friday afternoon spilling its load and launching evacuations within a one-mile radius.
The crash on the U.S. Highway 285 near U.S. 70 northwest of Roswell happened about 1 p.m. Evacuations were expected to remain in place for up to 10 hours.
New Mexico Department of Transportation maintenance workers have been covering the spilled solution of sodium hydroxide with sand and then placing tarps over that to protect the material from rain.
Sodium hydroxide , also known as lye and caustic soda, becomes particularly dangerous when it comes in contact with water. Rain is reported in the area.
The truck driver, Sue Joe Sharabi of Sherman, Texas, was not injured in the crash, according to a statement from NMDOT. The truck belongs to Conway Truck Loads, the statement said.
---------------------------------------------
UPDATE: CHEMICAL CLOUD ACCIDENTALLY RELEASED AT BAYWOODS
http://annapolis.patch.com/articles/chemical-release-at-baywoods-of-annapolis
Tags: us_MD, public, release, response, pool_chemicals
UPDATE: (11:56 a.m.)ÑA chemical cloud was accidentally released into the indoor pool room at BayWoods of Annapolis causing evacuation of the area on Friday, Annapolis fire officials said.
A hazmat team discovered that liquid chlorine was dropped into a vat of muriatic acid in the poll equipment room, which "created a vapor cloud that immediately engulfed the swimming pool area," said Battalion Chief John Menassa.
---------------------------------------------
PANERA BREAD CLOSED AFTER EMPLOYEES BECOME ILL FROM FUMES
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/burlington_county_times_news/hazmat-team-investigating-fumes-at-panera-bread/article_dd733101-8f06-54b4-9faf-dae698fc0e2f.html
Tags: us_PA, public, release, injury, chlorine
The Panera Bread on Nixon Drive in Mount Laurel was closed Friday morning after numerous employees became ill from noxious fumes, officials said.
Eleven workers were taken to an area hospital with respiratory problems. Officials believe the fumes may have formed when drain cleaners were mixed to remove a clog. The employees' conditions were not available Friday.
A Burlington County hazmat team found minor chlorine readings in the building before it was ventilated, officials said. Separate contractors were expected to clean the restaurant drains and pump the grease traps.
---------------------------------------------
CLEVELAND POSTAL CARRIER DISCOVERS SMOKING PACKAGE
http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/259740/3/Cleveland-postal-carrier-discovers-smoking-package
Tags: us_OH, public, discovery, response, meth_lab
CLEVELAND -- A postal employee working his regular route came across something unusual Thursday. What had been left inside the mail drop box was smoking.
The bomb squad was called in to investigate and soon a HAZMAT team arrived.
"Somebody seen something in the mailbox thought it was a bomb, it was equipment to make drugs," said Samantha Traina, the sister of the woman who was arrested at the scene.
An officer at the scene told Channel 3 News that the bottles they pulled out were part of a mobile meth lab.
The discovery led them to a house about a block away where another HAZMAT search was underway.
A woman who we'll call "Lynn" says she lives above the unit where police were searching.
---------------------------------------------
EXPLOSION AT CHEMICAL PLANT IN ELGIN
http://www.wltx.com/news/article/200842/2/Explosion-at-Chemical-Plant-in-Elgin-
Tags: us_SC, industrial, explosion, injury, unknown_chemical
Elgin, SC (WLTX) - An explosion has taken place at Weylchem, a chemical plant in Elgin.
The incident began around 4:00 p.m. Friday.
The fire it caused was contained to a very localized area. The company says a vessel over-pressurized and ruptured, causing a loud noise that many in the Elgin area heard.
Three people were evaluated by the Kershaw County Emergency Services and treated for minor injuries.
---------------------------------------------
EXPLOSION AT CHEMICAL PLANT IN DEL.
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Explosion-at-Chemical-Plant-in-Del-169006636.html
Tags: us_DE, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
An explosion and small fire is under investigation at a chemical manufacturing plant in Elsmere, Delaware.
Delaware State Police confirm to NBC10 that explosion happened at Homalite on Brookside Drive just after 8 p.m. Friday.
Firefighters arrived to find crumbled pieces of debris outside the building and authorities say they did not enter because of the severe damage to the building.
Police say a small fire was quickly extinguished and no one was injured.
The building has been condemned, according to the police, pending an inspection.
---------------------------------------------
CHEMICAL INCIDENT LEADS TO CHANGES IN PROCEDURES
http://www.thewesterlysun.com/news/chemical-incident-leads-to-changes-in-procedures/article_a0cf9388-f8f6-11e1-b77c-001a4bcf887a.html
Tags: us_RI, laboratory, follow-up, injury, formaldehyde
WESTERLY Ñ A report that was expected a couple of weeks after the June 1 chemical incident at Westerly High School was finally released at the School Committee's meeting this week.
The two-page "After Action" document, produced by school administrators and emergency agencies, contains several practical and procedural recommendations, many of which focus on improving communications among school personnel, emergency agencies and other first responders.
Early on the morning of Friday, June 1, two students complained of headaches, nausea and dizziness. Principal Steven Ruscito evacuated the building, but reopened it a short time later after Westerly firefighters were unable to detect carbon monoxide or other contaminants in initial air quality tests.
But at 9:22 a.m., 16 additional students and an adult said they were feeling sick, and firefighters returned. Eight students and one adult were taken to The Westerly Hospital and were later released.
The Hope Valley-Wyoming Hazardous Material Team detected formalin, a diluted formaldehyde used to preserve laboratory specimens, in the air in the science wing of the school. That wing was immediately closed, but the school remained open for the rest of the day, with parents who had received an automated message on the Alert-Now emergency telephone system arriving to pick up their children.
The affected students appear to have been the victims of a "perfect storm" of conditions, the report said. A task force comprising the Westerly fire and police departments, the Hope Valley hazmat team, the state environmental management and health departments, the school district and Mystic Air Quality concluded that their symptoms resulted from a combination of factors: air pressure, air temperature, and the presence of formalin in a poorly-ventilated area. Chemical sensitivities in some of those exposed may also have exacerbated their symptoms.
---------------------------------------------
NO INJURIES AFTER DEBRIS SPARKS FIRE IN STEEL PROCESSING BUILDING
http://naperville.patch.com/articles/no-injuires-after-debris-sparks-fire-in-steel-processing-building#photo-11241583
Tags: us_IL, industrial, fire, response, aluminum_dust
No one was injured after debris sparked a fire inside of a steel processing building in the 900 block of Frontenac Road in northwest Naperville Wednesday afternoon.
Naperville Firefighters arrived to Promet Processing Corporation, 951 Frontenac Rd., around 3 p.m. Wednesday after receiving a call regarding a debris pit catching fire, said Naperville Fire Division Chief Mark Ziemnik.
"When our units first got here they were told that aluminum had caught on fire in a pit (measuring) about 5-by-8 by about 25-to-30 feet deep," Ziemnik said.
A total of 25 fire personnel were on the scene, including two trucks, two ambulances, three engines, one police squad company and three command vehicles.
Employees were able to extinguish the fire prior to the fire department's arrival, he said.
"We had gone upstairs to have a meeting and when we were up there a spark landed on some debris," said Promet Processing Corporation general manager Matt Steagall. "And next thing you know, it was time to roast marshmallows."
---------------------------------------------
CHEVRON GIVES UPDATE ON RICHMOND REFINERY
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2012/09/07/Chevron-gives-update-on-Richmond-refinery/UPI-46521347011252/
Tags: us_CA, industrial, follow-up, response, petroleum
RICHMOND, Calif., Sept. 7 (UPI) -- Chevron reported that a flash fire erupted at a unit of at its Richmond, Calif., oil refinery about 10 minutes before a major blaze broke out in August.
Chevron shut one of the units at its Richmond refinery following a fire in early August. Investigators with the U.S. Chemical Safety Board agency said refinery workers were working to stem a leak from an 8-inch line at one of the units at the refinery before the fire started.
Chevron, in an update to regulators, said a small flash fire occurred at an insulated pipe about 10 minutes before the fire. Roughly 5 minutes after the flash fire, operators shut the unit down and a white cloud became visible.
"A significant amount of water was being applied on scene and considerable steam was created," the company said. "Because the white cloud did not ignite we have questions about its composition."
A fireball erupted shortly afterward. The cause of the primary leak and the potential ignition source are under investigation.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT TEAM RESPONDS TO MEDICAL FORUM BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN BIRMI
http://www.myfoxal.com/story/19476236/hazmat-team-responds-to-medical-forum-building
Tags: us_AL, public, release, injury, batteries, sulphur
A Hazmat team responded to the Medical Forum building in downtown Birmingham to clean up a battery leaking sulfur on the 8th floor. The building is located at 950 22nd Street North near the BJCC and Sheraton Hotel.
Birmingham Fire and Rescue crews and the Hazmat team arrived to the building around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6.
Two people were taken to a local hospital after being exposed to the sulfur, Battalion Chief C.W. Mardis with Birmingham Fire and Rescue said. There is no word on their conditions.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT REPORTS CLEANING PRODUCT IN STORM DRAIN
http://caldwells.patch.com/articles/hazmat-reports-cleaning-product-in-storm-drain
Tags: us_NJ, public, release, response, cleaners
Concerns over a chemical spill in Caldwell snarled traffic on Bloomfield Avenue Thursday while local and county officials conducted an investigation.
The Essex County Hazmat Unit, based out of Nutley, checked storm drains across half the town, as well as the nearby county park pond, but found that a cleaning product discovered in one storm drain had not spread.
Hazmat was called to the borough at approximately 12:45 p.m. when a strange odor was reported on Personette Street, near Bloomfield Avenue, according to Nutley Fire Department Lt. Don Santangelo.
"There was a company that was cleaning the paver blocks and the product rolled down the driveway onto the street and into the storm drain," Santangelo said. He said the spill has been deemed accidental.
Hazmat worked alongside local and county health officials, as well as the borough's Department of Public Works and the Caldwell Volunteer Fire Department, after a stripping product was discovered in the storm drain.
---------------------------------------------
HAZMAT TEAM CLEARING UP AMMONIA LEAK NEAR FISHERMAN'S TERMINAL
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2012/08/hazmat-team-cleaning-up-ammonia-spill-near-fishermans-terminal/
Tags: us_WA, transportation, release, injury, ammonia
An ammonia gas leak on a 178-foot vessel near Fisherman's Terminal led to an evacuation of everyone within 500 feet of it Thursday, according to the Seattle Fire Department.
A repair crew for a fish-processing boat punctured a 1-1/4-inch hole in gas line at around 4:30 p.m. at 1500 W. Thurman St., sending the ammonia spilling into a confined space on the ship called the blasting freezer, according to SFD spokesman Kyle Moore.
One crew member was physically affected by the spill but declined treatment, he said.
Because the puncture in the gas line was so hard to reach, the SFD hazardous materials team is waiting for the remaining ammonia gas to leak out of its tank instead of immediately sealing it, Moore said. SFD's Technical Rescue Team will try to cut off the leak when ammonia air levels decrease, he said.
---------------------------------------------
AUSTRALIA: TANKER TRUCK LEAKS SODIUM HYDROXIDE
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-07/chemical-spill-causes-traffic-gridlock/4248318?section=vic
Tags: Australia, transportation, release, response, corrosives
A tanker carrying thousands of litres of a chemical has crashed in Southbank in Melbourne, causing traffic gridlock.
The truck collided with a car on the Kings Way off-ramp at about 8:20am (AEST), bringing traffic to a standstill on the West Gate Freeway.
Metropolitan Fire Brigade commander Barry Gray says the truck was carrying potassium hydroxide that has leaked onto the road.
"We're estimating what's escaped from the tank at the moment is probably 100 to 150 litres, we estimate the tank's capacity is 8,000 litres," he said.
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LLANELLI CHEMICAL PLANT EVACUATED AS EXPERTS CALLED TO CLEAR BOMB
http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Llanelli-chemical-plant-evacuated-experts-called/story-16847113-detail/story.html
Tags: United_Kingdom, industrial, discovery, response, bomb
ARMY bomb disposal experts have detonated a Second World War bomb uncovered at a Llanelli chemical plant.
The explosive, which was found at the site of Huntsman Chemical Company in Bynea during a routine excavation, prompted an immediate evacuation and closure of the site.
The scene at Huntsman Chemical Plant in Bynea where an unexploded Second World War bomb has been found
The bomb was destroyed in a controlled explosion yesterday afternoon.
Grant Wood, environmental health and safety manager at the plant said: "During a routine maintenance excavation a war-time bomb was discovered.
"The plant was shut down immediately and the bomb was moved to a safe location on site.
"It was a surprise to discover the bomb and we informed the police immediately after. There has been no risk to the public at any time."
---------------------------------------------
SIVAKASI FIREWORKS TRAGEDY: DID CHEMICAL MIX CAUSE THE EXPLOSION
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Sivakasi-fireworks-tragedy-Did-chemical-mix-cause-the-explosion/articleshow/16291596.cms
Tags: India, public, follow-up, death, fireworks
SIVAKASI: A mixture of chemicals used in fancy fireworks that paint the sky in varying hues is blamed for many of the accidents in Sivakasi. Locally called "mani marundhu" , this mix of magnesium, magnalium , sulphur, ammonium nitrate, barium nitrate, charcoal and turpentine is so volatile that it goes off with minor friction.
"One should be extremely careful while dealing with the mixture because it can go off even with slight friction," said N Arjunan , who works in a fireworks unit close to Om Shakthi Fireworks, where a series of explosions killed 38 people on Wednesday. The mixture is used in all fireworks that are intended to produce multi-coloured illumination .
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