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Chemical Safety Headlines
A service of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
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Table of Contents (13 articles)
CHEMICAL SCARE AT SYDNEY WATER BUILDING
Tags: Australia, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
POWDER SHUTS DOWN HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM IN MEMPHIS; SUBSTANCE PROVES TO BE NONTOXIC
Tags: us_TN, public, release, injury, dust
BIG FIRE SENDS TOXIC SMOKE ACROSS GORE
Tags: New_Zealand, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
SERIES OF EXPLOSION IN TARAPUR CHEMICAL UNIT, NO CASUALTIES REPORTED
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
WHY THE RECURRENCE?
Tags: Bangladesh, public, follow-up, death, solvent
FUEL FROM SOUTH-SIDE REFINERY SPILLS INTO S.A. RIVER
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, jet_fuel
HOTEL, HOMES EVACUATED IN SE HOUSTON GAS LEAK
Tags: us_TX, public, release, response, other_chemical
2 KILLED IN CHEMICAL UNIT BLAST
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, methylene_chloride
GRASS FIRE KEPT SHORT OF LAWRENCE CHEMICAL PLANT
Tags: us_KS, industrial, fire, response, ag_chems
AGENCIES RESPOND TO CHEMICAL SPILL AT AMITY ROAD
Tags: us_AR, industrial, release, response, xylene, Flammables
THREE SMALL FIRES DOUSED AT LOS ALAMOS LAB
Tags: us_NM, laboratory, fire, response, waste
CHEMICAL FACTORY BLAST KILLS TWO IN ANDHRA PRADESH
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
HAZMAT SITUATION AT COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY
Tags: us_NJ, laboratory, release, response, other_chemical
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CHEMICAL SCARE AT SYDNEY WATER BUILDING
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2014/04/14/14/38/parramatta-building-evacuated-due-to-fumes
Tags: Australia, industrial, release, response, unknown_chemical
Hundreds of workers have been evacuated from Sydney Water's headquarters in Parramatta after a chemical scare.
The alarm was raised at a tower block just before 1pm (AEST) on Monday, with police sealing off parts of the road and forcing staff to abandon their desks and wait outside for much of the afternoon.
Fire and Rescue NSW said chemicals had mixed in the basement and the compound was giving off a strong, potentially dangerous vapour.
Firefighters wearing protective suits and rubber gloves entered the basement to try to identify if there was any imminent threat.
It is understood they isolated one of the chemicals in a 50-litre drum and made it safe.
One firefighter was seen being washed down with a hose outside the building.
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POWDER SHUTS DOWN HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM IN MEMPHIS; SUBSTANCE PROVES TO BE NONTOXIC
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2014/apr/13/hazmat-situation-shuts-down-methodist-ermergency-r/
Tags: us_TN, public, release, injury, dust
A FedEx employee exposed to a white powder on the job prompted the shutdown and decontamination of the emergency room at Methodist University Hospital Sunday night, according a Memphis Fire Department spokesman.
The 42-year-old woman went home after her shift and showered, but drove herself to the emergency room after she started experiencing breathing problems and vomiting.
Her name was not released.
Late Sunday night, the substance was determined to be a nontoxic food additive, and the woman was scheduled to be released from the hospital, according to fire department spokesman Lt. Wayne Cooke.
Hospital authorities alerted the fire department at 6:45 p.m., prompting hazmat units to shut down the emergency room in the Medical Center area and begin decontamination procedures.
Until just before 10 p.m., Cooke said all tests performed on the substance had continued to come back ?inconclusive or negative.?
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BIG FIRE SENDS TOXIC SMOKE ACROSS GORE
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/news/regls/1862488959-intense-chemical-fire-in-gore
Tags: New_Zealand, industrial, fire, response, unknown_chemical
UPDATED 6:54am: Praise for fire crews in Gore who've managed to contain a massive fire in a livestock supplies factory.
It took five hours to get it under control and it's still being tended to, but area manager Bruce Stubbs says they've managed to stop the intense blaze from spreading beyond the property.
"The operational crews here on arrival and throughout the evening have prevented any of the adjacent buildings from being affected. We've been able to save those buildings."
At its height, a dense, chemical-laden smoke hung over the southern area of Gore and residents were told to stay inside this morning if they have breathing problems they should see their GP.
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SERIES OF EXPLOSION IN TARAPUR CHEMICAL UNIT, NO CASUALTIES REPORTED
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Series-of-explosion-in-Tarapur-chemical-unit-no-casualties-reported/articleshow/33711885.cms
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, response, unknown_chemical
MUMBAI: A series of six explosions took place in the reactor of a chemical plant in Tarapur MIDC on Sunday evening. Reports of injuries were not known.
According to fire brigade sources, the at least six explosions were heard from the reactor of Spectrochem Pvt Limited, located on plot E-55 in the Tarapur-MIDC area. The first explosion occurred at 8.32 pm, said API Abbasaheb Patil of Boisar-MIDC police. It was followed by another five blasts followed by fire in the factory.
As the flames spread, the entire area was cordoned off. Though it was not known whether there were any casualties, police said that the factory had shut down for the day at 3 pm. Interestingly, all industries in the Tarapur-MIDC area are shut on Fridays and work in three shifts on all other days, including Sundays. It is not known why Spectro Chemicals that manufacture laboratory and organic chemicals shut down early on Sunday.
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WHY THE RECURRENCE?
http://www.thedailystar.net/chemical-shop-fire-19844
Tags: Bangladesh, public, follow-up, death, solvent
Four individuals died and many more have been badly injured in Tejturi Bazar fire on Thursday. Reports relating to the hazards posed by factories and chemical workshops situated in residential areas have appeared regularly in the media. Despite all the concerns expressed over the years and court orders to free residential areas of chemical stores, no effective compliant measures have neither been enforced nor taken.
What has happened in Tejturi Bazar is simple: an open 200-litre paint thinner barrel developed a fire and the flames simply leapt out of the shop and into the narrow alley. The intensity of the fire could be seen from the manner in which the flames affected passersby. As for those inside the shop, apart from the individuals who have died, their normal breathing ran into problems. As a medical expert at DMCH put it, the hot gases burnt the breathing tracts of the affected individuals.
The question now is: How much more time must elapse before real and effective action is taken against elements who allow parts of their homes to be used as shops where dangerous chemicals may be in use? Apart from that, when will purposeful action be demonstrated to ensure safety measures for shop employees?
Whatever suggestions have been made by experts should be revisited on a priority basis and a strategy adopted to implement those within a specified timeline under the watch of a clearly designated authority. We cannot be mute spectators to deaths of unsuspecting people through avoidable accidents.
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FUEL FROM SOUTH-SIDE REFINERY SPILLS INTO S.A. RIVER
http://www.ksat.com/news/fuel-from-southside-plant-spills-into-sa-river/25449818
Tags: us_TX, transportation, release, response, jet_fuel
SAN ANTONIO -
Fuel from a south-side refinery spilled into the San Antonio River Saturday morning as the fire department and a hazardous materials crew rushed to the scene to try to contain the spill.
The fuel spilled into the river just south of S.E. Military Drive and S. Presa Street.
Fire crews said the Calumet refinery plant was transferring jet fuel to a rail truck Friday night when it spilled.
Firefighters didn't receive word about that spill until Saturday morning, because the refinery initially believed they had contained the spill.
Fire Department and San Antonio River Authority personnel on the scene said about 1,100 gallons spilled out.
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HOTEL, HOMES EVACUATED IN SE HOUSTON GAS LEAK
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Hotel-homes-evacuated-in-SE-Houston-gas-leak-5397776.php?cmpid=nsrr
Tags: us_TX, public, release, response, other_chemical
A motel and four homes had to be evacuated earlier Saturday after a gas leak in southeast Houston.
Houston Fire Department officials reported a leak in a main gas line at Chevers and Martin Luther King Boulevard just after noon.
The gas line is a two-inch pressurized line, not something hazmat teams could handle, according to HFD.
The gas company is bringing heavy duty crews to the scene, and HFD officials said it may be some time before the area is clear of danger.
---------------------------------------------
2 KILLED IN CHEMICAL UNIT BLAST
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/2-killed-in-chemical-unit-blast/articleshow/33677029.cms
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, methylene_chloride
VISAKHAPATNAM: Two chemists were killed and 16 workers injured in an explosion that ripped through the reactor of Deccan Fine Chemicals Private Limited's plant near Rajavaram village in Payakaraopeta mandal in the district in the early hours of Saturday.
The deceased were identified as V Ramu, 36, of Narsipatnam and G Subba Rao, 31, of Alamuru in East Godavari. Both died on their way to a hospital in Visakhapatnam. The other injured workers were admitted to hospitals in Tuni.
According to sources, the condition of two of the injured is critical, while the remaining 14 are said to be stable. A majority of the injured fell unconscious after inhaling the fumes of chemical Dichloromethane, popularly known as Methylene Dichloride, that spread all over the block as a result of the blast, causing suffocation and breathing problem.
According to police, the incident took place between 5 am to 6 am when around 30 workers were at the site and the two chemists at the reactor. The increased pressure in the reactor might have caused the accident, one of the employees said.
Such was the impact of the blast, which took place in block-A of the plant and set off a fire, that its sound was heard nearly one km away, triggering panic in the nearby villages.
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GRASS FIRE KEPT SHORT OF LAWRENCE CHEMICAL PLANT
http://cjonline.com/news/2014-04-11/grass-fire-kept-short-lawrence-chemical-plant
Tags: us_KS, industrial, fire, response, ag_chems
Firefighters from several Douglas County municipalities Friday helped prevent a grass fire from reaching phorphorus tanks at a Lawrence-area chemical plant.
Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical units responded at 12:51 p.m. Friday to a report of a grass fire near Isreal Chemical Limited, a plant north of Lawrence that produces materials used in making fertilizers.
First responders reported flames encroaching on the plant?s chemical tanks, and a structure fire situation was declared along with a mutual aid request. Fire units from Eudora, Wakarusa, Lecompton and Kanwaka townships responded to deal with burning trees and vegetation close to the plant.
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AGENCIES RESPOND TO CHEMICAL SPILL AT AMITY ROAD
http://thecabin.net/news/local/2014-04-11/agencies-respond-chemical-spill-amity-road#.U0kfvie9KK0
Tags: us_AR, industrial, release, response, xylene, Flammables
A 150 gallon mixture of xylene and ethyl benzene was spilled at a Halliburton chemical service, Multi-Chem, at Amity Road in Conway Thursday.
According to the Conway Fire Department, which responded to the scene due to the flammable nature of the chemicals, the product is used in natural gas extraction as a de-foaming agent.
An Arkansas Department of Emergency Management hazardous materials incident report associated with the spill states the chemical solution?s container was damaged by a forklift.
The incident report states the release of the chemicals was contained on site, and no injuries or evacuations were reported.
The tank was at capacity with 330 gallons of the solution.
The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality responded to observe cleanup activities carried out by Multi-Chem?s contractor, United States Environmental Services.
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THREE SMALL FIRES DOUSED AT LOS ALAMOS LAB
http://www.abqjournal.com/382715/abqnewsseeker/three-small-fires-doused-at-los-alamos-lab.html
Tags: us_NM, laboratory, fire, response, waste
LOS ALAMOS ? Crews have doused three small fires at Los Alamos National Laboratory that were sparked by fragments at one of the northern New Mexico lab?s firing ranges.
Officials say the fires were ignited Thursday afternoon at Technical Area 36 and were out within an hour. The area is fenced and in a remote location.
Lab spokesman Kevin Roark tells The Los Alamos Monitor (http://bit.ly/1nd1NMl">http://bit.ly/1nd1NMl) the fire department did a good job keeping the blazes from spreading.
The threat of wildfire at the lab is a big concern.
After a large wildfire lapped at the edges of lab property in the summer of 2011, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez identified the removal of thousands of barrels of waste as a top priority.
The waste is stored above ground at one of the lab?s other technical areas
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CHEMICAL FACTORY BLAST KILLS TWO IN ANDHRA PRADESH
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/chemical-factory-blast-kills-two-in-andhra-pradesh/article5904583.ece
Tags: India, industrial, explosion, death, unknown_chemical
A reactor blast at a chemical factory at Rajavaram under the limits of Payakaraopeta police station bordering Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts, about 100 km from here, killed two persons and injured 26 others on Saturday.
Among the injured, 19 were admitted to hospital with minor injuries, Visakhapatnam SP Vikram Jeet Duggal said. The incident occurred at Deccan Fine Chemicals Pvt. Ltd at about 6 a.m.
The deceased have been identified as Ramu (36) of Narsipatnam and Subba Rao (31) of Alamuru (East Godavari). Both, working as chemists, died on the way to hospital. Tension broke out at the factory with the workers and people in the neighbourhood staging a dharna criticising the management for not taking enough safeguards to prevent the incident.
The fire was doused a few hours later after fire tenders from Tuni, Payakaraopeta and other places were rushed to the spot. The cause of the accident was not immediately known. Officials from the Factories Department took blast samples from the spot for chemical examination.
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HAZMAT SITUATION AT COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Hazmat-Situation-at-College-of-New-Jersey-254920761.html
Tags: us_NJ, laboratory, release, response, other_chemical
Hazmat crews were called to the College of New Jersey Friday afternoon after a student was exposed to a hazardous chemical.
The female student was exposed to benzyl bromide while in the chemistry building located on the college campus at 2000 Pennington Road, according to school officials.
"She was walking around, into the library and the dining hall," said J.J. Heindel, a 21-year-old senior. "She was sitting with her friends in the dining hall and everyone was tearing up."
School officials say the affected student checked in with the school's health services after feeling a tingling sensation on her arm and smelling an unusual odor.
Authorities called hazmat crews to investigate the possiblity of contamination in the buildings she entered, forcing students to stay put in the library, dining hall and chemistry building during a quarantine.
No contamination was detected in any of the three buildings, which were all reopened by 2 p.m., according to school officials.
"It was pretty calm," said Heindel, who had to remain inside the cafeteria for about 20 minutes.
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