From: DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines (12 articles)
Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2020 07:44:39 -0500
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: D5B623E4-963A-4CE6-B5FB-F22D167F80B6**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org


Chemical Safety Headlines From Google
Monday, February 3, 2020 at 7:44:22 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 (12 articles)

DECONTAMINATION ZONE ESTABLISHED FOLLOWING CHEMICAL SPILL AT SOMERSBY
Tags: Australia, industrial, release, injury, chlorine, pool_chemicals

LIQUID NITROGEN LEAK TRIGGERS HAZMAT SITUATION NEAR ALBANY AIRPORT
Tags: us_NY, public, release, response, liquid_nitrogen

'EXPLOSIONS FROM MANHOLE COVERS' FORCED OFFICIALS TO MOVE QUICKLY
Tags: us_GA, transportation, explosion, response, unknown_chemical

HAZMAT FIRE IN PHOENIX DISPLACES 7 PEOPLE DAMAGING MULTIPLE HOMES
Tags: us_AZ, public, fire, response, unknown_chemical

PEGASUS ACADEMY PUPILS RETURN TO SCHOOL DAY AFTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT FIRE
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, fire, injury, unknown_chemical

FIRE AT AIIMS DOUSED; NO INJURIES
Tags: India, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical

JANGAON: FIRE IN CHEMICAL FACTORY; 25 STUDENTS FALL SICK
Tags: India, industrial, fire, injury, solvent

NOVI FIREFIGHTERS CALLED TO OROTEX AFTER MACHINE EXPLOSION
Tags: us_MI, public, fire, response, unknown_chemical

PART OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
Tags: us_NC, laboratory, release, response, waste

JUDGE RULES IN FAVOR OF HARRIS COUNTY IN EXXON CASE
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical

HAZARDOUS TANKER FIRE BRIEFLY CLOSES RAIL LINE IN NORTH YORK
Tags: Canada, transportation, fire, response, asphalt

2 WORKERS DIE IN BLAZE AT FACTORY IN GHAZIABAD, KIN SEEK OWNER''S ARREST
Tags: India, education, follow-up, death, resin


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DECONTAMINATION ZONE ESTABLISHED FOLLOWING CHEMICAL SPILL AT SOMERSBY
https://coastcommunitynews.com.au/central-coast/news/2020/02/decontamination-zone-established-following-chemical-spill-at-somersby/
Tags: Australia, industrial, release, injury, chlorine, pool_chemicals

A chemical reaction was the cause of a hazmat incident which briefly blanketed a Somersby industrial area in a hazardous fog on January 20.

A chlorine leak at pool chemical manufacturer Fluidra‰??s Pile Rd factory has been blamed for the incident,
Two people were hospitalised with breathing difficulties and others were evacuated from the vicinity, after the leak generated a vapour cloud which was unsafe to breathe in.

Fire and Rescue NSW‰??s Hazardous Materials Unit attended and established a decontamination zone and worked throughout the day to clear the air and contain the spill.

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LIQUID NITROGEN LEAK TRIGGERS HAZMAT SITUATION NEAR ALBANY AIRPORT
https://www.news10.com/top-stories/liquid-nitrogen-leak-triggers-hazmat-situation-near-albany-airport/
Tags: us_NY, public, release, response, liquid_nitrogen

LATHAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) ‰?? Several crews responded to a hazmat call at the PepsiCo. Plant this morning near the Albany International Airport. Crews got the call at around 8 a.m.

Colonie Deputy Fire Coordinator Michael Romano determined the situation was a liquid nitrogen leak. He says that no employees or first responders were hurt.

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'EXPLOSIONS FROM MANHOLE COVERS' FORCED OFFICIALS TO MOVE QUICKLY
https://www.11alive.com/article/traffic/fiery-i-85-crash-explosions-from-manhole-covers-forced-officials-to-move-quickly/85-76c1e400-8e31-4a38-b68a-e4d360313d67
Tags: us_GA, transportation, explosion, response, unknown_chemical

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. ‰?? Gwinnett Police described Saturday's crash initially as a run-of-the-mill accident, but when officers arrived on the scene, they said they saw a fireball in the sky.

"As they got closer, they could see an overturned tanker truck that was completely engulfed. At that point, the entire 85 northbound was shut down to traffic. DeKalb County (Police) assisted in beginning to divert traffic at Pleasantdale Road, which is well south of the accident as a precaution," said Gwinnett Police Officer Jacob Albright.

"Drivers that were between the accident and where traffic was being diverted were all evacuated out of their vehicles. The reason for this is because when this truck fire exploded the way it did, it began to spread into the sewer drain," Albright said.

The fire spread quickly. As officers were working to divert traffic in the northbound lanes of the highway, they could see explosions coming out of manhole covers on the southbound side of I-85, they said.

"At this point, traffic was halted on Interstate 85 southbound, starting at Beaver Ruin," Albright said. "The access road, Dawson Boulevard, which runs along 85 -- several of those businesses were also evacuated for fear that they might share the same sewer system and suffer fire damage also."

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HAZMAT FIRE IN PHOENIX DISPLACES 7 PEOPLE DAMAGING MULTIPLE HOMES
https://ktar.com/story/2954834/hazmat-fire-in-phoenix-displaces-7-people-damaging-multiple-homes/
Tags: us_AZ, public, fire, response, unknown_chemical

PHOENIX ‰?? A house fire in Phoenix quickly escalated on Saturday morning as it spread to multiple houses and took nearly 70 firefighters to extinguish the blaze.

The Phoenix Fire Department said that seven people and four pets were displaced as a result, but that no one was injured.

The fire extended to at least two houses before it was determined that there was an active gas leak in one of the homes.

Firefighters were able to contain the gas leak, which caused a hazmat component to the fire.

Multiple holes were also cut into the roofs of the homes for ventilation to help put it out.

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PEGASUS ACADEMY PUPILS RETURN TO SCHOOL DAY AFTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT FIRE
https://www.expressandstar.com/news/education/2020/01/31/pegasus-academy-pupils-return-to-school-day-after-science-department-fire/
Tags: United_Kingdom, laboratory, fire, injury, unknown_chemical

A school in Dudley, which was evacuated after a fire broke out, has reopened to pupils.

The fire happened at Pegasus Academy in Holly Hall, Dudley, on Thursday afternoon. Image: Google
The fire was discovered on the third floor in a science preparation room at Pegasus Academy, in Scotts Green Close, Holly Hall, on Thursday.

A statement from the school, formally Holly Hall Academy, said that staff and students evacuated the building in three minutes after the alarm was raised just before 12.30pm.

The fire service was called to the scene and quickly extinguished the fire.

Paramedics were called to the scene later to treat one of the laboratory technicians for minor injuries.

A spokesperson from West Midlands Ambulance Service, said he was taken to Russells Hall Hospital for further treatment.

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FIRE AT AIIMS DOUSED; NO INJURIES
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/fire-at-aiims-doused-no-injuries/1723896
Tags: India, laboratory, fire, response, unknown_chemical

New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS) A fire broke out at All India Institute of Medical Sciences'' Cardio-Thoracic Sciences Centre on Saturday evening. At least 10 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the fire, officials said.

"There was a small fire in a laboratory on the ground floor of the C.N. Centre at AIIMS around 5 p.m. Fire staff of AIIMS fire division along with Delhi Fire Services have controlled the fire. There have been no injuries or loss of life. As a precautionary measure, patients were temporarily shifted. They are being shifted back to their respective wards," AIIMS PRO B.M. Acharya told IANS.

The fire has been doused, fire officials said.

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JANGAON: FIRE IN CHEMICAL FACTORY; 25 STUDENTS FALL SICK
https://www.thehansindia.com/news/cities/warangal/jangaon-fire-in-chemical-factory-25-students-fall-sick-601531
Tags: India, industrial, fire, injury, solvent

Jangaon: A massive fire broke out at a chemical factory near Quilashapur village under Raghunathpally mandal on Friday. Luckily, there was no report of casualties so far. However, the smoke billowed from the chemical factory affected as many as 25 students of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), located 150 meters from the factory. The students were shifted to the Jangaon Area Hospital. The other students were relocated to Mekalagadda High School.

According to reports, fire broke out in the Tara Industries when the workers put the reactors for charging. It's learnt that the factory manufactures paint thinner, turpentine oil etc. The incident created a flutter among the residents living in nearby villages - Mandelagudem and Mekalagattu. It became a herculean task for the three fire brigades which rushed to the spot to put off the flames. It's learnt that fire broke out due to short circuit. District Collector T Vinay Krishna Reddy inspected the site and took stock of the situation. He instructed the police to inquire into the matter.

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NOVI FIREFIGHTERS CALLED TO OROTEX AFTER MACHINE EXPLOSION
https://www.hometownlife.com/story/news/local/novi/2020/01/31/novi-firefighters-called-orotex-after-machine-explosion/4625005002/
Tags: us_MI, public, fire, response, unknown_chemical

An explosion and black smoke from a chemical reaction inside an Orotex Corp. machine resulted in emergency calls to the Novi Fire Department Thursday night.

Fire Chief Jeffery Johnson said the calls came in soon after 8 p.m. One caller said they saw flames.

Firefighters arrived to evacuate the 33 employees inside the Venture Drive building and consulted onsite members of the Western Wayne County Hazardous Materials Response Team.

Fans ventilated the building, and a sprinkler system extinguished the machine fire.

Johnson said the business may have suffered the same problem with the same machine several years ago.

‰??We want to do everything possible so it doesn‰??t happen again,‰?? said Johnson, who plans to have the city‰??s fire marshal working with Orotex Corp. in the weeks ahead.

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PART OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL
https://www.witn.com/content/news/Part-of-community-college-evacuated-after-chemical-spill-567469271.html
Tags: us_NC, laboratory, release, response, waste

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (WITN) - Part of a community college was evacuated this afternoon and an instructor was taken to urgent care after a chemical spill.

Morehead City Fire-EMS and the Cherry Point Hazmat Team were called to Carteret Community College this afternoon.

Campus security says custodians disposed of two boxes that were labeled 'acid and flammable' from a science class. They were placed in the metal recycling bin near the welding classroom, thinking they were empty metal boxes.

A welding instructor grabbed the boxes to reuse them for a project. The fire department says two of the vials inside the boxes broke, creating a vapor cloud with the spilled chemicals.

The instructor was taken to urgent care as a precaution and campus security evacuated the nearby area.

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JUDGE RULES IN FAVOR OF HARRIS COUNTY IN EXXON CASE
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Judge-rules-in-favor-of-Harris-County-in-Exxon-15021363.php
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, environmental, unknown_chemical

A district court judge ruled Friday that a lawsuit brought by Harris County against Exxon Mobil can proceed, a win for county leaders who have stepped up environmental enforcement efforts.

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HAZARDOUS TANKER FIRE BRIEFLY CLOSES RAIL LINE IN NORTH YORK
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2020/01/31/hazardous-tanker-fire-briefly-closes-rail-line-in-north-york/
Tags: Canada, transportation, fire, response, asphalt

A two-alarm fire involving chemical tankers near Downsview Park forced the suspension of GO Train service in the area Friday night.

Fire crews were called to an industrial property on Bakersfield Street near Sheppard Avenue West and Chesswood Drive shortly after 7 p.m.

Upon arriving, crews discovered a ‰??very significant volume of fire‰?? coming from two chemical tankers, which contained a combination of tar, asphalt and cleaning solution.

According to Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg, hazmat crews began deploying a significant quantity of firefighting foam in an effort to control the fire.

‰??The top priority in any of these situations is making sure that we continuously cool the tanker cars to prevent any explosion hazards that can result as a result of the fire,‰?? he said.

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2 WORKERS DIE IN BLAZE AT FACTORY IN GHAZIABAD, KIN SEEK OWNER''S ARREST
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/2-workers-die-in-blaze-at-factory-in-ghaziabad-kin-seek-owners-arrest/1723832
Tags: India, education, follow-up, death, resin

Ghaziabad (UP), Feb 1 (PTI) The family members of two workers, who were charred to death in a blaze at a factory unit in Tronica City industrial area two days ago, staged a sit-in with the bodies at Sabhapur checkpost here on Saturday demanding the arrest of the factory unit owner.
The enraged family kept the bodies of both Sunder Pal (35) and Akash Kumar (19) in a stationary mini-truck on the roadside of Ram Park Colony main gate and staged a protest demanding the owner''s arrest.

On Thursday night, a fire had broken out due to a short circuit at the vehicle filter manufacturing unit that caused a blast in the boiler.

The resin chemical drums, which are used as adhesive to manufacture the vehicle filters also caught fire and spread on the floor.

Sunder Pal and Akash Kumar could not escape as their feet got stuck on the floor and got charred to death, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Neeraj Kumar Jadaun said.

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