The Issue: Coping with Catastrophe Nov 21, 2009
(Subsequent investigations by both the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration and the U.S. Chemical Safety Board have blamed poor equipment design and lax safety standards for the disaster. . (BusinessWeek)
Lawsuit filed for Danvers explosion victims Nov 19, 2009
The investigations by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board and the State Fire Marshal, separately, focused on CAI. Both agencies concluded that a valve malfunctioned or, more likely, a CAI worker forgot to turn off the steam heat under a 3,000-gallon tank of heptane, n-propyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol. The state and CSB faulted the companies for not having floor level ventilation systems, as required by OSHA, nor outside ventilation for each tank, as required by state fire regulations. (Danvers Herald, MA)
Plastic chemicals 'feminise boys' Nov 17, 2009
" He said there were many different phthalates in use and the study concerned two of the less commonly used types that were on the EU candidate list as potentially hazardous and needing authorisation for use. DBP has been banned from use in cosmetics, such as nail varnish, since 2005 in the EU. The British Plastics Federation said: "Chemical safety is of paramount importance to the plastics industry which has invested heavily in researching the substances it uses. "Moreover, the new European... (BBC News -- Health)
Doctors urged to downplay workplace injuries, agency finds Nov 17, 2009
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board was still investigating a January fire that burned for 11 hours when it dispatched a team to look at Wednesday's blast at Silver Eagle Refinery in Woods Cross, which is five miles north of Salt Lake City. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Many doctors face pressure to conceal workplace injuries - even if it means providing inadequate medical treatment, according to a new study by Congress' watchdog agency. (Fresno Bee -- Business)
Utah Refinery Shutting Down Following Recent Blast Nov 14, 2009
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board has been investigating the Nov. 4 explosion at the Silver Eagle Refinery in Woods Cross. On Friday, board Chairman John Bresland recommended that the plant shut down as quickly as possible. (ABC News -- Wire)
Investigator: Utah explosion caused by burst pipe Nov 9, 2009
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board was still investigating a January fire that burned for 11 hours when it dispatched a team to look at Wednesday's blast at Silver Eagle Refinery in Woods Cross, which is five miles north of Salt Lake City ... WOODS CROSS, Utah -- A refinery explosion that severely damaged 10 homes this week was caused by a burst pipe that sprayed hydrogen gas onto a nearby heater, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board's lead investigator said. (Fresno Bee -- Nation)
10 homes damaged in blast at nearby Utah refinery Nov 5, 2009
Federal investigators expressed alarm over the extent of damages caused by a refinery that has had a history of trouble dating to 2003 (Somerset Daily American, PA)
Chemical delivery helped set up Danvers blast, lawyer says Nov 3, 2009
Separate investigations by the state fire marshal s office and the US Chemical Safety Board concluded the explosion was an accident ... John Vorderbrueggen, the chemical safety board s lead investigator, said the board knew about the chemical delivery but was not previously aware of an allegation that an Ashland worker may have performed work inside the factory. (Boston Globe)
Danversport Trust looks to regulate chemical manufacturers Nov 3, 2009
He praised both the state Fire Marshal s Office and the U.S. Chemical Safety Board for their separate investigations into the blast that destroyed 250 homes, throwing residents from their beds and into the night at 2:46 a.m. the day before Thanksgiving. However, both agencies looked only at the immediate cause of the blast, not at factors that may have preceded the blast. (Danvers Herald, MA)
8 people in Long Beach treated for typhus Oct 25, 2009
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board says it is sending a three-person team to investigate a fire at the Tesoro Corp. refinery in Salt Lake City. The Wednesday night fire followed a power outage at the refinery earlier in the day. (Fresno Bee -- State)
Tireless campaigner Oct 6, 2009
He has worked on a diverse range of topics, from chemical safety to hazardous wastes, sustainability, traditional knowledge, persistent organic pollutants, trade, endocrine disrupting chemicals, tobacco, biotechnology, genetically modified organisms, consumption patterns, energy and climate change. For the past 10 years, Abraham has been instrumental in helping community groups obtain Global Environment Facility (GEF) funds to carry out sustainable development projects. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Lack of shut-off system caused chemical cloud Oct 6, 2009
The accidental release of a toxic chemical mist that prompted the evacuation of 2,500 people in October 2008 around Petrolia, Butler County, was caused by a worker's failure to shut off a pump that lacked tank overflow controls, according to a federal Chemical Safety Board report. The 14-page report issued yesterday also faulted INDSPEC Chemical Corp. for not having an automatic safety shut-off system in place to prevent the highly hazardous chemical oleum -- also known as fuming sulfuric acid... (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Fatal sugar refinery blast was preventable, US panel says Sep 25, 2009
The US Chemical Safety Board, which investigates industrial accidents, said that it found written warnings of explosive dust hazards in refinery memos from the 1960s and that the deaths probably could have been prevented by routine housekeeping. The agency said near-misses over the years from small fires also failed to persuade corporate managers to take the threat seriously inside the nation s second-largest sugar refinery, located a few miles west of Savannah. (Boston Globe)
BP asks for more time to make plant improvements Sep 24, 2009
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, another group that investigated the blast, found BP fostered bad management at the plant and that cost-cutting moves by BP were factors in the explosion. The refinery, about 40 miles southeast of Houston, is the third-largest in the U.S. and produces about 2. (KHOU.com, TX)
Investigators Find Fault In 2007 Blast Sep 16, 2009
Chemical Safety Board Cites Inadequate Cooling System ... Chemical Safety Board Photo ... The U.S. Chemical Safety Board released a 68-page report on Tuesday of its investigation into the Dec. 19, 2007, explosion -- a blast so powerful it was heard 15 miles away. (News4Jax.com, FL)
Slim Jim Plant Blast Leads to NC Gas Code Changes Sep 16, 2009
The decision came one day after The Associated Press reported that the U.S. Chemical Safety Board had voted against recommending similar changes to state, national and international codes. A June explosion at a ConAgra Foods Inc. facility in Garner killed three workers and sent dozens of others to the hospital. (ABC News -- Wire)
Federal safety board rejects ConAgra cues Sep 15, 2009
Documents obtained by The Associated Press show that staff members of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board wanted the agency to immediately distribute a safety bulletin and recommendations, saying the June blast exposed weaknesses in nationwide standards ... An attorney for Energy Systems Analysts did not return a call seeking comment but wrote to the chemical safety board that the recommendations contained unspecified inaccuracies. (News & Observer)
Autopsy: Slim Jim plant workers crushed to death Jul 25, 2009
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board said contractors installing a water heater likely vented natural gas inside the building before the explosion as they purged a gas line. Officials said the gas should be vented outside. (Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald, NC)
FAA safety oversight of small operators criticized Jul 17, 2009
See why we're America's Favorite chemical safety training Since 1993. Featured. (Yahoo News -- Politics)
Official: One woman dead after ammonia leak Jul 16, 2009
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board is also sending a team of investigators. Authorities are still looking at the role of ammonia gas released in a blast at a North Carolina ConAgra Inc. last month that killed three people. (Orangeburg Times and Democrat, SC)
Woman dies during ammonia cloud leak Jul 16, 2009
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board -- an independent agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents -- announced it is deploying an investigation team to the site of the ammonia release. Tanner's Binder described the occurrence as "tragic," adding that nothing similar had occurred in the plant's more than 13 years of existence. (CNN -- US)
Plano is the inaugural recipient of an award Jul 11, 2009
The city will use the money received from the award for the Spanish translation of pool chemical safety information to aid pool operators. Vyles said Plano employees numerous pool operators, whose native language is Spanish. (McKinney Courier-Gazette, TX)
Senator has little time to prep for 2010 race Jun 22, 2009
The married mother of two young boys has proposed several pieces of family friendly legislation, such as toughening chemical safety standards for baby products. But her legislative interests are far-ranging. (MSNBC -- Politics)
More companies added to ConAgra lawsuit Jun 20, 2009
Investigators from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board suspect that workers venting a natural gas line into an interior pump room released vapors that led to the explosion. The release of natural gas came as a cluster of contract workers cleaned a 3-inch-diameter gas line being connected to a water heater being installed at the plant. (News & Observer)
ACC Reaffirms Support For Modernizing Federal Chemical Regulation Jun 20, 2009
ACC is urging Congress to: authorize EPA to make formal safety determinations of priority chemicals in a timely and risked-based manner; ensure that the EPA has appropriate tools to fulfill this new mission; give EPA the authority to share confidential information with state and local governments when relevant to a decision on chemical safety; and ensure that industry continues to provide relevant and timely information in a transparent manner on the chemicals we produce, to help EPA assure the... (PR Newswire)
Plant Workers Call 911 In Panic After Blast Jun 16, 2009
Daniel Horowitz, a U.S. Chemical Safety Board spokesman, said Monday that the blast site was still hazardous and was hindering investigators. Neal O'Briant, a spokesman with the state Department of Labor, said it would be several months before it releases the results of its investigation into whether the employer followed proper safety precautions. (Click2Houston, TX)
CAI presents new explosion report, seeks to clear name Jun 4, 2009
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board s (CSB) Final Investigation Report concluded that a flammable mixture including Heptane overheated, filled the plant with vapors, and ultimately found an ignition source resulting in the 2:46 am explosion. The board s evidence pointed to operator error, suggesting that the CAI production manager mixing the batch neglected to turn the steam valve off, which caused the mixture to boil and emit the flammable vapors. (Danvers Herald, MA)
Russia begins destroying Cold War WMDs May 31, 2009
Safety concernsBut Lev Fyodorov, president of the Russian Union for Chemical Safety, said officials have not fully addressed local residents' safety concerns. A reservoir to collect and test water for contamination has not been built, the air-monitoring stations are not accurate enough and emergency procedures are insufficient, he said. (MSNBC -- Terrorism)
Va. Urged To Regulate Fertilizer Tanks Along River May 29, 2009
(AP) --The U.S. Chemical Safety Board is urging Virginia to regulate fertilizer storage tanks along the Elizabeth River. The recommendation is contained in a final report released Wednesday on a November tank collapse at Allied Terminals in Chesapeake that injured two workers. (W-USA News, DC)
Lehigh Technologies Invests in Environmental, Health & Safety Performance May 21, 2009
"The Chemical Safety Board and OSHA have long considered dust explosivity a serious hazard from both a process safety and employee safety viewpoint. After several serious incidents over the last few years in other markets it is likely that regulations will be tightened for all powder producers in the future," said David Petroni, Vice President of Operations at Lehigh. "We want to stay ahead of regulation while ensuring the safety of our employees and running our operations with a focus on best... (PR Newswire)
Safety board monitoring ammonia leak May 16, 2009
Daniel Horowitz, a spokesman for the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, said yesterday that while ammonia leaks account for half the nation's industrial chemical accidents, they are rarely fatal -- in part because the odor usually provides warning of the leak. The chemical safety board has 20 investigators nationwide and chooses which accidents to investigate based in part on the number of deaths or property damage they cause, Horowitz said. (Courier-Journal -- Business)
Ammonia remains in building after workers' deaths May 16, 2009
A U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board spokesman said it had decided not to come to Louisville to investigate the incident. "We have too many cases open, and too few people to handle them," said Daniel Horowitz, board spokesman. (Courier-Journal -- Business)
Feds eye dust explosions Apr 30, 2009
The agency also noted that the U.S. Chemical Safety Board recommended in 2006 that OSHA issue a new combustible dust standard. OSHA's announcement Wed-nesday included a statement by U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, whose department is in charge of the safety agency. (The Augusta Chronicle)
Activist crusades against toxic waste in Russia Apr 28, 2009
For more than a decade, Speranskaya, the director of the chemical safety program at Moscow's Eco-Accord Center for Environment and Sustainable Development, has fought lax environmental regulations, local bureaucracies and corporations. "Obviously, some people don't like what she does," said Islam Mustafayev, chairman of the ecological group Ruzgar in Baku, Azerbaijan. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
Lab Settles With OSHA After Explosion Apr 9, 2009
Chemical Safety Board Photo ... The U.S. Chemical Safety Board conducted some small-scale re-enactments of the blast, but it has yet to pinpoint exactly what went wrong and caused the explosion. (News4Jax.com, FL)
FDA: Manufacturing error probably tainted pistachios Apr 1, 2009
It's important to get the word out as quickly as possible so that people don't eat contaminated food, said Erik Olson, director of food and chemical safety programs at Pew Charitable Trusts. They've known about this for about a week, and a lot of people have probably eaten these pistachios. (AZCentral -- News)
Flames could be seen from across the Causeway from the Formosa explosion in October 2005. (Wave file photo) Mar 9, 2009
According to a U.S. Chemical Safety Board final report, in an investigation released in July 2006, the initial explosion knocked several operators to the ground and burned two men, one seriously. Fourteen workers allegedly sustained minor injuries while they were evacuating the complex. (Port Lavaca Wave, TX)
BPA levels safe in soft drinks: Health Canada Mar 6, 2009
The results were not conducive to any human health concern and extremely reassuring, Samuel Godefroy, director of the bureau of chemical safety within the food directorate at Health Canada, told a news conference Thursday. The statement followed reports in The Globe and Mail and on CTV News about the survey, conducted as part of a safety review last year that led to BPA being added to the country's toxic substances list. (Globe and Mail)
Sumitomo Chemical Issues 2008 CSR Report, 'Sustainable Chemistry' Feb 8, 2009
Since fiscal 1998, Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited has issued an annual "Environment, Health and Safety Report" focusing on the Company's Responsible Care (RC) activities, in particular those involving occupational health and safety, environmental protection, safety and disaster prevention, chemical safety, and product quality assurance. This title was changed to "CSR Report" in fiscal 2004 to reflect broader coverage of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, which include social... (JCN Network, Japan)
