What is WHMIS and why should I bother?
Jan 25, 2010 - Here’s a quick heads up for those of you who are wondering about an acronym called WHMIS (sounds very close to “whims”, doesn’t it). Well for those of you who are not familiar with Canadian law (not expected anyway, unless you live or work in a Canadian facility), WHMIS is the acronym for Workplace Hazard Materials Information System. It is a comprehensive plan for providing information on the safe use of hazardous materials used in Canadian workplaces. Information is provided by means of product labels, material safety data sheets (MSDS) and worker education programs.
It is a legal requirement if you are running a factory or doing other business related to the chemical industry in Canada, formulated and enforced by Canada’s own OSHA-like body, called CCOHS (Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety).
The majority of the “information” requirements (and exemptions) of WHMIS legislation were incorporated into the HAZARDOUS PRODUCTS ACT and the HAZARDOUS MATERIALS INFORMATION REVIEW ACT. These apply to all of Canada.
Suppliers, employers and workers all have different specific responsibilities under these acts. For more information please visit http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/legisl/intro_whmis.html
So if you are in anyway connected with the Canadian chemicals or petrochemical and allied industries, dealing in controlled chemicals, you better be familiar with WHMIS.
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Phosgene leak at DuPont facility leads to temporary closure
Jan25, 2010- The latest in a string of accidents and safety issues at DuPont’s Belle, W.Va facility was a phosgene leak that resulted in a fatal accident. A braided steel hose connected to a phosgene tank suddenly ruptured, releasing phosgene into the air rsulting in one fatality. Phosgene is one of the deadliest chemicals ever and special precautions are necessary for its handling.
Prior to this latest incident were two other accidents at the same plant. One was an ongoing release of chloromethane from the plant’s Hexazinone unit, which went undetected for several days, and a release of sulfur dioxide from a spent sulfuric acid unit. Following this series of unfortunate events the management has closed down the facility entirely, giving “safety checks” as the reason behind the closure.
Meanwhile the US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has taken a dim view of these events and announced an investigation. Speaking for the three-member board, Member William E. Wright said: “The Board is concerned by these releases, which had tragic consequences, and will proceed with an investigation to understand why these unfortunate events occurred.” Mr. Wright cautioned that the new case would likely delay efforts to complete other investigations that are being conducted by same investigative team, including those at the Bayer CropScience facility in Institute, West Virginia, and an Ohio environmental services company. Including DuPont, the CSB has 17 open investigations, the largest number in its 11-year history.
In voting to approve the investigation, the Board noted that the CSB was aware of six other releases from the plant since December 2006. The DuPont Belle complex is a large facility that is regulated under the EPA Risk Management Program and the OSHA Process Safety Management standard because of the volume and hazards of the materials it handles and the potential risk to workers and the community.
CSB investigator Johnnie Banks will lead the four-member team which is expected at the site on Tuesday.
Oil tanker collision in Texas causes big oil spill
Sunday, Jan 24, 2010-Port Arthur,TX
A collision between an oil tanker (ship) and a barge towing vessel caused an oil spill in the waters off Port Arthur,TX. The oil spilled is estimated to be about 450,000 gallons, a huge amount by any account.The spill is being cleaned up with booms. Fire and emergency responder officers reported that several blocks of the downtown area had been evacuated. Other reports siad that Hydrogen Sulfide gas is also being emitted from the spilled oil. The gas, which smells like rotten eggs, is highly toxic and can be fatal if inhaled in large quantities.
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Laboratory Explosion at Texas Tech-CSB to investigate
Washington, DC, January 19, 2010 - The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) will investigate the causes of a January 7 explosion that severely injured a graduate student at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, the CSB announced today.
University officials told the CSB the accident occurred in the chemistry department during the handling of a high-energy metal compound, which suddenly detonated. Texas Tech had entered into an agreement with Northeastern University, which holds a contract from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to study the high-energy materials.
“We see serious accidents in high school and university labs every year, including a tragic fatality a year ago at UCLA,” said CSB Chairman John Bresland. “I believe it is time to begin examining these accidents to see if they can be prevented through the kind of rigorous safety management systems that we and others have advocated in industrial settings.”
Mr. Bresland said the CSB planned to collect information on several laboratory accidents for a future study on the topic. Investigations Supervisor Don Holmstrom, who manages the Board’s Western Regional Office in Denver, will lead the investigation, along with CSB Investigator Dr. Mary Beth Mulcahy, a physical chemist.
The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating serious chemical accidents. The agency’s board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems.
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ConAgra Slim Jim plant Fatal explosion-CSB to hold public hearing
Washington, DC, January 14, 2010 - The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today announced that it will be holding a public meeting on Thursday, February 4, 2010, in Raleigh, North Carolina, to present preliminary findings from its investigation of the June 9, 2009, natural gas explosion and ammonia release at the ConAgra Food Slim Jim facility in Garner, North Carolina, that killed four workers and injured seventy others.Interior view of the ConAgra facility following the June 9, 2009, explosion and fire
The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. at the Raleigh Sheraton Ballroom located at 421 South Salisbury Street in downtown Raleigh. The meeting is free and open to the public.
At the meeting the CSB investigative team will present its preliminary findings on the circumstances of the accident to the three CSB board members and the public. The Board will then receive testimony from outside experts concerning safety issues raised by the accident, focusing on the topic of safe purging of natural gas piping. Following a public comment period, the Board is expected to consider draft staff recommendations for changes to the National Fuel Gas Code, which establishes gas purging practices followed across the country. The meeting will be videotaped and an official transcript will be published.
The explosion occurred during the commissioning of a new, gas-fired industrial water heater at the plant, when natural gas was purged into the interior of the building. The gas accumulated to an explosive concentration and ignited; the ensuing blast caused large sections of the building to collapse.
“This was a serious accident which claimed the lives of four workers, injured scores of others, and resulted in hundreds of job losses,” said CSB Chairman John Bresland. “The goal of the CSB investigation is to recommend measures that will help prevent other devastating accidents during gas purging operations.”
Board investigators said they have identified a number of similar gas purging accidents in recent years, including an explosion at a Michigan power plant in 1999 that killed 6 and caused $1 billion in property damge and an explosion in 2008 at a San Diego hotel that injured 14.
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