Accidents chemical spills

Hospital in New York. The primary motivation originally was the thinly spread expertise around the world for certain specialized types of surgery. Another motivation is the lack of availability of any kind of special surgery in certain remote areas ships and submarines at sea contaminated areas due to a nuclear accident, chemical spill, epidemics, or bioterror or in space (e.g., NASA or other remote missions providing the robots to be pre-located or delivered). 

CHEMTREC (24-hour emergency number for chemical accidents and spills)... 

Accidents can occur in many ways. Tliere may be a chemical spill, an explosion, or a runaway reaction in a nuclear plant. Tliere are often accidents in transport trucks overturning, trains derailing, or ships capsizing. Tliere are acts of God such as eartliquakes and storms. It is painfully clear that accidents are a fact of life. Tlie one common tlnead tlirougli all of tliese situations is tliat accidents are rarely expected and, unfortunately, they are frequently mismanaged. 

The next two sections discuss accidents tiiat result in the release of a toxic emission or a liazardous spill. In general, a to.xic emission can be considered to be either continuous or instantaneous. In tliis section only tlie atmospheric effects of toxic emissions are considered. Hower cr, hazardous spills (ne 1 section) usutilly denote a liquid contamination of either soil or water systems in addition a liazardous chemical spill may lead to tlie release of toxic emissions. 

Hazardous chemical spills may have adverse effects on natural water systems, tlie land enviromnent, and whole ecosystems, as well as tlie atmosphere. Major spills evolve from accidents (see Chapter 6) tliat somehow damage or rupture vessels, tank cars, or piping used to store, sliip, or transport liazardous materials. In such cases, the spills must be contained, cleaned up, and removed as quickly and effectively as possible. 

CERCLA response authorities are triggered by a release or a substantial threat of release of dangerous substances into the environment (e.g., a chemical spill from a tank truck accident or a leak from a damaged drum). The release must involve either... 

The second part of the environmental impact analysis (EIA) relates to the effects of a major accident or spill within the plant. The safety aspects of an explosive gas discharge (for example) should be considered in conjunction with the loss prevention studies for the plant (Section 8.2.3). However, proposals for containment, clean-up, and discharge of major chemical spills should be part of the EIA report. Any proposals should ensure the safety of personnel, minimise the discharge and its effect on the environment, and preserve the integrity of the plant. The worst situation should be evaluated, not just the most likely scenario. Factors to be considered include the quantity and location of chemicals... 

Briiggemann R, Halfon E (1990) Ranking for Environmental Hazard of the Chemicals Spilled in the Sandoz Accident in November 1986. Sci Tot Environ 97/98 827-837... 

There is a second, equally important, reason for this work, namely, to offer a useful contribution to the industrial health and safety literature, for which there is also still an intense, or growing, need. Even with all we have learned, there are still explosions, chemical spills, and other incidents that could have been avoided by following basic standards. Our hope, with this volume, is to prevent such accidents by providing the engineer with the information necessary for a safer, incident-ftw environment. 

Students should wear safety goggles when performing dissections, heating, or while using acids and bases. Hair should always be tied back and objects should never be placed in the mouth. Food should not be consumed while in the laboratory. Hands should always be washed before and after laboratory experiments. In case of an accident, eye washes and showers should be used for eye contamination or a chemical spill that covers the student s body. Small chemical spills should only be contained and cleaned by the teacher. 

Intheevent of a laboratory accident or spill, it will be necessary for someone to enter the contaminated area for cleanup. If significant quantities of a chemical are spilled, or even minor quantities of a known toxic material, it is essential to wear the correct kind of respirator equipment when entering the area. If it is not known... 

Chemical processing and mixing under controlled circumstances safely creates many of the useful products we have come to depend on in our daily lives. However, when certain chemicals come in contact with each other during uncontrolled situations, such as accidents and spills, dangerous reactions can occur. This chapter will focus on incompatible chemicals, safe storage practices, water- and air-reactive materials, and some of the hazards to responders that may occur as a result of an uncontrolled chemical reaction. 

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