Containment Systems news

The new CSB video is entitled "Dangers of Hot Work" Hot work is defined as burning, welding, or similar spark-producing operations that can ignite fires or explosions. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today released a 14-minute safety video warning of the hazards of welding and other hot work activities in and around Storage Tanks containing flammable materials. Entitled “Dangers of Hot Work,” the video presents key lessons from the CSB’s hot work...

CSB meeting is free and open to the public so they can get a complete know how of chemical accidents The Sunshine Act Meeting will be held on June 28 at 6:30 p.m. in the Prince Edward Ballroom, Saint Clements Castle, Portland, Connecticut.  In connection with its investigation into the natural gas explosion that occurred at the Kleen Energy power plant in Middletown, Connecticut, the United States Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announces that i...

Fire Corps teams can coordinate with salons and groomers to set up a hair donation system Fire Corps teams across the nation can assist in the clean-up effort by collecting a resource most everyone possesses: hair.  The Gulf Coast oil spill is an environmental disaster that will negatively impact the region for decades. Fire Corps teams across the nation can assist in the clean-up effort by collecting a resource most everyone possesses: hair.  Hair naturally a...

The EMS week celebrates and honours the contributions of emergency service providers EMS Week provides a great opportunity for Fire Corps volunteers to publicise the importance of fire safety, and honour those who provide day-to-day lifesaving services. The National EMS Week recognizes the contributions and dedication of the emergency medical service providers in the community. This year May 19 was set aside as Emergency Medical Services for Children Day to foc...

39 respondents (63%) said their companies had at some time used flammable gas to blow out piping A CSB public meeting is planned next month in Connecticut to consider new safety recommendations. The practice of using flammable natural gas to clean power plant piping, which led to the fatal explosion at Connecticut-based Kleen Energy on February 7, has been commonly used across the gas-fired power generating industry, CSB investigators have said. The explosion,...

CSB received the award for its safety video series used to promote chemical process safety around the world EPSC was founded by the European Federation of Chemical Engineering and has a membership that includes leading chemical companies, manufacturers, contractors, consultants, and academic institutions. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has received the prestigious European Process Safety Centre (EPSC) Award 2010 for the CSB Safety Video series, Centre off...

Use of Methyl Isocyanate is a big security concern for workers and people living in its proximity The Congressionally mandated study was initiated after the 2008 explosion at Bayer’s Chemical Complex in Institute, West Virginia. Congress has also appropriated $600,000 to CSB for current fiscal year. In a Federal Register notice published on April 23, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) announced it is seeking public comment on the design of a Congressionally manda...

The site of the fire and explosion lacked warning signs CSB investigators determined that a lit cigarette or lighter was the likely ignition source for explosion.A fiery explosion that took the life of a 21-year-old member of the public in Weeletka, Oklahoma, on April 14 occurred at an unattended oil and gas production site that was unsecured and likely lacked fire or explosion warning signs, CSB investigators have determined following a four-day field assessment. Investiga...

At FDIC, the company's experts will explain and take queries on the single-skin hazmat OneSuit Pro suits Coming off a year of record growth, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics will feature its ONESuit® line of protective single-skin hazmat suits at the Fire Department Instructor's Conference trade show (FDIC) in Indianapolis, Indiana (April 19-24). All ONESuit products are certified to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1991 standard for prot...

U.S Fire Administration announces the National Fire Academy annual outstanding applied research awards Executive fire officer programme provides senior fire officers with a broad perspective on various challenging facets of fire administration.The Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Fire Administration has announced the four fire service executives who will receive the National Fire Academy's (NFA) 2009 Annual Outstanding Applied Research Awards. This award recogn...

The warning comes after a student was injured by toxic smoke inhalation Get a smoke alarm and test it weekly - that is the stark advice from Shropshire firefighters to avoid dying from toxic smoke in a house fire. Just two to three breaths of toxic smoke and "you're unconscious," warned community fire safety officers at Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service just days after a Shropshire student was critically injured after suffering toxic smoke inhalation. "Toxic smoke af...

Germany's Saxony-Anhalt Fire Services Institute will present its latest fire prevention research Germany's Saxony-Anhalt Fire Services Institute (IdF) will be presenting its latest fire prevention research findings at the German Fire Protection Association (GFPA) stand and at the University of Magdeburg group pavilion, at Interschutz 2010. The institute uses state-of-the-art measurement, laboratory and computer systems. Its largescale testing facilities include a 2...

NFA, is conducting a pilot course at the NETC in Emmitsburg, Maryland The NFA will be delivering this 6-day pilot course on hazardous materials and special operations from May 9-14, 2010. The United States Fire Administration's (USFA) National Fire Academy (NFA) is conducting a pilot course at the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) in Emmitsburg, Maryland for the newly developed 6-day course, Hazardous Materials / Special Operations Program Management (P254)...

CSB has voted to initiate an investigation of recent accidents at the DuPont chemical complex in Belle The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has voted to initiate an investigation of recent accidents at the DuPont chemical complex in Belle, West Virginia, following a release of highly toxic phosgene on Saturday that fatally injured a veteran operator. DuPont officials told the CSB that a braided steel hose connected to a one-ton capacity phosgene tank suddenly ruptured,...

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has announced that it will be holding a public meeting on Thursday, February 4, 2010, in Raleigh, North Carolina.The meeting will 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 an...

  FAST-mask - A new positive pressure breathing apparatus for Hazmat applications   Excelerate Technology, the leading supplier of satellite and wireless-based data, voice and video solutions to the emergency services, has announced the immediate availability of FAST-mask, a new positive pressure breathing apparatus.  FAST-mask has an automatically inflating head harness that enables it to be safely donned and fully operational within just three seconds provi...

CSB publishes voting records of the Board and copies of Board orders that govern agency operations Washington, DC, January 8, 2010 - As part of an ongoing effort to increase transparency and promote public understanding of the agency's work, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today began publishing voting records of the Board and copies of Board orders that govern agency operations. The CSB released board voting records dating from November 10, 2009, to the present and po...

LFB campaign to ensure the safe use, signage and storage of acetylene cylinders The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has been working hard to reduce the disruption caused to London by incidents involving acetylene gas cylinders.The campaign is to ensure the safe use, signage and storage of acetylene cylinders and to create a greater awareness of the additional dangers they bring when they are involved in fires and other incidents. Alongside the awareness campaign, the Brigade...

The one day course contains details on the European Regulations for safe handling of halon Ozone Depleting Substances (Minimum Qualifications) Regulations Certification course is a one-day course for companies handling halon. Who should attend? The course is intended for any company that is involved in servicing or maintaining the critical uses of halon gases i.e. aircraft extinguishing systems, aircraft portable extinguishers, police and military use. Why? It is a legal...

CSB today issued urgent safety recommendations calling on CITGO to improve its emergency water The U.S. Chemical Safety Board  (CSB) has issued urgent safety recommendations calling on CITGO to immediately improve its emergency water mitigation system.The recommendation comes in the event of another release of potentially deadly hydrogen fluoride (HF) vapor, as occurred following an explosion and fire July 19, 2009, at CITGO's Corpus Christi refinery. The...

The webinar series will feature new community preparedness topics several times each month The first LIVE webinar is scheduled for Monday, December 7 at 2 pm EST and will provide information on the newly created Citizen Corps Volunteer Liability Guide. FEMA's Community Preparedness Division has announced the Community Preparedness Webinar Series. This webinar series will provide up-to-date information on community preparedness topics and resources available to...

NFPA 1600 and 14 other NFPA first responder codes and standards have received DHS's QATT designation  This is the first block of standards to receive this “Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology” designation by the DHS. NFPA 1600, Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs and 14 other NFPA codes and standards have been designated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as "Qualified Anti-Terrorism Tec...

 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano ( Manuel Broussard, FEMA) The meetings were held to discuss critical infrastructure security. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today hosted the first in a series of roundtable meetings with private sector leaders. She also unveiled a new web site designed to inform the public about the Department's critical infrastructure protection, readiness and resiliency e...

The CSB investigative team plans to thoroughly examine the facility's fire safety practice CSB investigators continue to examine the events and circumstances surrounding the catastrophic tank explosion and fire. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has announced that it will be conducting a full investigation of the October 23, 2009 explosion and fire at Caribbean Petroleum Refining.  At 12:23 a.m. on October 23, a large vapor cloud ignited at the Caribbean Pet...

CSB Chairman John Bresland asked US jurisdictions to adopt the ASME Pressure Vessel Code CSB Chairman John Bresland released a new video safety message, asking jurisdictions across the country to adopt the ASME Pressure Vessel Code.  The message is aimed at reducing the number of accidents involving catastrophic pressure vessel failures in process industries.The safety message can be viewed on CSB.gov and on the CSB's safety message channel,...

EPA workers locating hazardous material moved by Ike in Texas The funds will go toward developing an all-hazard multi-jurisdictional mitigation plan The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $437,325 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to Cook County, Ill., for the development of an all-hazard multi-jurisdictional mitigation plan. This plan will identify and propose ways to reduce the risks of na...

There was flash fire at the same refinery in January,  when a flammable vapour cloud ignited A six-member team from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is deploying to the scene of today's explosion and fire at the Silver Eagle Refinery in Woods Cross, Utah. According to local officials, the explosion in the diesel hydrotreater unit caused damage to homes in the surrounding area and was felt several miles away from the facility. The CSB is investigating a January 2009...

HAZUS 2010 will be held in Indianapolis Next year's conference will be held in Indianapolis The 4th annual HAZUS conference will be held August 23-25, 2010 in Indianapolia, Indiana.  The HAZUS conference provides a unique opportunity for users of all levels in a wide variety of professions, including all public safety operatives, to share expertise and experience in the development and use of HAZUS-MH. Those who should attend include: First responders Local...

Registration for FDIC 2010 is now open Imagine the impact ON YOU Join us for FDIC 2010 - the fire service's premier event and largest annual gathering of fire professionals in North America. We have put together another thorough and challenging training program. H.O.T. evolutions and pre-conference workshop schedules have been revamped for more convenient scheduling and to give you the opportunity to get the most out of your training experience. Below are just a few of the...

An image from the new safety video issued by CSB, which depicts the fatal chemical accident at T2 Laboratories Video depicts reactive chemical accident at T2 Laboratories that killed four, injured 32 The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today released a new nine-minute computer animated safety video depicting the tragic reactive chemical accident that devastated T2 Laboratories in Jacksonville, Florida. Entitled "Runaway: Explosion at T2 Laboratories," the video detai...