Let me preface this article with the following;

While working on a large addition to a chemical distribution plant about 1 week ago, I was privy to a conversation between two management reps from different companies recalling an emergency medical call for an employee. The paramedics, the fire department and the fire marshal responded to the emergency. The fellow was subsequently given aid and sent on to the hospital.

While on the scene, the fire marshal remarked to one of the reps, "I didn't even know this place was back here. I'll tell you this, if this place ever catches fire, I'll block off the road down there [pointing], and down there [pointing], and watch which way the cloud travels"

I couldn't help doing an inventory of the barrels as I passed by each day. Lots of useful, but potentially nasty stuff, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acids, isopropyl, who knows what else, but lots of caustic chemicals. All, by the way, in close proximity, and nearly all in plastic barrels.

My deduction from his inference; The fire dept. had no firsthand idea of the potentials of the plant; he deemed it too dangerous to address at the FOF threshold; and of the Fire Dept. being helpless to do anything but make decisions based on the wind direction. This was his first line of defense. Scary!

So, that being the preface, I hope you find the following educational

Fair use: For educational/research purposes only

Subject: [roleigh_for_web] Fwd: Monday's Chemical Safety Roundtable--Kappleman's Insights Date: Fri, 03 Sep 1999 22:23:23 -0500 From: Roleigh Martin To: roleigh_for_web@egroups.com

Forwarded material...interesting...

>Delivered-To: mailing list cpsr-y2k@cpsr.org >Delivered-To: moderator for cpsr-y2k@cpsr.org >Date: Mon, 30 Aug 1999 23:09:02 -0500 >From: "Leon A. Kappelman" >Subject: Monday's Chemical Safety Roundtable >To: wg-2000@ls.simnet.org > >The PRESIDENTS COUNCIL ON YEAR 2000 CONVERSION and the >ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY hosted a CHEMICAL SAFETY >ROUNDTABLE today (August 30,1999) in Washington, DC. As I >fly back home from the meeting, these are my recollections >and impressions. >

> >Eyewitness account of today's meeting: > >Participants: A good mix of industry and government were >there as well as organized labor and other y2k-related >groups. Participants included representatives (mostly in >order of appearance) from the US Environmental Protection >Agency, Presidents Council on Year 2000 Conversion, EPA >Office of Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention, >Chemical Manufacturers Association, Synthetic Organic >Chemical Manufacturers Association, Local Emergency >Planning Committee of Washtenaw County Michigan and their >Department of Environment & Infrastructure Services, >California Governors Office of Emergency Services, State >of New Jersey Year 2000 Program Office, OxyChem, Brown >Chemical Company, Kestrel Management Services, National >Association of Chemical Distributors, Chemical Specialties >Manufacturers Association, Chemical Safety Board, OSHA, >DuPont, US Y2K Information Coordination Center, and Federal >Emergency Management Agency. Also present were the Center >for Y2K & Society, Chemical Workers Union, International >Y2K Cooperation Center, some other chemical industry trade >associations, perhaps an environmental group or two, and >some other federal agencies. National Emergency Management >Association was conspicuously absent, as were >representatives from the Congress who just a few weeks ago >called for a chem safety summit meeting. There media were >not invited > >Impressions: About 3 hours into the meeting I sat back and >thought how cool it was that all these government and >industry folks were seriously engaged in dealing with y2k. >It was obvious that many had only gotten involved in the >past 8 or 9 months, and almost none were at y2k more than >18 or 20 months. But they were are it now. They were >really trying to do the right thing. Oh sure, they had >their agendas of looking good and protecting their >respective turfs, but so what. As I sat there with the >perspective of one who has been at this for 5 years, and >who remembers well the time when most of government, >industry, and the press were doing little more than >ignoring y2k, it felt pretty good to see so many trying to >do the right thing and deal with what are probably some of >the highest consequence y2k risks remaining in this >country. At the same time I was very surprised that no one >was willing to acknowledge having any potentially "serious >safety" problems -- especially since there's 3 in the >Action 2000 IEE embedded system casebook (#7 - near >catastrophic, #58 - health and safety implications, #82 - >dangerous chemical spill). Perhaps it's a matter of >definitions. > >Bottom line: There's gaps, everyone knows it, and no one's >sure where they are or how to get to those who can close >them. The solution is a bunch of redundant efforts aimed >at getting companies and communities on board to deal with >their risks. For many smaller companies, it's still mostly >about awareness and jump starting their solutions. The >feds can only do so much -- not everything is on their >radar screens. The manufacturer and distributor >associations can only do so much -- not everybody is a >member. Ultimately it's up to state and local government, >and the manufacturers et al. themselves, to deal with it -- >they can do it now and try to prevent problems or they can >wait and clean up the mess later. Pay now or pay more >later is probably how it'll work. California has an >exemplary program -- they've triaged 130,000 hazardous >processors and handlers down to 15,000 high risk ones, >developed a toolkit for local emergency and environmental >inspectors to use, trained folks, and funded it all too >with $40 million (sounds like a lot but it's less than 50 >cents per citizen) -- It's worth jump starting your program >by borrowing their's and they will share it with us all -- >visit their website. I am aware of no evidence of at least >45 states dealing with this at all. Washtenaw County >Michigan has good outreach at the local level -- that >leaves over 3000 counties that need to get serious about >the risks to human lives that may exist in their >communities from possible problems. The EPA, CSB, and the >industry associations put together a good guide for >chemical SMEs and distributed it widely -- it's available >on line and should be in the hands of every emergency >manager and fire department in the country as well as >chemical workers and engineers and companies. > >What's needed: It was "agreed" that some effort by >government and industry should go into the following: > >1. Increasing the sharing of technical information -- like >trying to add to the examples like those found in the IEE >case book as a way of helping late arrivals get moving. > >2. Getting better information to the local level. Like >someone from the fed gvt said today "we're looking for >things to be solved at the lowest level possible." And to >do that they need more information about chemical safety >risks and what to do about them. > >3. Increasing the focus on contingency efforts of both >industry and emergency management -- testing contingency >plans and training players too. > >There was much more that went on but that ought to give you >a good taste of what happened, at least from my perspective >anyway. In the end, some lives were probably saved today. >But lives are still at risk even here in the USA, and that >is not to even mention all the other countries where no >such exemplary efforts are taking place directed at problem- >solving by public-private partnerships like the one I was >so fortunate to participate in today. > >My plane is about to land. Gotta go. > >Best wishes, >Leon > > Leon A. Kappelman, Ph.D. > Associate Professor, Business Computer Information Systems > Associate Director, Center for Quality & Productivity > College of Business Administration, Univ. of North Texas > Co-chair, Society for Info. Management Y2K Working Group > Steering Committee, YES Volunteer Corps (www.iy2kcc.org) > Voice: 940-565-4698 Fax: 940-369-7623 Email: kapp@unt.edu > Website: http://www.unt.edu/bcis/faculty/kappelma/

I really like *what's needed* no.s 2 + 3. My God, it's September, we're in deep Gimshi!! (sp)

Respectfully: Michael

-- Michael (mikeymac@uswest.net), September 04, 1999