HOW TO PREVENT POISONING MISHAPS DURING PASSOVER/EASTER

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY

Holidays are always a fun time of year but can become hectic when families begin preparing for the celebration. Mishaps occur all the time, but they are more common around the holidays when people in the household are distracted, making it much easier to overlook common household hazards. More than 90 percent of poisonings reported to poison centers happen in people’s homes.

While getting ready for the Passover/Easter holidays, many families start their spring cleaning. Adults in the household must pay extra attention to what they are leaving unsecured around the home. Medications and household products used in the wrong way, in the wrong amount, or by the wrong person can be dangerous, even fatal. If it can be seen, assume a child or pet can get to it.

Case: While busy cleaning and preparing for the upcoming holiday, the adults never noticed the toddler of the family grabbed the can of oven cleaner that was left on the kitchen table. Luckily the child only put his lips on the spout but did not swallow any when his aunt grabbed it away. He ended up with just a small blister on his lips. This could have been a life-threatening situation if he actually took a gulp of the cleaner.

Parents and caregivers need to heed the warning from the poison experts — “Children and pets will explore if it is in their sight and reach,” said Dr. Steven Marcus, medical and executive director of the NJ Poison Center. “You shouldn’t only lock up household chemicals and pesticides, but also vitamins, medicines (prescription, over-the-counter, dietary and/or herbal supplements), laundry supplies, alcohol, e-cigarettes cartridges and nicotine refills.”

Case: While on an Easter egg hunt with her family, a baby was playing with her older brother’s toy in her carriage. She started to cough but no one thought much of it until the older brother tried to play with the toy and it would not work. They noticed the back of the toy was off and the disk battery was missing. 

In a panic, dad started to search the Internet from his phone to find out what could happen if the battery was swallowed. Good thing he found the Poison Help number right away. He then called the poison center for help. Within three minutes of that phone call, the child was on her way to the hospital to determine if the battery was ingested and where it was in the GI track. After consultation with a poison expert, the emergency room staff called in a specialist to remove the battery. The child did well, and a life-threatening event was averted.

The experts at the NJ Poison Center receive calls regarding exposures to products, chemicals, medicines, etc. on a daily basis. “No matter the reason for calling, we are always available to help in an emergency or when you are in doubt,” said Marcus. “Let us help you make the right decisions on what needs to be done. Save our number in your phone (800-222-1222) and ask friends and family to do the same.”

Case: A family’s grandfather was visiting for the holiday and offered to watch the baby while mom got some things done around the house. When the baby started to cry, the grandfather gave him what he thought was a teething toy. 

Turns out, grandpa mistook a laundry detergent packet laying on the kitchen table for a teething toy. Once he noticed what happened, he immediately called his daughter and they called 911 for help. The dispatcher immediately connected them to the poison center where they were instructed to immediately take the baby to the nearest emergency room. The baby was seen and monitored by ER medical staff. Luckily no serious damage was done and the baby was released later that evening. Parents beware: Laundry detergent packets are much more concentrated than regular laundry, which causes more severe problems if ingested.

The poison center plays a crucial role in helping loved ones when the unthinkable happens; providing free, fast, confidential, expert medical advice to anyone in New Jersey 24/7/365. Not only does it help save lives, it also saves time and money; a value added to the free service. Calling the poison experts first before rushing to the emergency room can potentially save the caller, the insurance company and the state of New Jersey millions of dollars each year by keeping people out of the hospitals, getting them back to work sooner, and teaching prevention.

Although poisonings can cause serious injuries and even death, most are preventable! Don’t spend your holiday in an emergency room. Prevent mishaps from occurring. Pay attention to the safety tips below, it could prevent a life-threatening exposure, even save a life.

Prevention First — Things to Remember for the Passover/Easter Holiday

• When preparing meals, always wash hands with soap and warm water before and after handling raw foods.

• Raw eggs may carry bacteria known as Salmonella. Cook eggs fully before decorating. If using raw eggs for cookie dough or cake batter, be sure to use eggs pasteurized in their shells so licking the spoon may be safe.

• Use only food dye to color eggs. Although most of these are non-toxic, children should be supervised at all times. Children can mistake the colored tablets used to dye eggs for candy.

• Keep Easter grass away from young children and pets as this product can be a choking hazard and can cause intestinal obstruction if ingested.

• Chocolate can be toxic to both cats and dogs. Symptoms include convulsions, heart problems, nausea and vomiting.

• Ask visitors and house guests to keep coats, purses, briefcases, luggage, etc. containing medicine (prescription, over-the-counter, herbal and/or dietary supplements) locked up and out of sight from children and pets while they are in your home.

• While cleaning, keep the area well ventilated by turning on fans and opening windows. Fumes from these products can be very strong and can cause injury. Remember to never mix cleaners or chemicals together; doing so could create a poisonous gas.

• Store cleaning products and chemicals away from food. Many injuries occur when one product is mistaken for another. Never store them in food containers like cups and bottles.

• Always throw out leftover alcohol used during religious ceremonies. Empty beverage glasses and place them out of reach of curious children and pets. If accidentally swallowed, leftover alcohol can be fatal.

• Avoid drinking alcohol if you are taking medicines. The interaction between the two can cause serious injury.

• Do not pick plants/mushrooms to eat from your backyard or fields. Even experts are often fooled by look-alikes that are toxic.

• Some holiday plants can be toxic to pets. Use extreme caution when bringing in flowers, bouquets and new plants into your pet-friendly household.

• Easter Lily: Keep away from pets. Poisonous to cats.

• Lily of the Valley: If ingested, this plant can cause heart problems.

• Tulips and other bulb spring flowers: The bulbs can be irritating to your skin. If swallowed, they can cause distress.

If you believe your child, pet, or anyone else has ingested something that could be harmful, call the NJ Poison Experts at 800-222-1222. If someone is unconscious, not breathing, seizing/convulsing, bleeding profusely, difficult to arouse/wake up, etc. call 911 immediately, otherwise call the poison center. A quick response by both the caller and the poison center expert can make a difference in preventing serious injury and saving lives. Every minute counts in poisoning situations so do not take chances by either waiting until symptoms occur or waste valuable time looking up information on the Internet.

New Jersey residents seeking immediate information about treating poison emergencies, and those with any drug information questions, should call the toll-free hot line, 800-222-1222, anytime. The hearing impaired may call 973-926-8008. For more information, visit www.njpies.org or call 973-972-9280.

Source: http://www.mycentraljersey.com

1 INJURED WHEN WRECKER CRASHES UNDER I-690 BRIDGE IN SYRACUSE, NY

MARCH 30, 2015

SYRACUSE, N.Y. 

A wrecker's crash into the Interstate 690 bridge in Syracuse led emergency crews to close part of the highway, transport a patient to the hospital and clean up hazardous materials.

At 2:40 p.m., a man driving a wrecker north on Catherine Street near Erie Boulevard crashed into the I-690 bridge above, the Onondaga County 911 Dispatch Center said.

The truck's boom struck the bridge, causing visible damage, then was seen flung back into the road. The boom and the back of the truck were damaged and bent.

The man had to be helped by Syracuse firefighters out of the vehicle. He was transported by Rural Metro Ambulance from the scene before 3 p.m.

Catherine Street is closed to traffic at Erie Boulevard East as crews respond to the crash. Part of Erie Boulevard is also closed to traffic.

Emergency crews on the scene requested dispatchers to send police to block the bridge, which is a ramp from Interstate 81 to Interstate 690, due to the damage.

Responders also called for hazardous materials clean-up crews to help clean up a patch of fluid that spilled from the truck.

Source:www.syracuse.com

FACING PRESSURE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS FROM BOTH PARTIES AFTER ACCUSATIONS OF MISMANAGEMENT, THE HEAD OF THE CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD RESIGNED EFFECTIVE THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015.

Chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso announced his resignation to staff in an email Thursday evening; the news was confirmed by CSB. He led the agency since 2010, a tenure dogged by internal turmoil and allegations that he mismanaged and overstressed the staff.

Moure-Eraso had just three months left in his five-year term at CSB, the independent agency tasked with investigating chemical incidents and issuing recommendations.

"It has been a privilege to serve the agency since June 2010," Moure-Eraso wrote to the staff. "My wishes are for the continued success and productivity of the Board. Good luck to the Board and the staff in all your projects at the CSB. I am forever grateful for the hard work of the agency that has led to so many successes over the past five years."

The White House asked Moure-Eraso to step aside, which the administration communicated to lawmakers this week.

A spokesman for CSB said that Moure-Eraso resigned his post as chairman, but will remain a board member until mid-April. That leaves the makeup of the board at four members for five open spots. It was not clear Thursday who would serve as chairman.

Moure-Eraso faced increasing pressure from the Hill over his management of the agency and charges that he stood in the way of EPA inspector general investigations. Recently, an EPA IG report found that Moure-Eraso and two top executives used personal email accounts to conduct official business.

Fourteen members of the House Oversight Committee called on Obama to oust Moure-Eraso last week, as did two Republican members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The letter from Sens. Jim Inhofe and Mike Rounds said CSB "can no longer continue to operate credibly under this leadership."

In a statement Thursday, Inhofe and Rounds, who heads the Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight subcommittee, applauded the White House for requesting the resignation and urged quick action to fill the board.

"During his time serving as chairman, we believe he violated his oath of office and violated the law," Inhofe and Rounds said. "Moure-Eraso's leadership created an environment of dysfunction within the agency and it was no longer operating with credibility in conducting meaningful investigations of industrial incidents."

In a joint statement issued Wednesday, Oversight Committee chairman Jason Chaffetz and ranking member Elijah Cummings said they were "pleased that the president has recognized the importance of making key changes with the Chemical Safety Board."

"Dr. Moure-Eraso's mismanagement of the CSB, abuse of power, employee retaliation, and lack of honesty in his communications with Congress are among the many reasons why his resignation is the right next step for this federal agency," they wrote. "We remain hopeful that progress will continue to be made with regards to improving leadership and morale issues within the CSB."

The Oversight Committee also charged that a CSB employee had been removed from an outside contract and demoted after working with a consulting firm on a report that criticized management at the agency. There have also been questions about a board order that passed in a late-night January meeting that wiped away several management reforms and appeared to consolidate power with the chair, although the member who introduced it said it was a streamlining measure.

Industry and labor observers also said that under Moure-Eraso, the agency had faltered on its core work of investigating and preventing chemical accidents. Until recently, there was a hefty backlog of open investigations, although CSB has issued eight reports in the past nine months and now has just six open investigations (three others were eliminated without a final report). Still, critics say the CSB has not been as quick or as nimble as it had in the past.

Several investigators left under Moure-Eraso, citing a toxic work environment and a management style that discouraged open discussion and debate.

The White House this month nominated Vanessa Allen Sutherland, the chief counsel at the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, to chair the CSB for a term that would begin in June.

FIRE AT EXXONMOBIL BEAUMONT CHEMICAL PLANT WHEN A VAPOR RELEASE FROM A PROPYLENE LINE CAUGHT FIRE

MARCH 30, 2015

BEAUMONT, TEXAS

A spokesperson for ExxonMobil at 5:45 a.m. Monday told 12News a fire at the Beaumont facility is out.  The spokesperson said everyone is accounted for and no one was hurt.

The fire started shortly after 12 a.m. Monday when a vapor release from a propylene line caught fire.

Spokesperson Lee Dula told 12News the fire at the plant off Madison Ave. caused some of the workers from the plant to be moved to alternative locations. 

 Some workers were allowed to go home, however all personnel were told to report for their scheduled shifts and check in with their supervisors.

Dula added ongoing air monitoring continues to indicate no impacts to the community. Nearby plants were notified about the fire.

Beaumont Fire-Rescue Captain Brad Pennison told 12News his firefighters responded to the scene, but were only on standby if needed.