Document NN0V0mQBGE10vXJR1GyxyDzaQ

L' RECEIVED Handling Vinyl Chloride Emergencies The MCA CHEMTREC Program described here will simplify the reporting of accidents involving VCM, and aid in establishing liaison with the accident scene and the shipper. ii!r.| I 1972 MEDICAL DEPARTMENT D.L. Dowell B.F. Goodrich Chemical Co. Cleveland, Ohio URL 17868 An article :;n this manual by R.D. Kogler entitled "Vinyl Chloride Tank Car Incident" presents a step-by-step description of a train wreck which occurred on September IIT 1969 in Glendora, Miss. There were 157 cars in this train, eight of which were loaded with vinyl chloride monomer. Of the eight VCM cars involved, five remained full and intact after all the fires were extinguished. Due to some erroneous information, and the actions of a few civil authorities, approximately 30,000 people were evacuated from their homes unnecessarily. This incident caused a lot of adverse publicity to those companies involved in the production and consumption of vinyl chloride monomer. Upon request of Uniroyal, part owner of Monochem, a meeting was called by the Manufacturing Chemists' Association Safety and Fire Protection Committee, on October 27, 1969, in the MCA office in Washington, D.C. The purpose of this meeting was to: 1. Accumulate authoritative information on the combustion products of vinyl chloride monomer. 2. Review the current chemical safety data sheet and consider the possible need of a revised publication. 3. Discuss various aspects of the recent accident, and the adverse publicity which ensued. 4. Consider possible means of preventing a recurrence. Task groups formed Nineteen people, representing 11 companies who produce and/or consume vinyl chloride, attended this meeting under chairmanship of Mr. S.M. MacCutcheon of Dow Chemical. Mr. Jack R. Little from Monochem gave a detailed description of the Glendora, Mississippi, derailment, explosion, fire, and evacuation of people. Three ad hoc task groups were appointed to function under the MCA Safety and Fire Protection Committee to evaluate and make recommendations for overall vinyl chloride monomer transportation safety. Task Group A was assigned the project of accumulating information on vinyl chloride transporation accidents that had occurred in the past six years. Task Group B was assigned the development of recommendations for emergency procedures in the event of vinyl chloride transportation accidents, whether or not fire is involved. At a later date Task Group B was requested to make the necessary revisions on Chemical Data Sheet SD-56, and Cargo Information Card, CIC-80, and MCA Chem Card CC-46. Task Group C was assigned the problem of defining the combustion products from vinyl chloride monomer. The objectives of this group were: 1. Determine the amount of phosgene that may be produced when VCM is burned under known conditions. 2. Define total combustion products from VCM. 3. Develop a mathematical model to simulate the burning of a tank car of VCM and define the concentration of various combustion products at a given distance from the fire. 4. Make recommendations as to field testing meth* ods for measuring concentration of toxic combustion products. Task Group A completed its project on April 22,1970 and published a list of case histories of transportation accidents involving vin^l chloride in the past six years. Task Group C presented its final report on January 14, 1970 with conclusions as follows: "Phosgene is a very .minor combustion product from VCM. Very small quantities of phosgene (20- to 40 ppm) can be produced when VCM is burning under very specific conditions which involves premixing VCM with oxygen,^Without premixing, no detectable amount of phosgene is produced. The detection of phosgene in the presence of gross quantities of HCl produced from ithe burning of VCM is an extremely difficult analytical test. "When VCM is burned in the presence of air, an almost quantitative yield of HCl is obtained. The only other combustion products of any consequence are carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and water. Under diffusion conditions, the combustion of VCM produces a very sooty flame. Approximately 10% of the available 29 carbon is converted to carbon black." Task Group C also developed a computer program ami calculated a profile of combustion product concentrations at ground level at various distances from a VCM fire. Ten wind speeds from 2- to 35 mi./hr. were used. The turbulence of the air also was taken into account. The program selects, at each of three atmospheric conditions, the maximum ground level concentration of the pollutants, and the resulting wind speed at which this concentration took place, Using this wind speed, the program calculated a profile of pollutant concentration, at various distances, to a maximum of 20,000 ft. from the fire. The results obtained from tilts program show that the burning of a single tank cat of VCM (200,000 lb.) under the most unfavorable conditions of atmosphere and wind, will produce a ground level concentration of HCI, up to distances of 10,000 ft, of about 5 ppm. However, even at low concentrations, HCI will act as an unmistakable warning, and slightly higher levels will drive people away from the vicinity. In the immediate vicinity of a VCM fire toxic levels of phosgene may be present, but since no person can remain in the vicinity of a VCM fire, and since the low levels of phosgene are readily hydrolized or dissipated by the updraft of the flame, injury from phosgene is extremely unlikely. From the data collected, it appears that carbon monoxide should not be cause for concern in the vicinity of burning vinyl chloride. Insufficient oxygen and large quantities of HCI seem to be the chief hazards. If there is any. question of the presence of phosgene, a Drager tube equipped with a zinc scrubber tube, can be used. A report was presented on combustion products from vinyl chloride monomer at the Industrial Hygiene Association Meeting on May 14, 1970, in Detroit, Mich. This information will be published in a future issue of the American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal in an article authored by L.B. Crider, and M.M. O'mara of B.F. Goodrich Chemical, and Roger Daniel of Dow Chemical Co.. Safety in handling VCM Task Group B took the available information from Task Groups A and C and proceeded to design guidelines for personnel handling vinyl chloride monomer tank car emergencies. Their recommendations have been submitted to the Safety and Fire Protection Committee of MCA for review. Recommendations are as follows: 1. Personnel attending the accident scene - Shipper's representatives are only advisors, but should emphasize proper procedures for expediting clearing of the scene. 2. Take an emergency kit. The following items are considered essential: a. Explosion meter. o. Self-contained air supply. c. Wood plugs and wood mallet (see Bureau of Explosives Bulletin #22). d. Data Sheet SD-56 and pencils. c. Camera and film, f. Flashlight (Bureau of Mines approved). g. Rubber gloves. h. Slicker suit. i. Rubber overshoes. j. Safety line (braided stainless, plastic covered) and harness. k. Goggles. l. Safety hat. m. O rings. o. 10 in. adjustable wrench. p. Screwdriver. q. Ground continuity meter. It is recommended to take along a back-up man and to avoid wearing woolen or nylon clothing. 3. Leaks of vinyl chloride: a. Controllable leaks 1. Small holes - drive a wooden plug. 2. Larger holes -- use neoprene patch, bonded or chained to the tank. Special rigs should be left to the judgment of the man at scene. 3. Jagged holes are very difficult to close. 4. Ansui Purple K will extinguish a vinyl chloride fire but re-ignition often occurs. Use around valve if it appears that a leak can be subsequently controlled. b. Uncontrollable leaks - no fire 1. Isolate the area. 2. Remove sources of ignition. 3. Control spread of vapors by water spray or fog system. c. Uncontrollable leaks -- fire 1. Evacuate and isolate the immediate area. 2. Keep adjacent cars cool if possible with monitor nozzles. 3. Keep unofficial personnel away. --" 4. Treat a non-burning tank car in the vicinity of a fire as if it were about to rupture. i 5. If vinyl chloride reaches a sewer, evacuate the area and flush the sewers with copious amounts of water from the fire hoses. 4. Spilled vinyl chloride: a. Spilled vinyl chloride should not be deliverately ignited. 5. Recovery or removal of vinyl chloride from a tank car: a. Depending upon circumstances and the extent of car damage, vinyi chioride may be recoverable. 1. If the car condition permits, transfer the contents to empty cars using inert gas. 2. If a car is ruptured, attempt to use a pump with a flooded suction. 3. If pumping is impractical, use water or oil to float out the remainder of the vinyl chloride. 4. Fill the empty tank with water or nitrogen. 5. If a vinyl-ice mixture forms, keep a water stream on the tank until it dissipates- 30 --i ro a* u- * Handling of vinyl chloride in a damaged car cati^c influenced by weather conditions. a. At low temperatures, since vaporisation is iL-diiccil, patch the tank, if possible, so it can be moved. Task Group B, with the aid of staff members from the .Manufacturing Chemists' Association, developed informa tion for use by CHEMTREC on vinyl chloride monomer emergencies. This includes a list of manufacturers of vinyl chloride, their addresses, telephone numbers, and names of personnel that may be contacted and their home telephone numbers. Upon receipt of request from the shipper, the nearest qualified man will go to the scene of an accident as an advisor. We, who are producers and consumers of vinyl chloride monomer, have unanimously agreed that we have to work together if we are going to continue shipping monomer via railways. Control of VCM in marine emergencies About mid-year 1970, Task Group B was requested to continue its studies and make recommendations for handling vinyl chloride accidents in maritime transporta tion. They have completed their recommendations and they will be submitted this month. Their recommenda tions for control of marine emergencies are as follows: 1. Safety equipment -- safety equipment at the dock, other Uian normal types of safety equipment, should include: a. Self-contained breathing equipment (at least two units with two spare bottles). b. Explosion meter. c. Ground continuity meter. d. Water with an appropriate number of nozzles. e. Dry chemical fire extinguishers. f. MCA Data Sheet SD-56 and Chemcard CIC #80 2. Types of emergencies: a. General -- activate the alarm. b. Controllable leaks -- no fire: 1. Isolate the leak and source. 2. Eliminate ignition sources. 3. Control spread of vapors by water-fog. 4. Attempt to repair the leak using adequate safety protection procedures. c. An uncontrollable leak, ruptures, -- no fire: 1. Isolate the area. 2. Remove all sources of ignition. 3. Use water spray to prevent accumulation of liquid and dissipate the vapor cloud. It is not recom mended that ship's Fire water supply be hooked into the city water supply. d. Uncontrollable leaks -- fire: 1. isolate the area. 2. Evacuate the area except for emergency personnel. 3. Use water-fog on fire and fumes (don't extin guish fire unless leak can be controlled). 4. Use copious amounts of water to keep ad jacent areas cool. 5. Treat adjacent tanks as if they were about to rupture. 6. Make provisions to minimize the mixing of air with vinyl chloride vapor in confined spaces and the burn ing tanks or lines (use water, nitrogen, or other inert gases). e. Exposure 1. Remove exposed persons to fresh air. 2. Apply artificial respiration or oxygen if the person is not breathing. 3. Call a physician. 4. Remove contaminated clothing and thaw frosted parts of the body with water.- 5. If exposed to gas from the fire, administer oxygen if breathing is difficult. 3. Spilled vinyl chloride -- vinyl chloride spills should not be deliberately ignited. 4. Recovery or removal of vinyl chloride: a. Depending upon the circumstances and the extent of tank damage, vinyl chloride may be recovered, but provisions must be made to keep air out of the tanks. 1. If the tank conditions permit, transfer the contents to an empty tank or back to the shore. 2. If the tank cannot be patched and it does not have a deep well pump, pr the deep well pump cannot be used, sparge hot inert gas into the bottom of the tank to vaporize the vinyl chloride. 3. Fill empty tank with water or inert gas. Work is proceeding on the development of a revised edition of the MCA Chemical Safety Data Sheet SD-56. This new edition will contain the emergency recommenda tions developed by Task Group B. It is hoped the revised data sheet will be published in 1971. We who produce or purchase vinyl chloride believe that the MCA CHEMTREC Program will be advantageous in that: 1. It will simplify reporting and receiving accident information involving vinyl chloride cars. 2. It will give immediate response to the caller regarding the immediate . hazards of vinyl --chloride monomer. 3. It will also aid in establishing liaison with both the accident scene and the shipper. # DOWELL, D. L.t URL 17870 31