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CSB Team To Investigate Rhode Island
Cyanide Gas Incident
(Washington, DC) The U.S. Chemical Safety
Board (CSB) has dispatched an investigative team to the site of the
February 7 cyanide gas release at Technic Inc. in Cranston, Rhode Island,
south of Providence.
CSB Board Member Dr. Isadore (Irv) Rosenthal will be accompanying the
team, which will be headed by lead investigator Randy McClure. The CSB
team has begun immediate operations to examine the cause of the accident.
CSB Chairman Carolyn Merritt said: “We are particularly concerned by the
events this morning at Technic because preliminary information points to
an uncontrolled chemical reaction leading to toxic gas formation. This is
far from a new problem: the inadvertent mixing of incompatible reactive
materials has happened many times before and has caused numerous
accidents. In September 2002, the CSB completed a two-year investigation
of reactive hazards, which examined 167 serious accidents and concluded
that federal safety regulations are inadequate in this area and need to be
strengthened. The continued occurrence of reactive incidents underscores
the need for EPA and OSHA to take rapid action.”
The CSB is an independent federal agency that determines root causes of
chemical accidents and reports to the public. The CSB does not issue fines
or citations or apportion responsibility for accidents. The Board makes
safety recommendations to prevent future accidents directed to industry,
labor, and professional associations as well as EPA, OSHA, and other
federal bodies. Further information about the CSB is available from
www.csb.gov.
Media contacts:
CSB Headquarters: Daniel Horowitz at (202) 261-7613 / (202) 345-4960 cell
Rhode Island: Don Critchfield (202) 494-4517 cell Sandy Gilmour
(Washington, DC) 202-251-5496
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