04/05/08 - School principal Stacy Gross was busy yesterday afternoon trying to respond to questions from parents and students and reassure them.

Quote:

"The container, it wasn't like it had shattered on the floor; it was pretty much intact, a lot of the product was still in the cabinet," said Deputy Fire Chief Keith Millette.

Story:

Sciencelab spill

Paramedics and firefighters responded to a chemical spill at Western Middle School early yesterday morning after a jar containing a deer fetus preserved in formaldehyde and water was knocked over, officials said.

While reaching inside a cabinet, a student knocked over the jar, causing it to crack and the liquid to leak, officials said. Firefighters, medics and the district's science safety officer responded to assess the situation at the school shortly after 10 a.m....

...students complaining of symptoms similar to that of formaldehyde exposure were taken to Greenwich Hospital, where they were treated and released, officials said.

Firefighters used a special cleaning solution called Speedy Dry to mop up the solution and special paper to make ....

Full Story

Please See Yesterday's Posts:

04/04/08 - (Update) Breaking News - The Chemical Spill At Western Middle School

04/04/08 - Formaldehyde Spill At Western Middle School

04/04/08 - (Update) Breaking News - The Chemical Spill At Western Middle School

This hand belongs to a victim of formalin contact
caused dermatitis of the nails.

Spin Control:
Don't Call The Chemical
Formaldehyde
It's Formalin, Damn It,
It's Formalin !!!!


Fluid spill at Western sends two students to hospital

A Formalin spill today in science classroom 22 at Western Middle School resulted in two students being taken to the hospital as a precaution, according to a Greenwich Public Schools press release.

A student reached for something in a cabinet and accidentally knocked a jar containing the fluid (a Formaldehyde solution significantly diluted with water) into another object in the cabinet, thereby cracking the jar containing the Formalin.

Safety protocols were immediately deployed. Students and staff were removed from the classroom; the fire department was dispatched to the school, and the school district’s Science Safety Officer was consulted. The situation was assessed, and the material was cleaned using appropriate safety measures.

The cleaning protocol includes cleaning with a special solution three times, a PH swab over all surfaces that came in contact with the solution to detect any residue, air monitoring and ventilation. Deputy Fire Chief Keith Millette has determined that the room is now safe for occupancy.

The school nurse and paramedics examined every student and staff member involved. The two students taken to the hospital had complained of symptoms that may have been related to exposure to the Formalin. Both students have been treated and released.

Let us look at formalin.

Formalin is a saturated solution of formaldehyde, water, and typically another agent, most commonly methanol. In its typical form, formalin is 37% formaldehyde by weight (40% by volume), 6-13% methanol, and the rest water. A quick glance at any commercially available formalin product will confirm these numbers. Formaldehyde provides the disinfectant and bacteriacide/germacide effects of formalin. The water content of formalin provides a dilution of formaldehyde. And the methanol content stabilizes the naturally chemically unstable formaldehyde compound.

See The Video At The Previous Post About The

Western Middle School Chemical Spill:

04/04/08 - Formaldehyde Spill At Western Middle School

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03/28/08 -“I look at this in terms of the process and how the case was put together,” Mr. Tesei said

Benoit gets his job back after reaching agreement with town

Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Benoit will soon be back on duty after reaching a settlement with the town over his suspension last year.

According to First Selectman Peter Tesei, Deputy Chief Benoit, a 20-year veteran of the Greenwich Fire Department who also served as the fire marshal in town, will be reinstated on Monday. He was placed on administrative leave by then First Selectman James Lash last September and a hearing began in November on whether Mr. Lash’s intention to fire him was justified. However, no hearings have been held within the last several months and on Thursday, Mr. Tesei announced the reinstatement...

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