Washington D.C. November 22, 2024 , the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released an investigation update into the chemical reaction and toxic gas release on September 29, 2024, at the Bio-Lab, Inc. facility in Conyers, Georgia, that resulted in a massive fire and plume of toxic smoke that threatened the surrounding community and the metropolitan Atlanta area.
The reaction involved materials stored in a warehouse that generated heat, which led to the decomposition of the product, the release of toxic vapors, and fires. The primary substances involved in the reaction were trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA) and sodium dichloroisocyanurate (DCCA), along with bromochloro-5,5-dimethylimidazolidine-2,4-dione (BCDMH). The resulting massive plumes of toxic smoke contained chlorine and other hazardous substances and caused significant offsite impacts.
It has been reported that roughly 17,000 people in the surrounding community reportedly evacuated, and nearly 90,000 people in metropolitan Atlanta were advised to shelter in place. Interstate I-20, which runs parallel to the Bio-Lab facility, was shut down for roughly 18 hours, and smaller roads were closed for even longer. Nightly shelter-in-place warnings to the surrounding community went on for several weeks after the incident. Ultimately, the warehouse was completely destroyed.
CSB Chairperson Steve Owens said, “This incident and the substantial potential risk that it posed to the surrounding community was completely unacceptable. Reactive chemical incidents can have severe environmental and public safety impacts due to the combination of fire, toxic gas emissions, and hazardous materials involved, and Bio-Lab and any other facility that has reactive chemicals onsite must manage those materials safely.”
The CSB’s update outlines the events surrounding the massive blaze. On September 29, 2024, at 5:00 a.m., a Bio-Lab employee on fire watch in the Plant 12 storage warehouse heard what was reported as a popping sound, which they attributed to wet product. There were no visible flames at that time. After an unsuccessful attempt to isolate the reacting product, the employee called the only other Bio-Lab employee on-site. At approximately 5:10 a.m., the employee called 9-1-1 due to the large hazardous plumes of toxic vapors inside the building. By 6:30 a.m., flames became visible above the area of the chemical reaction and were quickly extinguished in less than two hours.
Emergency responders began evacuations shortly before 12:30 p.m. on September 29, 2024, after a second larger fire broke out at Bio-Lab's Plant 12. This fire was reported extinguished by 4:00 p.m.
Throughout the incident, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted air monitoring, finding elevated chlorine and hydrogen chloride levels from September 30th to October 2nd, with the highest levels occurring during night hours.
The CSB is continuing to gather facts and analyze several key areas, including:
The cause of the material decomposition, release of toxic vapors, and fire
Storage and handling of oxidizers and their compatibility
Best practices for responding to emergencies involving bulk solid oxidizer chemical reactions and decompositions
Regulatory and Industry guidance on fire protection systems for bulk solid oxidizers
The CSB’s investigation is ongoing, and the CSB will provide complete findings, analyses, and recommendations in its final investigation report.
华盛顿特区 2024 年 11 月 22 日，美国化学安全与危害调查委员会 (CSB) 发布了对2024 年 9 月 29 日发生在佐治亚州康耶斯的 Bio-Lab, Inc. 设施的化学反应和有毒气体泄漏的调查更新，该事件导致大火和有毒烟雾，威胁周边社区和亚特兰大大都会区。
反应涉及储存在仓库中的材料，这些材料会产生热量，导致产品分解、释放有毒蒸汽并引发火灾。反应中涉及的主要物质是三氯异氰尿酸 (TCCA) 和二氯异氰尿酸钠 (DCCA)，以及溴氯-5,5-二甲基咪唑烷-2,4-二酮 (BCDMH)。由此产生的大量有毒烟雾含有氯和其他有害物质，并对场外造成重大影响。
据报道，周边社区约有 1.7 万人撤离，亚特兰大大都会区近 9 万人被建议就地避难。与生物实验室设施平行的 20 号州际公路被关闭了大约 18 个小时，小路关闭的时间更长。事件发生后数周，周边社区每晚都会收到就地避难警告。最终，仓库被彻底摧毁。
CSB 主席 Steve Owens 表示：“此次事故及其对周边社区造成的巨大潜在风险是完全不可接受的。由于涉及火灾、有毒气体排放和危险材料，反应性化学品事故可能对环境和公共安全造成严重影响，生物实验室和现场有反应性化学品的任何其他设施必须安全管理这些材料。”
CSB的更新概述了这场大火的事件。2024 年 9 月 29 日凌晨 5:00，一名在 12 号工厂仓库值守火灾的生物实验室员工听到了据称是爆裂声的声音，他们认为这是湿产品引起的。当时没有看到火焰。在试图隔离反应产物失败后，该员工打电话给现场唯一的另一名生物实验室员工。大约凌晨 5:10，由于建筑物内有大量有毒蒸气，该员工拨打了 9-1-1。到早上 6:30，火焰在化学反应区域上方变得可见，并在不到两小时内迅速扑灭。
2024 年 9 月 29 日中午 12:30 之前，生物实验室 12 号工厂发生第二起较大火灾，紧急救援人员开始疏散。据报道，这场大火于下午 4:00 被扑灭
在整个事件过程中，美国环境保护署 (EPA) 进行了空气监测，发现从 9 月 30日到 10 月 2日，氯气和氯化氢含量升高，夜间含量最高。
CSB 正在继续收集事实并分析几个关键领域，包括：
材料分解、释放有毒气体和起火的原因
氧化剂的储存和处理及其兼容性
应对散装固体氧化剂化学反应和分解紧急情况的最佳做法
散装固体氧化剂防火系统的监管和行业指导
CSB 的调查仍在进行中，CSB 将在最终调查报告中提供完整的调查结果、分析和建议。
来源：CSB&机器翻译
实验室安全管理培训研讨会
Lab Safety Workshop
12/26~27(可在线参加)
中国 上海
课程特点
实验室事故案例分享；
实验室的合规的疑惑与方案；
实验室的安全、健康、环保设施设计；
实验室化学品的全周期管理；
实验室新实验的风险管控；
丰富的工具、数据、图片和影像资料；
合理的练习，确保学以致用
谁应该参加
GM，OM
EHS总监、EHS经理、安全主管和安全工程师
实验室管理人员、实验员、试剂师、设施部、维修部经理、主管、工程师
第一部分：引言
实验室的经典案例分析；
实验室安全管理的特点及挑战；
第二部分：研发中心&实验室适用的EHS法律法规
《安全生产法》的实验室适用性
《环境保护法》的实验室适用性
《消防法》的实验室适用性
《职业病防治法》的实验室适用性
实验室新改扩项目‘三同时’
实验室化学品储存场所法规要求
实验人员职业健康监护
实验室的废水/废气/危废合规处理
练习
第三部分：研发中心&实验室安全设施设计及配置
实验室各功能房间平面及纵向布置原则
实验室通风系统设置
实验台的人机工程学设计
实验室气体检测系统设计
实验室各房间的压差设计原则
事故排风设置
练习
第四部分：研发中心&实验室基本安全规则
试验人员的日常行为规范
玻璃器皿的使用
化学品的倾倒方法
加热安全
机器设备的防护
第五部分：研发中心&实验室EHS管理实践
化学品GHS分类及标签
化学品采购EHS考虑事项
化学品道路运输安全
化学品现场存储安全
化学品内部运输/转移安全
化学品使用安全
通风橱的选择与管理
化学品废弃物处理
第六部分：研发中心&实验室安全管理体系
实验室安全技术委员会
实验室人员能力矩阵
实验室行为安全观察
实验室新实验评估&分析
实验室安全绩效指标体系
实验室的5S和目视化管理
培训费用为4980人民币/人（仅包含培训与午餐费用，其他交通住宿晚餐自理）
报名联系 cs@ehscity.com 或 021-69980278
主办方: EHSCity Development Co., Ltd
上海安进投资管理有限公司
