Look at all that black smoke!

On August 7, a small, "seemingly insignificant leak" was found at one of the country’s biggest oil refineries located near San Francisco. Though required by California law to “immediately” notify the public of any gas leak, fire or oil spill, Chevron did not consider the leak to be an immediate danger to residents nearby.

“At that point in time, there really wasn’t anything we could advise the
community to do,” said Mark Ayers, the refinery’s fire chief.

Yet some two hours later, that small leak became an intense fire that sent acrid black smoke into the sky and more than 1000 people went to hospitals with health complaints of eye irritation and breathing problems. All but a handful of patients were quickly treated and released, hospital officials said.

A county wide Level 3 Hazardous Material "Immediate-Extreme-Health-Hazard" alert was issued advising local residents to,

"shelter in place, go inside, close all windows and doors, turn off all
heaters, air conditioners and fans. If not using the fireplace, close fireplace dampers and vents, and cover cracks around doors and windows with tape or damped towels." [fireplaces? in California summer?]

That's a pretty rare alert. Consider this,

While Bay Area air quality officials excluded potentially toxic pollutants, their analysis did not say exactly what was in the smoke that boiled out of the refinery's No. 4 Crude Unit, only that the air around the refinery was unlikely to cause any long-term health effects.

Chevron admitted that the fire caused the refinery to emit large clouds of sulfuric acid, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and hydrogen oxide. "We apologize for the fire and smoke caused by yesterday's incident," the company said in a statement.

Carbon Monoxide

"It's a Gas! Gas! Gas!" - lyrics to Jumping Jack Flash

If you live in the New York City region, subscribe to Notify N.Y.C. at https://a858-nycnotify.nyc.gov/notifynyc/  Alerts and notices are available via email, SMS, phone, Twitter or RSS feed.

Registrants can select five notification types for up to five ZIP codes across NYC.

• Emergency Alerts – messages about life-threatening events that may require immediate action. All registrants are automatically added to this list.
• Significant Events Notifications – important information about emergency events, utility outages and other types of high-impact events in your ZIP code.
• Public Health Notifications – information about important public health issues in your community
• Public School Closing/Delay Advisories – updates about unscheduled public school closings, delays and early dismissals
• Unscheduled Parking Rules Suspensions – updates about unscheduled suspensions of citywide parking rules

Bottom Line

As an example, here is a NYC message from 12/17 ....

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reminds New Yorkers to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning by clearing snow from exhaust pipes before starting car engines, avoid running cars in enclosed spaces, and clear snow from the vents of combustion appliances. Never heat your home with a stove or oven.

I should know better but it never occurred to me to check the exhaust pipe of my snow covered car after the blizzard last weekend.

Wind Chill

"I've got to go home - Oh, baby, you'll freeze out there
Say, lend me your coat - It's up to your knees out there"
- song lyrics from Baby It's Cold Outside

Slate.com recently published an article, "It's time to get rid of a meaningless number", that is opposed to the idea of "Wind Chill factor". The columnist believes that "no amount of tweaking will make wind chill more comprehensible."

Let's start at the beginning. In 1945 two Antarctic explorers, Paul Siple and Charles Passel, realized that a bottle of water would freeze faster on a windy day than on a calm day. This is because the wind is more efficient at carrying away the heat in the water. They carefully recorded wind speed and freezing times to create a chart and formula uniting wind and temperature. So given 5 F and a wind speed of X, you could calculate that a bottle would freeze in the same amount of time as a calm day of -40 F.

The concept of wind chill was first used by Canadian Weather men in the 1970s. The Siple-Passel formula was used for 30 years before two researchers, Randall Osczevski in Canada and Maurice Bluestein in the United States, decided to retest the numbers. They found that the Siple-Passel formula was too extreme in its predictions. So instead of -40F above the same 5F and wind would feel more like -19F.

So this is confusion #1 - the system of wind chill was changed at the turn of the century.

Confusion #2 - If it's a windy day at 35F, the wind chill might "feel like" 20F but no bottle of water (or anything else) is going to freeze. The coldest anything can get in this example is 35F - safely above freezing. All wind chill does is tell you how quickly you'll cool down to the outdoor temperature - not how cold you will become. Wind does not make things colder than the air temperature - it just makes them as cold, faster.

Confusion #3 - Your results may vary. The actual rate at which your body cools will depend upon the clouds & sun, how much skin you have exposed, how insulating your coat is, how exposed you are to the wind, and so on. The modern Wind Chill model is based upon people who are 5 feet tall, somewhat portly, and walk at an even clip directly into the wind.

Bottom Line

Wind Chill is useful as a reminder about the dangers of a cold wind but keep in mind the limitations mentioned above. Also remember that wet clothes draw out heat and will cool you down faster than dry clothes. Stay dry and out of the wind.

Check out one of my early blogs for more details on Hypothermia.

Drowning

“We are drowning in information and starved for knowledge.” - unknown

Each year, almost 8,000 Americans die from drowning. Of those nearly drowned, 70% recover, 25% die, and 5% have permanent brain damage. Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4 and the second-leading cause of death in children 14 and under. The sooner the rescue and first aid begins, the greater the victim's chance of survival. However do not endanger yourself in rescuing the victim during this process.

A person in the water may be drowning if they show signs of distress, can't stay above water, swims unevenly, signals for help, etc.

How to respond to a Near Drowning

• Notify a lifeguard. If the swimming area is unsupervised and you’re alone, then call 9-1-1 BEFORE jumping in to rescue. Otherwise you might become the second drowning victim with no one to rescue you.
  
• A drowning person is desperate. If you toss a rope or use a stick you might get pulled in the water. If you swim out (a last resort) a panicked victim may grab hold and pull you down. Swim out with a flotation device and approach the person from behind. Grab a piece of the person's clothing. Don’t let them grab you.
  
• When getting the person out of the water, support the head and neck. Suspect a neck injury around rocks, water sports, and swimming pool diving areas.

The primary focus of first aid for a near-drowning victim is to get oxygen into the lungs without aggravating any suspected neck or spine injury.

• Check for a response. (Ask, “Are you OK? May I assist you with first aid?”)
  
• No response gives implicit permission to begin first aid. Call 9-1-1 if you haven’t yet. Give Rescue Breaths and CPR, as needed. Strong swimmers with lifeguard training may begin the rescue breaths while still in the water.
  
• If the airway is obstructed and rescue breaths are not working, ONLY then perform the Heimlich maneuver. DO NOT perform the Heimlich maneuver just to force “bad” water out. An unneccessary Heimlich maneuver can cause an unconscious person to vomit and choke on the vomit.

Don't assume it's too late to save a life -- even if the person is unresponsive. Continue performing CPR and do not stop until medical professionals take over.

• If the person is conscious but weak, confused or lethargic, then put them in the Recovery Position. A bloated, water-filled abdomen may lead to vomiting and choking. Clear his or her mouth if necessary. Make sure 9-1-1 is on the way.
  
• Another danger sign is blue lips and ears and the skin is cold and pale.
  
• If possible remove cold, wet clothes and cover the person with a blanket to prevent hypothermia. This applies to everyone.
  
• Stay with the person until medical personnel have arrived or they are taken to a doctor.

Even someone with no symptoms after a near drowning should be observed in the emergency department for 6-12 hours and should follow up with a doctor in 1-3 days. Secondary drowning can occur when a victim appears fine but in reality has a small amount of fluid in their lungs. The person may “drown” several hours later as the fluid damages the interior lung lining. A ten-year-old can die with just four ounces of water in the lungs.

• After the incident, if the recovered victim develops a fever, cough or muscle pains, take them to an emergency room.

Bottom Line

Did you know a small child can drown in just 2 inches of water? This makes bathtubs, sinks, buckets, toilets and pools unsafe for unsupervised toddlers.

Resources

http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?ID=1468

http://firstaid.webmd.com/drowning-treatment

http://www.parents.com/baby/health/first-aid-emergencies/first-aid-for-drowning/;jsessionid=0HWLDKMD0NF5SCQCEAQB42Q?page=2

http://www.firstaidtopics.com/secondary-drowning/

http://www.indianchild.com/first_aid_for_drowning.htm

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000046.htm

The Greenhouse Effect in Cars

"Every dog has his day - but the nights are reserved for the cats" - unknown

Have you ever visited a green house and been amazed at how warm it was inside? Light waves, in particular short-wave infrared, penetrate the glass, get absorbed by objects inside and radiated back as heat (long-wave infrared). The heat waves can not penetrate the glass, so the temperature goes up inside.

Have you ever considered that your car is also a greenhouse? Each year about 40 children in the US die inside hot cars. Hundreds of dogs are literally cooked to death.

The typical excuse of parents is, “I only ran in for a second, I wasn't going to be long.” On a 78 degree day, a car parked in the shade can quickly exceed 90 degrees. A car parked in the sun can hit a scorching 160 degrees. It only about 10-15 minutes, for a child or pet left inside a hot car to suffer from heat exhaustion, heat stroke or death.

Rolling down a window doesn't guarantee protection since temperatures can still climb into the danger zone. And if the window is rolled down sufficiently, your pet may escape from the car. If your window is open and a passer-by claims he or she was bitten through the car window, you will be liable for a lawsuit. [Paw-rescue.org]

Some people leave the car running with the A/C blowing to keep pets cool while they’re away. Overlooking the chance of car jacking, this is still dangerous. In 2003, a police dog in Texas died after the air-conditioning in the patrol car shut down because the engine got too hot. The car automatically switched to blowing hot air to save the engine.

Bottom Line

Leaving children and pets unattended inside a car is a crime in most states. Don’t do it.

Sometimes children become trapped inside cars when playing or decide to sleep in the car. Always lock car doors and trunks and keep keys out of children's reach.

If your pet show signs of heat exhaustion - restlessness, excessive thirst, heavy panting, lethargy, dark tongue, rapid pulse, fever, vomiting, glazed eyes, dizziness, or lack of coordination - move the pet into the shade, an air conditioned area, or to the vet. Lower body temperature gradually by giving the animal water to drink. Place a cold towel or ice pack on the head, neck and chest, and/or immerse dogs in cool (not cold) water.
www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_HotCars.php

Nuclear or Coal?

“Diamonds are nothing more than chunks of coal that stuck to their jobs.”-Malcolm S. Forbes

When one thinks of the dangers of Nuclear power, thoughts immediately go to Chernobyl or Three Mile Island (in NY). But interestingly those are the worst and pretty much the only disasters from 50 years of nuclear power. A plant disaster can happen with any technology – an explosion at a hydroelectric dam seriously injured my grandfather in the 1960’s.

Given the rarity of “meltdowns” my concerns for nuclear power have focused upon the long-term disposal of nuclear rods and other waster. Yucca Mountain in Nevada was supposed to solve the problem but after spending 8 Billion dollars for studies and construction and fighting a decade of lawsuits to prevent the Yucca Repository from opening, the facility is now officially “dead” thanks largely to the efforts of Nevada Senator Harry Reid.

Now nuclear plants have no better option than continuing to keep waste in rusting barrels on plant property and rods in containment pools. Even if the plants were closed (unlikely since 14% of world power is nuclear with the percentage increasing) the waste and rods remain. I happen to live near the Indian Point nuclear plant which is itself only 40 miles from New York City and a population of over 12 million people. It’s amazing how politics can protect the 2.6 million residents of Nevada from a remote risk in exchange for actual risk to tens of millions of residents near active plants.

I hadn’t intended to rail against nuclear storage when I started this essay. What caught my eye was an article about coal ponds on newsobserver.com. There is much talk today about “clean coal” but in fact coal is very dirty and may be more dangerous to the environment than nuclear power. When coal is burned, 10% of the coal becomes coal ash that must be disposed of. The US alone produces about 100 million tons of coal ash a year. Some of that ash is lightweight (fly ash) and used to float out the pipe stacks into the air and eventually into human lungs (not good). When the industry speaks of “clean coal” they mean that due to government regulation they now have filters on the exhaust vents to catch the fly ash.

But the caught ash still must go somewhere. Today 46% of fly ash is recycled into cement and bricks while the remaining ash is buried in landfills or kept in sludge ponds. In 2008, the pool impoundment at the Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee broke and 1.1 billion gallons of fly ash slurry poured over 300 acres damaging homes and fields and flowing into local rivers. Since fly ash contains traces of heavy metals like arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, barium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, radium, selenium, thorium, uranium, vanadium, and zinc the spill was a major environmental disaster. Ash landfills also pose a serious threat should rainwater leak through the fill and into the local water supply carrying the heavy metals with it.

Bottom Line

Today coal supplies most of the electricity for the US. We may have solved “acid rain” but issues remain. Coal mining still creates giant holes and is a dangerous occupation for miners. Coal burning creates a deadly ash in huge quantities that must be safely stored forever. So which poison is better, coal waste or nuclear waste? I suspect history will show that coal, due to its vast quantity and lower level of confinement was the bigger threat.

Fresh Air

"Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans." - Jacques Yves Cousteau

Air - it's everywhere and we take it for granted. But in yesterday's tip, the Rule of Threes, we learned that the #1 priority in emergencies is fresh AIR. Consider:

• 1st Aid and CPR courses teach "ABC"; the first things you check are the Airway, Breathing and then Circulation (pulse/heartbeat).
  
• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year, more than 500 people die in the U. S. from accidental Carbon Monoxide poisoning.
  
• Again according to the CDC, almost 200 children die each year from choking. It is estimated that more than 17,500 children 14 years of age or younger are treated in U.S. emergency departments for choking episodes annually.
  
• During home or office fires, the major cause of death is the smoke filled air, not burning in the flames. Stay low to the floor where the good air can be found.
  
• When miners are trapped underground, foul air is the leading cause of death.
  
• If the dirty air in a disaster doesn't kill you, it could still give you some serious lung injuries. Asbestos or other pollutants at the scene could raise your risk for later lung cancer. Some vivid images from 9-11 show persons completely coated in dust as they fled from the collapsing towers. Today there are concerns about what was in that 9-11 dust and the long term effects to the survivors and rescue workers.

Bottom Line:

1. Take a moment to think about the air quality when there's smoke, pollutants, or when you are confined to a small space like a car or room. Don't wait until you feel faint - that is often too late.
2. When firemen are wearing an oxygen tank and mask - what have you got? Hopefully your emergency kit will have a simple face mask to keep airborne particles and dust out of your lungs. No face mask? Then use a shirt, handkerchief, or scarf to cover your face when the air is thick.

Tomorrow: Carbon Monoxide

Rule of Threes

The first step in emergency preparedness is knowing where to start. What is most important?
Fortunately this is answered by the Survival Rule of Threes:

An average person can survive:

3 minutes without air

3 hours without shelter in harsh conditions of cold or heat

3 days without water

3 weeks without food

This is best illustrated by a story. A friend of a friend died in his car during a blizzard. He had pulled over to the side to avoid being hit or causing an accident and kept the car running to keep warm. However the snow piled up and buried the exhaust pipe causing the car to fill with Carbon Monoxide fumes - a silent killer. This person forgot that fresh air trumps heat for survival. This is also one of the reasons you see warnings not to use cooking stoves inside a tent.

A second example: if you're lost in the wilderness with dry food but no water - don't eat the food! Digesting food uses up moisture inside the body. It is better to go hungry than to become dehydrated.

Here are two other sites discussing the Rule of Threes:
Outdoor Skills
Survival Topics