Two sulphuric acid leaks at Schweizerhalle chemical factory in one day.
Sulphuric acid leaked from a chemical factory in the Schweizerhalle industrial zone in Pratteln on two separate occasions on Thursday morning. According to the police, nobody was injured or at risk. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The first incident happened at around 7.30am when concentrated sulphuric acid leaked from a pipe at the CABB AG company in Düngerstrasse, Pratteln. A crew of industrial fire fighters together with the Pratteln fire brigade were able to quickly contain the leak.
According to a police spokesperson, a total of 35 litres of acid leaked from the factory. The acid remained in liquid form but reacted when the fire brigade poured water on it, causing a visible column of steam to rise above the building. The cloud soon evaporated.
The acid was mostly contained inside the building, the police said. According to the measurements taken, the accident did not pose a threat to the environment or to people, the spokesperson added.
However, during the repair operation in the afternoon, sulphuric acid leaked once again from the same pipe, with asimilar amount released as in the morning, the police said. Two people had to be taken for a medical inspection.
CABB AG in Pratteln has delivered bad news in recent months with a number of accidents at the chemical plant.A leak in March resulted in a criminal investigation. The company, formerly known as SF-Chem, which was established 1917 as a common supply company for the chemical factories of Basel.
Sky in the museum – the Museum of Cultures shows constellation scrolls
In the exhibition «Sonne, Mond und Sterne», the Museum of Cultures highlights the role constellations play forhuman beings. Gazing at the sky in wonder has over the years led to diverse explanations of what is out there.
The exhibition, which opens on Friday, takes an ethnological glance at interpretations of the phenomenon of an eclipse. Humanity has learned a lot through observing constellations, not least the concept of space that has been earmarked by them, but also the concept of time.
According to a press release issued by the museum on Thursday, visitors will be stimulated to change theirperspectives, to see the earth from the outside. The moon landing in 1969 and also religious practices are both topics raised in the exhibition.
Tablets written by the Maya people from the 8th century are on display as well as a lantern from a Basler Clique from the “summer of the century” in 2003. The image transfer of positively connoted celestial bodies in politics, sport, and advertisement will also feature in the exhibition.
Première for Basel: 24/7 bicycle tyre inflators
The first 24/7 public bike tyre inflation station in the Basel region has been put into operation by the University Hospital Basel. The two inflation stations for bicycles, mopeds, and motorcycles are available to be used byemployees of the hospital as well as the public free of charge. The new pumping stations are part of a mobility concept which are expected to be put in place by the hospital by 2020.
A concept which already exists in many other Swiss cities such as Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, and St. Gallen has now been realised in Basel. The two inflation stations are available near the entrance of the Emergency Department at2, Petersgraben and the entrance of the “Zentrum für Lehre und Forschung” at 20, Hebelstrasse.
The inflation station – a Swiss product – is something the hospital wants to provide as a service to their employees and to all cyclists. If the pressure in the tyre is low and the cyclist has to get to the next bicycle shop or petrol station in a rush, opening hours do not have to be taken into consideration. Tyres can be inflated with the help of an easy-to-us hand pump.
The public inflation stations are a drive by the hospital to encourage more people in the Basel area to cycle.Roland Chrétien, manager of Pro Velo of both Basels, is happy about it.
“We welcome the university hospital’s initiative and hope that more inflation stations will follow in the region of Basel.” The hospital has not ruled out another in the near future.