Eleven employees were transported to hospital after a chemical leak at the POM Wonderful plant in Del Rey, California. Around 150 workers were evacuated from two buildings at the facility after employees complained of dizziness and difficulty breathing.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of November 8. According to the Fresno County Fire Department, the first call came in at around 4:15 p.m. local time. A total of 58 people were evaluated at the scene, and 11 of them were taken to hospital for further assessment.
“We had a total of 58 patients. Eleven were transported. We still do not know the condition of those patients,” said Fresno County Fire Department Captain Casey Hutchings.
What leaked
According to a report submitted by the company to the state, the leaked product was BioSide – a cleaning solution containing 15% peracetic acid. Around one gallon of the substance leaked through a pinhole-sized breach in a transfer pipe connected to a container outside the production building.
The company said the spill occurred at around 2:30 p.m., while the fire department received the call at around 4:15 p.m. The chemical spilled onto wet asphalt, and according to the report, no storm drains or water sources were affected.
“This is a relatively common cleaning solution for industrial use. It appears that the workers were exposed to vapors in the air,” Hutchings said.
No danger outside the plant
The Fresno County Fire Department, the sheriff’s office and the environmental protection department worked at the scene. The evacuation was lifted after the air was tested. The fire department said there was no evidence of exposure to the chemical outside the production site and that the population of Del Rey had not been affected.
During the operation, the intersections of Del Rey Avenue and Jefferson Avenue, as well as Jefferson Avenue and Bethel Avenue, were closed.
POM Wonderful said the transfer pipe had been repaired and the site washed down. The company temporarily halted operations at the plant to ensure that the leak had been contained. Production subsequently resumed.
Wear and tear on the pipe was cited as a possible cause, but the fire department and the company have not definitively confirmed how the damage occurred.
Sources: abc30.com, aol.com