Friday, March 6, 2015

ACCIDENTAL SPILL OF FORMALIN SENDS EMPLOYEE TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM




MARCH 5, 2015

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA

A male employee at Kaiser Permanente Irvine Medical Center was treated at the hospital's emergency Thursday evening after accidentally spilling a chemical onto the floor and himself, authorities said.
The Orange County Fire Authority received a call at 6:30 p.m. about the spillage in the pathology lab where the employee worked, Capt. Steve Concialdi said.

The employee spilled the liquid chemical, Formalin, on himself and immediately showered and sought treatment in the emergency room. The chemical is a formaldehyde solution that contains a small amount of methanol. It's used for preservation of specimens in a lab setting. Contact with it can cause skin burns and blistering.

The hospital called a private hazardous materials team to clean up the spill. The Orange County Health Care Agency and California Division of Occupational Safety and Health were notified by the hospital.

The employee was listed in moderate condition, Concialdi said. CalOSHA is investigating the incident, he said.