FEBRUARY 20, 2015
BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON
Paramedics treated nearly a dozen people for potential
respiratory problems after workers discovered a possible chemical leak at the
Bellingham Cold Storage facility, according to Bellingham Assistant Fire Chief
Rob Kintzele.
Paramedics and firefighters responded to the hazardous
materials call at Trident Seafoods, which leases space from Bellingham Cold
Storage, 2825 Roeder Ave., shortly before 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 20.
Employees at Trident Seafoods discovered too much chlorine
dioxide was infused into water, Kintzele said. The process of infusing chlorine
dioxide into water is routinely for sanitizing surfaces at the facility, he
said.
Paramedics checked roughly 10 people for respiratory
problems. Nobody was taken to the hospital by ambulance or had any serious
health problems, Kintzele said.
Chlorine dioxide is a gas or liquid similar to chlorine and
nitric acid. It can cause irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs, and
repeated exposure can cause chronic bronchitis, according to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
The building was cleared of all contaminants. Trident
Seafood will have crews perform an inspection and make sure everything is
functional and safe before putting the machinery back in to service, Kintzele
said.
“(Trident Seafood’s) emergency procedures worked, the safety
mechanisms acted as they should have, and the company had some good safety
protocols in place,” Kintzele said.
Source: The Bellingham Herald