Thursday, June 25, 2015

11 people decontaminated after hazmat incident at the animal pathology department on University of Kentucky's campus in Lexington



June 24, 2015

Joe Best, Lexington Fire Department spokesman, says 11 people complained about their eyes burning and they had nausea. As a precaution, Best said, they will be taken to the hospital to be evaluated.
Scene outside Animal Pathology Center at UK. Firefighters say people complained of burning eyes, nausea. | Photo by Sean Moody


Haz-Mat crews respond to a chemical spill on the University of Kentucky's campus | Photo provided 

Haz-Mat crews respond to a chemical spill on the University of Kentucky's campus | Photo provided 
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - The fire department had to decontaminate 11 people after a hazmat incident Wednesday inside the animal pathology building on the University of Kentucky's campus.

Joe Best, Lexington Fire Department spokesman, said the 11 people who were inside the building during the spill complained about their eyes burning and they had nausea. As a precaution, Best said, they will be taken to the hospital to be evaluated. 

It's not clear what chemical they were exposed to. Best said they would be able to determine that after firefighters go inside.

"Once we get the patients taken care of -- of course, that's the top priority -- we will be making entry in short order," he said shortly after noon. "I would expect we'll know something probably in the next 45 minutes to an hour."

University officials say the situation in the animal pathology building, 1081 Veterans Drive, stemmed from a refrigerator that was recently moved from one building into another. 

They say a movers took the refrigerator from the Gluck Equine Research Center to the animal pathology building Tuesday night. When workers arrived Wednesday morning, they noticed a stench. A university spokesperson said the workers followed the smell to the refrigerator, opened it and were immediately overpowered. They pulled an alarm and left. 

Everyone evacuated the building and a hazardous materials crew was waiting on special gear to arrive Wednesday afternoon so they could enter the building. A UK spokesperson said Wednesday afternoon that the refrigerator was empty. They believe the odor was from something that had previously been in the refrigerator.

The Animal Pathology Building, which was erected in 1942, was named to honor Dr. William Wallace Dimock, Emeritus Professor of Veterinary Science, Emeritus Veterinarian, and former head of the Department of Animal Pathology.
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