JUNE 28, 2015
WENATCHEE, Wash.
Workers were cleared out of the Blue Bird fruit processing
plant Saturday morning after 41 of them were sickened by ozone gas that was
gathered due to a malfunctioning fan unit.
Firefighters and ambulance crews were summoned about 8 a.m.
to the co-op’s warehouse at 1470 Walla Walla Ave. after the plant noted the
increase gas levels, brought on when the ventilation system failed to clear out
ozone that’s infused into rinse water for cleaning fresh cherries.
Wenatchee Police Capt. Doug Jones said Blue Bird staffers
were treated on the scene for respiratory complaints after the exposure.
Twenty-nine were taken by Link Transit bus to Central Washington Hospital, and
12 to Wenatchee Valley Medical Center.
Hospital officials said Saturday evening that all were
treated and released. Gas levels dropped quickly after the plant’s ozone
generator was shut off, and employees were allowed to return starting at 8:55
a.m.
Ozone is an oxidizing gas that exists naturally in low
concentrations at ground level. In fruit handling, it is infused into rinse
water to cleanse fruits of pesticides, organic compounds and bacteria.
Exposure to concentrated ozone can cause shortness of breath
and respiratory pain, and aggravate existing conditions such as asthma,
bronchitis and emphysema, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set a level of
0.1 parts per million as the safe limit for long-term workplace exposure to
ozone, or 0.3 ppm for no more than 15 minutes.
The concentration level in the Blue Bird incident was not
known Saturday. Co-op President Ron Gonsalves did not respond to a request for
comment through the Wenatchee Blue Bird office.