SOUTHBRIDGE — A chlorine gas scare in a
building in the former American Optical complex triggered a hazmat
response shortly after 8 yesterday morning.
Acting Fire Chief
Mark W. DiFronzo said workers from three companies in a Southbridge
Business Center building at 15 Wells St. were evacuated for several
hours when an employee at the Schott North America mistakenly mixed
hydrochloric acid and sodium hypochlorite, which produced a small
amount of chlorine gas.
“When the employee noticed the
reaction, he immediately stopped what he was doing, donned a
respirator and evacuated employees from the building,” acting Chief
DiFronzo said.
He said workers in the building implemented an
emergency response plan, evacuating about 100 people from Schott and
other businesses in the building; they were allowed to return after
about four hours.
“There were no injuries and the public
was never in any danger,” he said.
Edmund J. Coletta,
spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said
the incident started shortly after 7 a.m. when a Schott employee
accidentally mixed three gallons of sodium hypochlorite mix with 100
gallons of hydrochloric acid, producing the release of chlorine gas.
Mr. Coletta said the employee then dumped the mixture into a
500-gallon holding tank and connected a water hose to the tank,
creating a further chemical reaction.
He said hazardous
materials teams turned off the water and turned off the heat plating
equipment.
http://www.telegram.com/article/20120522/NEWS/105229857/1003/NEWS03
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