Chlorine spill evacuates Jewish Center in Clifton

The Clifton Fire Department's Hazmat unit was dispatched to the Jewish Family Service Children's Center on Scoles Avenue early Wednesday morning after 75 gallons of chlorine began leaking in a storage room near the Olympic-sized pool.

Clifton Fire Chief Vincent Colavitti said a worker moving materials accidentally hit and broke off the chlorine valve, causing 75 gallons of sodium hypochlorite, a liquid, to spill on to the floor.

Colavitti said the worker was by himself and initially attempted to stop the leak with his hand. As the fire department was alerted, the worker received alternate transport to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center after complaining about burns on his hands, ankles and face.

The worker was gone as the Hazmat team entered the facility and secured the sodium hypochlorite, Colavitti said, explaining its concentration was relatively low at 12 percent, adding a higher concentration may cause serious bodily burns and injuries.

As the Hazmat Unit took care of the leak, firefighters evacuated about 75 people from the building. Colavitti said there were no other injuries to firefighters or civilians. The status of the worker is unknown at this time and center officials were unavailable for comment.

After the Clifton Fire Department secured the scene, it was turned over to the center for cleanup with supervision by a Passaic County Health Department official.

Source: http://www.northjersey.com/news/170394876_Chlorine_spill_evacuates_Jewish_Center_in_Clifton.html