Seven sent to hospital with ‘minor’ complaints after cleaning product spill
DOVER (WJER) (May 3, 2023) – Rescue workers took seven people to the hospital as a precaution Wednesday morning after a cleaning product spill at Union Country Club Retirement Center.
Dover Fire Captain Brooks Ross says just after 8 a.m. a cleaning person went to a utility closet and picked up a gallon of AC-Peroxy – a hydrogen peroxide-based cleaner used in the facility’s therapy pool. It broke, and the solution spilled, causing some small chemical burns on the cleaning person’s hand and creating an irritating odor.
By the time first responders arrived, staff members had sealed off the utility closet and evacuated the first floor and area immediately above the spill to another part of the building.
Ross says first responders from Dover, New Philadelphia, Smith Ambulance, and the Tuscarawas County HAZMAT team ventilated the building, monitored the atmosphere, and neutralized the odor.
He says seven people – staff members and residents – went to the hospital for evaluations after complaining about the smell, but he didn’t suspect they’d need additional treatment.
Ross says the Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital Emergency Room conducted its full hazard disaster response drill. He said even though their patients only had minor complaints, it was still a good drill for staff.
Second floor residents were returning to their rooms around 9:30 a.m. First floor residents were kept away a little longer as crews ventilated the area.