8 Workers Treated for Exposure to Toxic Fumes

Eight workers suffered minor injuries Tuesday when they inhaled ammonia fumes that leaked into the Irvine warehouse where they worked, an Orange County Fire Department spokesman said.

The injuries, described as mild, occurred when employees at Shipley Labs, 16782 Von Karman Ave., were overcome by fumes caused by a construction crew putting water down a pipe that drained into a 3,000-gallon recovery tank, said Fire Capt. Michael Boyle. Toxic ammonia gas was produced when the water mixed with a chemical in the tank, he said.

It took firefighters about three hours to contain the gas leak, which was reported at 12:49 p.m. Workers were treated for respiratory distress, then taken to several local hospitals for treatment, Boyle said.