LOCAL : 35 GTE Workers in Westminster Hospitalized After Breathing Fumes
Thirty-five employees at a General Telephone Co. facility in Westminster were hospitalized today when toxic fumes from chemicals used by workers who were reroofing the building got into the air-conditioning system.
The building at 6772 Westminster Blvd., which houses GTE’s 411 information center, was evacuated shortly after 10:30 a.m. when workers complained of nausea and difficulty breathing, said Westminster Fire Department spokeswoman Donna Pelletier. The chemical m-xylene, which is used in roofing, got into the building’s ventilation system, she said.
The condition of those sent to area hospitals was not immediately known.
Fire units from Westminster, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach responded. Two hazardous materials teams were still at the scene at noon, she said.
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