Mislabeled Container Blamed for Fumes
A mislabeled chemical container apparently caused the gaseous cloud that caused eight workers at the Naval Surface Warfare Center to seek medical attention Thursday.
The center, which had been evacuated as a safety precaution, reopened early Friday.
As contractors cleaning the two-story building’s heating and cooling system on Thursday mixed chlorine and other chemicals, fumes from the holding barrel filled the small room and filtered throughout the building. Investigators believe one of the chemicals was hydrochloric acid, which should not have been used in the solution.
The contracted company is trying to determine why the chemical was mislabeled, according to base officials.
The fumes prompted the evacuation of 300 employees in five buildings at the naval base. On Friday, after natural ventilation overnight had removed most of the fumes, employees were allowed to return to the building.
The base’s fire department reported that eight people sought medical attention Thursday because of the incident. All were treated and released.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
