This article is from page 4 of the 2012-12-25 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
EIGHT people were treated in hospital on Thursday following an incident at the Chemifloc plant in Smithfield in Shannon.
Seven people, five men and two women, were hospitalised directly following the incident on Thursday evening with an eighth person presenting to the Mid West Regional Hospital in Limerick on Friday morning.
It is understood that staff were attempting to load a batch of bleach at the Smithstown Industrial Estate when a chemical reaction took place.
The reaction sent a vapour cloud of chlorine into the air, which also filled the building.
Eight units of the fire brigade from Shannon and Ennis attended at the scene and quickly dealt with the situation.
According to the Clare County Fire and Rescue Service, the chemical incident was “quickly contained”.
Gardaí set up roadblocks at the entrance to the estate – allowing only emergency vehicles entry.
A number of premises in the vicinity of the plant were evacuated by gardaí while fire crews investigated the extent of the spill.
Fire crews wore special protective suits over their fire fighting clothing as well as breathing equipment before they could enter the building and deal with the spill.
Clare Chief Fire Officer, Adrian Kelly, on the advice of Chemifloc chemists, confirmed on Thursday night the gas emissions, which were caused by the chlorine reaction, do not pose a public health risk.
It is understood that none of the of the eight people hospitalised as a result of the incident are in a serious conditioned.
Most reported breathing difficulties are were retained at the hospital for treatment.
The seven people who were brought to the hospital on Thursday had to be decontaminated or washed down by fire personnel in a specially constructed tent outside the hospital, before they could be admitted and treated at the emergency department.
The company confirmed the workers were taken to hospital as a precaution, but that none had been seriously injured.
Chemifloc in Shannon are a water treatment chemical importer and manufacturer.
Products include aluminium sulphate, ferric sulphate, ferric chloride, and ferric nitrate.