23 people taken to hospital after workplace exposure to hydrochloric acid in St. Catharines discharged
A total of 23 people taken to hospital in St. Catharines following a hazardous workplace incident on Tuesday have been discharged.
According to Niagara Health, the incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. at the THK Rhythm Automotive Plant in the Louth Street and Ridley Road area.
St. Catharines Fire Chief Dave Upper told CTV News Toronto a contractor was working and accidentally hit a valve, which released five litres of hydrochloric acid.
Upper said the acid turned to vapour and three people were nearby. They managed to close the valve, but they were exposed to the fumes, he said.
Hydrochloric acid boasts a number of uses, including refining ore in tin and tantalum production, electroplating, and pickling and cleaning metal products, to name a few.
Officials on the scene said about 20 other people were exposed, and decontamination showers were used. Most of them were taken to the hospital by bus.
Upper said the exposure to the acid was more minor, and the other 20 people were taken to the hospital as a precaution.
"The chemical typically provides burns to respiratory and skin if you are exposed heavily," he said. "We don't believe they had that heavy saturation."
EMS Operations Sgt. Bryce Brunarski confirmed paramedics brought nine people to the hospital with minor exposure, while another 10 asymptomatic individuals with limited exposure to the leak went to the hospital by bus.
At 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Niagara Health confirmed its St. Catharines Site’s Emergency Department has been brought back to its normal operations, and has started to wind down from the response to the hazardous materials incident.
The health agency confirmed all patients were assessed, and are all expected to be discharged at some point today.
- With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.