Ohio hospital evacuated after chemical mix-up

A gallon of muratic acid was poured into a barrel of chlorine by an employee working in a pool area

By Healthcare Facilities Today


A mistake made by maintenance personnel led to the evacuation recently of HealthLink clients and patients at Memorial Hospital Herbert-Perna Center in Fremont, Ohio.

A gallon of muratic acid was poured into a barrel of chlorine by an employee working in a pool area, according to an article on The News-Messenger website. The chemical reaction created a gas that filled the area.

When the fire department arrived, HealthLink clients and patients at Herbert-Perna Center already were evacuated. Firefighters moved the barrel outside and began ventilation with electric fans, the article said.

Herbert-Perna Center was closed for the rest of the day and reopened the next morning. Andrew Smith, Memorial Hospital’s marketing manager, said the hospital will work closely with the fire department to prevent future issues.

“We want to take a critical look at what we did well as a team, what the gaps are and what we can do better,” Karla Falls, the vice president of ancillary and professional services, said in the article.

Read the article.

 



March 11, 2014


Topic Area: Safety


Recent Posts

Building Sustainable Healthcare for an Aging Population

Traditional responses — building more primary and secondary care facilities — are no longer sustainable.


Froedtert ThedaCare Announces Opening of ThedaCare Medical Center-Oshkosh

The organization broke ground on the health campus in March 2024.


Touchmark Acquires The Hacienda at Georgetown Senior Living Facility

The facility will now be known as Touchmark at Georgetown.


Contaminants Under Foot: A Closer Look at Patient Room Floors

So-called dust bunnies on hospital room floors contain dust particles that turn out to be the major source of the bacteria humans breathe.


Power Outages Largely Driven by Extreme Weather Events

Almost half of power outages in the United States were caused by extreme weather events.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

 
 
 
 

Healthcare Facilities Today membership includes free email newsletters from our facility-industry brands.

Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Posts

Copyright © 2023 TradePress. All rights reserved.