Chlorine is used in the aluminum industry to remove impurities from molten aluminium. Here is a story of an accidental release of chlorine.
A chlorine spill at secondary
aluminium company in the Southeast United States caused an evacuation of the
building late in February, 2013. Four people were treated and released but were
not transported, according to local fire department spokesperson. The leak has
been contained and cleanup is now underway.
"Hazmat workers have gone inside and plugged the leak," local fire department spokesperson told press gathered at the scene just before 1 p.m.
The spill was reported at about 9:40 a.m., a vendor was making a weekly delivery of liquid chlorine used for cleaning purposes when the spill occurred.
An alarm went off, and his people responded by going to their designated places.
"Everybody was fine, our system worked as designed," said the company's salesmen said.
The local state Department of Environmental Management has been notified of the spill, along with local county.
Media was being kept across the street from the building. The highway is still open and people are able to get by. The spill was not large enough and never enough of a danger to stop the trains rolling by behind the plant. Approximately 30 firefighters responded to the spill.
Employees huddled at corners near the police barricades and at other lots down near the local highway. Truck drivers waited with them, their trucks parked while they awaited the all clear to resume their scheduled trips.
For a Louisiana truck driver, the delay meant unpaid time, the trucker made his way to the plant Monday morning to pick up a load from the adjacent salvage yard before beginning a four-state trek to Laredo, Texas.
Loading was to take about 15 minutes, he estimated. The 15 minutes he planned evolved into a more than two-hour wait by noon Monday.
"My clock is running, I'm sitting up here burning my time," said the trucker, referring to the idle hours for which he won't get paid.
Cleanup is continuing, and police cars are still being used to block off the road directly in front of the plant. Local fire department spokesperson said he doesn't have a timeline for how long cleanup will continue.
Occupational Health & Safety Administration's (OSHA) information on chlorine safety can be found here, and here.
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