Tag Archives: Chlorine

by | September 24, 2013 · 5:46 am

Hospitality Industry HazMat Risks: South Carolina Hotel Guests Evacuated, Hospitalized After Exposure To Pool Chemical Fumes; Employee Accidently Mixes Muriatic Acid And Chlorine

“…The area where the chemicals were mixed (was) isolated…one of the two chemicals was muriatic acid (and) the other chemical was Hotel Pool Chemical HazMat Riskschlorine (that) were mixed by an employee of the hotel by accident, creating the strong fumes that affected the employees and guests…One of the 12 transported by EMS was an employee of the hotel, but the other eleven were guests. An additional six people were treated at the hotel, but did not require further medical attention…”

The overnight nursing supervisor at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center confirmed all 14 patients who were being Hazardous Materials Teamtreated for respiratory issues following an accidental chemical mixture have been discharged from the hospital. Bob Derr, a Battalion Chief with the City of Myrtle Beach Fire Department confirmed the Hazmat situation was reported after two chemicals were mixed together in the pool maintenance area under the hotel the Landmark Resort at 1501 South Ocean Boulevard, affecting both guests and employees.

Twelve people have been taken to Grand Strand Regional Medical Center by EMS, and two more drove themselves. All 14 were presenting respiratory issues. Battalion Chief Derr suggested more guests could be transported if they started to show signs of respiratory distress.

Crews did not evacuate the hotel completely. The lower floors were cleared as a precaution.

For more:  http://www.wistv.com/story/23509101/crews-respond-to

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by | June 19, 2013 · 1:35 am

Hospitality Industry Safety Risks: Pennsylvania Hotel Employee Injured And Property Evacuated When Pool Chlorine Tablet Feeder Explodes

“…the hotel’s general manager says an employee suffered minor injuries when the equipment that feeds chlorine tablets to the pool exploded. He Hotel Pool Chemical Riskswas taken to a hospital…The hotel was evacuated when fire crews got on scene, including about 10 guest rooms and 15 employees…”

An explosion at a hotel in Clinton County forced some guests from their rooms Tuesday morning. It happened around 9:30 a.m. at the Comfort Inn near Lamar. The building was evacuated as a precaution and fans were used to air out the hotel. By 11 a.m., business was back to normal.

Emergency officials say chlorine can be deadly but in this instance, the chlorine tablets are commonly used for swimming pools and don’t pose serious risks.

For more:  http://wnep.com/2013/06/18/hotel-cleared-out-after-chlorine-incident/

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by | June 2, 2013 · 6:50 am

Hospitality Industry Safety Risks: Alabama Hotel Guests Hospitalized By “Excessive Pool Chlorine Exposure”; Employee Failed To Turn Pump On

Hotel Pool Chlorine Health Issues“…employees of the hotel were putting chlorine in the pool without the pump on.  When the pump was turned back on, chlorine came out too fast instead of gradually…”

Nine people were sickened Sunday after coming into contact with too much chlorine at the Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa in Hoover.

Hoover Fire and Rescue were called out Sunday afternoon to the hotel pool where nine people had become ill.

Five people were treated on the scene. Two adults and two children were transported to local hospitals.
The pool was closed down for a short time but has since been reopened.

For more:  http://www.myfoxal.com/story/22427405/nine-people-sick-after-coming-into-contact-with-chlorine-at-a-hoover-hotel-pool

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by | December 3, 2012 · 6:58 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Hotel Employee Causes Chemical Reaction By "Accidentally" Mixing Pool Chemicals, Forcing Evacuation; Hazmat Team Sent For Clean-Up

“…an employee had accidentally poured chlorine into a container of muriatic acid, causing a chemical chlorine gas leakreaction…since chlorine was diluted and poured down a drain by an employee, the Region of Peel’s hazardous materials team has also been sent to the hotel…”

A mishap with pool chemicals has forced some of the staff and guests at the Hilton Garden Inn on Traders Blvd. E. to be evacuated from the hotel this morning.

Everyone on the first floor of the building was evacuated as the Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services Department and police arrived. The second floor has now been evacuated after guests reported smelling chlorine. A Mississauga Transit bus has been sent to the hotel at 100 Traders Blvd. E., just east of Hurontario St.,  to accommodate those who have been forced outside. A decontamination area has been set up to help with the clean-up.

An ambulance has taken one person to Credit Valley Hospital.

For more:  http://www.mississauga.com/news/article/1547378–hotel-evacuated-after-pool-chemical-mix-up

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by | August 30, 2012 · 6:20 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: New York Hotel Evacuated And Guests Taken To Hospital After "Potent Chlorine Fumes" Accidentally Released

“…A lifeguard who was mixing chemicals at an Upper East Side hotel pool accidentally unleashed potent chlorine fumes that forced  a partial evacuation of the building and injured five Wednesday…Four people were taken to New York Hospital and a  firefighter was rushed to Lenox Hill Hospital with chlorine inhalation after the 8 a.m. incident…”

All were in stable condition after the release, which forced hotel staff to  clear the lobby and lower level, according to Bill Pierce, the hotel’s director  of sales. FDNY Deputy Chief Dan Donoghue said the fumes came from the basement where a  lifeguard was mixing chemicals.

“The chemicals were stronger than the lifeguard thought,” Donoghue said.  “There was a reaction and basically we have a heavy odor of chlorine.”

One of the victims was the lifeguard, according to the FDNY official.

Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120829/upper-east-side/marriott-hotels-pool-chlorine-sickens-four-people-officials-say#ixzz252RncMin

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by | February 15, 2012 · 8:32 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: California Hotel Employees Taken To Hospitals After Chlorine Gas Release; Worker Accidently Mixed Bleach And Fluorosilic Acid

The accident happened when a worker accidentally mixed bleach and fluorosilicic acid.

Thirty Portola Hotel and Spa employees, mostly housekeepers, were back on the job Tuesday after being taken to three area hospitals Monday because of a chlorine gas release, said Janine Chicourrat, the hotel’s general manager.

“We’re having a better day today than we did yesterday,” she said.

Chicourrat said she has met with Cal-OSHA about the incident. “We’re just looking at all of our procedures together,” she said.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney stayed overnight Sunday at the Monterey hotel but left before the evacuation of guests and workers.

Romney’s swift visit to the Peninsula was confirmed by local Republican Party spokesman Paul Bruno after the former Massachusetts governor’s campaign staff also confirmed it to local media.

For more:  http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_19965777/monterey-hotel-workers-back-job-after-chlorine-gas

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by | October 9, 2011 · 7:36 am

Hospitality Industry Pool Safety Risks: Nevada Hotel Guests Hospitalized After Suffering "Chlorine Burns" In Jacuzzi Spa Caused By Possible Malfunction Of Chlorine System

“…The Clark County Fire Department says two hotel guest at the Hooters Casino Hotel were taken to the hospital for second degree burns…it called the Southern Nevada Health District, which shut down the pool pending an investigation…”

When Knox called an ambulance, paramedics told him his son’s friend had second-degree burns on 91 percent of his body and he was almost going into shock…”

Andrew Miller has burns on his legs and feet. He is also friends with the two victims that were sent to the hospital. “It seemed like we were fine but as we started walking back up to the room we all started noticing we were kind of itchy,” Miller said. Miller and his friends called Kevin Knox, a father of one of the group who made the room reservations. Knox tells FOX5 when he arrived things were pretty bad.

“Went up to see him and he was in his bed and he was shaking he was so cold, and he just from his neck down to his feet he was completely red and on his back it was actually bubbling,” Knox said.

“That’s when they said we got to take him to the emergency and we’re taking her too because she couldn’t even walk; her legs were just red,” Knox said.

But Knox heard a rumor of what happened. “They do have a chlorine system that goes every 15 minutes or so that puts out a little bit of chlorine, but at six o’clock in the morning when these kids were in it, it dumped all of it,” Knox told FOX5.

Clark County Fire believes the burns were caused by chlorine exposure, but it is still trying to confirm if the accident was caused by a malfunction or human error. Knox believes his son’s friends weren’t the only victims.

“The security explained to the fire department that (they) had several complaints of people getting burned so it’s not just these two or these four,” said Knox.

For more:  http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/15650310/two-hooters-casino-guests-hospitalized-after-hot-tub-chlorine-burns

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by | July 6, 2011 · 8:23 am

Hotel Industry Pool Safety: Risks Of Dangerous "E. Coli" Outbreaks In Hotel Pools Increase As Chlorine Levels Decrease, pH Levels Rise Due To "Sunlight, Dirt And Material From Swimmers' Bodies"

“Because of the risk for outbreak of illness, it is essential that public pools and water parks follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for adequate chlorine and pH levels.”

Sunlight, dirt, debris and material from swimmers’ bodies can all reduce chlorine levels in pool water. That is why chlorine levels must be routinely measured. As pH goes up, the ability of chlorine to kill germs goes down, so pH levels also need to be tested. Specific regulations regarding testing timetables and testing procedures would prevent illness.

“…E. coli O157 can cause severe dehydration, hemorrhagic colitis (may require removal of part of the colon), and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), sometimes referred to as E. coli kidney failure. In addition to uremia and renal failure, HUS can cause seizures, strokes, encephalopathy, acute respiratory distress syndrome, heart attack and heart failure, blindness, paralysis, pancreatitis and death…”

E. coli attorney Fred Pritzker is calling for better regulations for public swimming pools after fifteen people were sickened at the Opelika SportsPlex and Aquatic Center in Opelika, Alabama. Parents should be able to bring their children to a public swimming facility without the children getting exposed to E. coli O157 or another dangerous pathogen,” said Pritzker. “Better regulations regarding chlorine and pH testing would help prevent E. colioutbreaks.”

To date, thirteen children and two adults who either played in the Splash Park or swam in the pool at the Opelika SportsPlex and Aquatic Center between June 4 and June 22 were identified with severe gastrointestinal illness consistent with E. coli O157 poisoning. Five children have been confirmed positive for E. coli O157:H7 infection.

Four children were hospitalized, and two remain hospitalized. “Based on the information that we have now, it appears that the common source of exposure was the Aquatic Center,” said State Health Officer Dr. Donald Williamson.

For more:  http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110630006874/en/E.-coli-Lawyer-Calls-Regulations-Wake-Opelika

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by | March 20, 2011 · 12:04 pm

Hotel Industry Pool Risks: Texas Hotel Indoor Pool Chlorination System Sickens Dozens Of Guests

Dozens of people, mostly children, were treated for unknown respiratory ailments Saturday after swimming in a South Lubbock hotel pool.

First responders set up a medical triage in front of Embassy Suites hotel, Slide Road and South Loop 289, to treat 24 people who started having trouble breathing while in and around the hotel’s indoor swimming pool.

None of the patients’ ailments were considered life-threatening, said Chris Teague, director of Lubbock EMS.

Investigators with the city and Fire Marshal’s Office believe the problem happened when an automatic pool chlorination system released too much of the cleaning agent into the water, said Elliot Eldredge with the Lubbock Fire Marshal’s Office.

Several parents and children who were in the pool area at about 5 p.m. said they noticed an overwhelming smell of chlorine coming from the pool.

Many of the children in the pool started coughing and immediately evacuated the room.

For more:  http://lubbockonline.com/local-news/2011-03-20/dozens-treated-respiratory-ailments-south-lubbock-hotel-pool

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by | December 27, 2010 · 9:42 am

Hotel Pool Safety And Health: Use Of A “Food Grade Enzyme” Can Reduce High Phosphate Levels In Hotel Swimming Pools That Result In “Overchlorination”, Leading To Guest Eye Irritation, Lung Damage And Asthma

The Clarion Hotel in Portland cut its chlorine use by 87 percent.

The phosphates reduce the chlorine’s effectiveness. Adding a food grade enzyme to the water reduces the phosphate level and allows chlorine to do its work. Not only is less chlorine needed, but it also lasts longer, Cooke said.

The pool was part of a test project with the state of Maine Department of Environmental Protection to help reduce use of the chemical, which has been linked to skin and eye irritations, lung damage and asthma. The project also saved some money.

“It is very easy,” said Peter Cooke, DEP pollution prevention program manager. The agency funded the project with a $30,000 federal grant. Overchlorination is common at public swimming pools because of the high levels of phosphates, Cooke said. Phosphates occur naturally in some water but are commonly added by water treatment plants to prevent corrosion in municipal water pipes.

The phosphates reduce the chlorine’s effectiveness. Adding a food grade enzyme to the water reduces the phosphate level and allows chlorine to do its work. Not only is less chlorine needed, but it also lasts longer, Cooke said.

Don Hopkins, operations manager for the Olympia Companies, property management company of the Clarion Hotel, said regular swimmers at the pool immediately noticed a difference.

“They said it smelled better and the water felt softer on the skin, ” Hopkins said.

He said workers at the hotel also noticed the difference. Hopkins said adding the enzyme to the 30,000-gallon pool saved $200 a month in chlorine costs, compared to the $130 monthly cost of the enzyme. The company is now looking to reduce chlorine at pools at some of its other hotel properties, he said.

For more:  http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/using-enzyme-reduces-need-for-pool-chlorine_2010-12-21.html#

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