Earth Watch Report - Hazmat
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| 28.02.2013 | HAZMAT | USA | State of Maryland, Baltimore |  |
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HAZMAT in USA on Wednesday, 27 February, 2013 at 19:58 (07:58 PM) UTC.
| Description | |
| The Johns Hopkins Hospital facility on Keswick Road in northwest Baltimore will be closed on Wednesday while health officials try to figure out what caused a hazmat situation on Tuesday. Fire crews were called to the facility, which is comprised of two buildings — north and south — shortly before 10 a.m. Tuesday. The administrative complex has 1,050 employees. Officials said medical crews called to the scene recognized that several people were exhibiting the same symptoms of feeling ill, and they immediately requested additional medical and hazardous materials resources. The mayor’s Office of Emergency Management said 17 people were sent to hospitals for treatment of a variety of illness symptoms. 11 News witnessed several people being wheeled out of the building on stretchers and others who were being treated on sidewalks. Sky Team 11 Capt. Roy Taylor reported that fire and hazmat teams searched the building and the roof for a cause of some kind of leak that may have been depleting air inside the building. Officials said the building was checked for high carbon monoxide levels, low oxygen levels and the presence of hydrogen sulfide, but crews didn’t find any bad readings. The south building was evacuated initially, but Tuesday afternoon, people were allowed to re-enter areas that had been cleared, officials told 11 News. Officials said there were no life-threatening conditions, but south building employees were allowed to leave for the day. They were told to call 911 if they felt sick and report it to their immediate supervisor. An email was sent to employees stating that the building would be closed again Wednesday so crews could continue their investigation. |
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Officials identify source of illness at Hopkins facility on Kewsick
Fire crews evacuate facility’s south building Tuesday
BALTIMORE —
A hot water heater in the south building of the Johns Hopkins Hospital facility on Kewsick Road was the source of an illness that sent 17 people to the emergency room Tuesday, according to city and state health officials.
Officials said the water heater was the source of nitrates and nitrites that made their way into hot water service in the building’s north side.
Elevated nitrates and nitrites, according to a news release, can cause dizziness, nausea, breathing difficulty and vomiting. Officials said those who were sickened had been discharged from hospitals by Wednesday.
The building will be reopened Thursday, but all restrooms, sinks and other water sources served by that water heater will be off limits while more testing is done, officials said.
The facility was closed earlier Wednesday while health officials tried to figure out what caused the hazardous materials situation on Tuesday.
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Related articles
- Officials identify source of illness at Hopkins facility on Kewsick (wbaltv.com)
- Hot Water Heater Blamed for Sickening Workers at Johns Hopkins’ Keswick Facility (baltimorenewsjournal.com)
- Hopkins facility closes after mystery illness sickens 17 (wbaltv.com)
- Johns Hopkins facility closed following hazmat situation (wbaltv.com)
- Hopkins building opening /w restrictions (abc2news.com)
- 17 People At Johns Hopkins At Keswick Being Treated For Unknown Illness (baltimore.cbslocal.com)
- Johns Hopkins Medicine Building Evacuated Due to Hazmat Situation (baltimorenewsjournal.com)
- Keswick Facility To Reopen; Investigators Think They’ve Solved Mysterious Illness (baltimore.cbslocal.com)
