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Chemical spill
means safety check
for two firms

The United Laundry gas release
closed the plant for four hours

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By Mary Adamski
Star-Bulletin

The state Department of Health will oversee a review of safety procedures at two companies involved in the potentially lethal chemical spill Thursday at Sand Island.

State health director Bruce Anderson said the department will assist the companies "to determine steps to prevent a future occurrence. Evacuation plans, safety training and safety precautions for workers exposed to hazardous conditions will also be reviewed."

The United Laundry plant at 2291 Alaheo Place was shut down for four hours after chlorine gas was generated by the mixing of incompatible chemicals.

An employee of ABC Chemical Co. remained in Queen's Medical Center last night in fair condition. His name was not released and the company, which routinely delivers chemicals to the cleaning plant, did not respond to requests for comment.

Anderson said that 20 pounds of chlorine gas was released into the air after the vendor accidentally pumped sodium hypochlorite (bleach) into a 200-gallon storage tank containing phosphoric acid.

Some 145 laundry workers were evacuated, while Honolulu Fire Department Hazardous Materials Unit and a Health Department Hazardous Evaluation and Emergency Response team monitored the situation.

The sealed drum was removed and operations resumed at 9 p.m.

Vicky Cayetano, United Laundry president and chief executive officer, said "although this accident was caused by an outside vendor, United Laundry will review its operational procedures to determine if other measures can be implemented to prevent such accidents in the future." Cayetano said in a release that "United Laundry Services follows the industry's highest standards for safety and protection of Hawaii's environment."