BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Three people were taken to the hospital Wednesday after the “improper mixing of some consumer-grade household cleaning products that led to a reaction,” officials said.
The hazard was contained and all is well again along West North Street in Center City, Fire Lt. Kevin Thomas, lead of the city Hazardous Materials (hazmat) Response Team, told LehighValleyNews.com.
The hazmat crew got the call at 10:17 a.m., deploying to a private structure on the block just east of the Hyatt Place hotel at the corner of Guetter and North streets.
Crews were on site for just over two hours.
Thomas said folks should be cautious when using household cleaning products — being sure to use one at a time and follow product labels exactly as written.
Level 2 hazmat response
Thomas said he couldn’t disclose the exact nature of the injuries or the specific chemicals involved.
“It was a Level 2 hazmat response, which brings a total of seven hazmat technicians that were on location,” making for 15 total personnel on hand, he said.
Personnel from Bethlehem Fire and EMS, and St. Luke’s EMS Physician Response Team were on the scene.
“It was a Level 2 hazmat response, which brings a total of seven hazmat technicians that were on location."Bethlehem Fire Lt. Kevin Thomas, who heads the city Hazardous Materials Response Team
In cases like this, Thomas’ team dons chemical-protective clothing and makes use of self-contained breathing apparatuses.
Crews have to handle the off-gassing involved, neutralize byproducts of the reaction to render it safe, and then properly dispose of the product, Thomas explained.
This is a developing story.
