It could have been far worse, but several people were sent to hospital after an excessive amount of chlorine was pumped into a swimming pool in Deer Lake Friday night.
Deer Lake Fire and Rescue got the initial call to the Holiday Inn Express hotel, but it was quickly evident the regional hazardous materials emergency response unit from Corner Brook was required.
A responsibility of the Corner Brook Fire Department, the regional hazmat team was first called by Western Health to help deal with a possible mass casualty incident.
Corner Brook Deputy Chief Craig Harnum said they were told at least 10 children were being transported to the hospital for exposure to a chemical. While helping decontaminate those victims, Harnum said the decision was made to send a team to the source of the incident in Deer Lake.
According to Harnum, it appeared there was a malfunction of the system that pumps chlorine gas into the hotel’s swimming pool. Too much of the gas was pumped in too quickly.
The team of five from Corner Brook was assisted at the scene by 15 members from the Deer Lake department. They did a compete sweep of the hotel with a chlorine monitor, but no chlorine was detected anywhere else in the building.
“The hotel readings were zero because, by that time, the gas had actually dissipated and had been exhausted out from the pool by the building’s exhaust fans,” explained Harnum.
The sweep also involved checking with anyone present in the hotel to ensure they were not suffering any symptoms. A makeshift triage area was then established in a boardroom so anyone experiencing symptoms, including headache, watery eyes or a burning sensation in their respiratory tract, could be checked out by paramedics from Western Health.
Harnum said a couple of people did present with minor headaches and watery eyes, but they were released as far as he was aware.
As for those brought to hospital, they had to be washed down with warm, soapy water and were given warm water to drink at regular intervals to mitigate any effects of their chlorine exposure.
Because the incident happened in a swimming pool, Harnum said the gas could have been inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin.
Those at the hospital were required to remain there for precautionary observation for anywhere between 12 and 24 hours.
“The biggest fear was for their respiratory tracts,” he said. “It can take 10 or 12 hours for respiratory symptoms of exposure to chlorine to show.”
He said the gas could cause swelling in the respiratory system and make breathing difficult.
“I don’t think (their exposure) was to that level, but keeping them in hospital was more of a precaution,” said Harnum.
The hotel’s air quality was given clearance around 11:30 p.m. Friday night, about a couple of hours after the incident was first reported, and the triage remained open until around 12:30 a.m.
“This had the potential to be a very serious incident but, between Western Health, ourselves and Deer Lake Fire and Rescue, it went really smooth,” said Harnum.
Deer Lake Deputy Fire Chief Stephen Rowsell said the key to the smooth operation was the people involved remaining calm.
“There were people whose stress levels were a little high, but as long as people stayed calm and listened to what they were being told by emergency personnel, it helped defuse the situation,” said Rowsell.
No one from the hotel was available to do an interview as of deadline, but the hotel did confirm the pool was back open for business as usual by Saturday morning.
