The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Two employees of Access Bio, Clyde Road, were taken to an area hospital for evaluation after they and others were sickened by the fumes from an epoxy coating, police said.
Police were called to the business shortly after 2:30 a.m. May 7 on a report of workers falling ill, according to a release from police Sgt. Phil Rizzo. When they arrived, the officers “detected a strong odor of chemical in the air,” and were told that several employees said they ere feeling ill while applying an epoxy coating to a concrete floor.
The area being painted was “not properly ventilated,” according to the release, and the HVAC system was circulating the fumes throughout the building.
Officers evacuated the building of its approximately 20 workers, the release said.
East Franklin Fire Company and East Millstone First Aid Squad responded to the call, the release said. The firefighters opened the building’s bay doors and used fans to ventilate the building.
The majority of the employees reported that they felt fine after they were in the fresh air for a while, and refused medical attention, according to the release.
Two women, aged 20 and 21 years, were taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, for evaluation, according to the release.
The business was closed for the remainder of the evening, the release said.
