Four people were sent to hospital Thursday morning, after they inhaled toxic fumes at a construction recycling plant at 30980 Peardonville Rd. in Abbotsford, in the industrial district.
The incident began at approximately 10 a.m. Abbotsford Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Dale Unrau said an excavator had picked up material and dropped it on a conveyor belt for sorting, and it was during this process that a “toxic vapour cloud” formed.
The four workers were subject to a decontamination process at the site and then transferred to Abbotsford Regional Hospital by ambulance for further evaluation. They were suffering from irritated throats and respiratory problems.
Emergency responders decontaminated 10 additional workers who came into contact with the employees who became ill, and called a HandyDart bus to transport them hospital for medical evaluation.
All the workers have been released from hospital.
Unrau said the product that caused the incident was an unidentified solvent with properties similar to acetone, which, when inhaled, can lead to death by asphyxiation.
