HOLLAND, Mich. — On Saturday, a solvent spill at LG Energy Solution in Holland sent 16 people to the hospital. Fortunately, all individuals treated have been released but it's a good reminder to make sure safety precautions are in place, whether at home or at work.
"At about 3:30 p.m., we were requested to respond there for a medical emergency involving some respiratory illness," said Holland Public Safety Captain of Fire Operations, Chris Tinney on Tuesday.
Approximately 55 gallons of solvent were spilled in a small area of one of the buildings.
“We had what we call an MCI, or mass casualty [incident]. We managed that coordination with our EMS partner, AMR. Upon arrival, we determined what the spill was,” Tinney said. "It was a solvent used in the process of making a component of the battery, from what we know and the information we had, it's a combustible liquid that is used as a solvent."
Tinney emphasized that his department prepares for these types of incidents.
“When we look at hazard materials, most of us will probably have a higher exposure or higher potential for exposure in our own homes,” he said. "There's solvents in the garages, acetone, there's paint removers, there's cleaning solvents and all kinds of other items that we have in our home that we just take for granted."
He recommended that people be vigilant in understanding the hazards posed by products in their homes.
“Being a good consumer, looking at labels, understanding what the hazards are to you physically but also chemically. What can it do to your skin and into your eyes? Can you inhale it?" explained Tinney. "You can also look for SDS (safety data sheets). Everybody likes to Google things. Open up your phone and maybe Google, 'Hey, Clorox, bleach, whatever that might be, if you can get more information about it.'"
In the event of a spill, Tinney advised, “Park in a safe location. We avoid contact with a spill. We try to gather as much information as we can about it, and we use that. The other things we're looking at is, how do we decontaminate if we do get exposed? So all that information, a lot of times, is on our labels, but it's also in a SDS sheet."
Tinney encouraged community members to be aware of the chemicals they have on hand and to reach out with questions.
“We want to make sure that we're providing the good information that our people need… call your local fire department, we'll be glad to answer any questions you have. So that's why we're here," added Tinney.
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