4 Sent To Hospital For Hazmat Incident In Falls Twp.

FALLS TOWNSHIP, PA — A chemical reaction at a township plant prompted a Hazmat response that sent four workers to the hospital on Monday afternoon, authorities said.

Falls Township Fire Marshal Rich Dippolito told Patch Tuesday that a chemical reaction happened at the company, leading to a Hazmat response and evacuations of the plant.

Firefighters were called to Univar Solutions, a chemical and chemical ingredient maker, in the 200 block of Dean Sievers Place around 12:30 p.m. Monday, Dippolito said.

He said that workers were moving ammonium persulfate from ripped bags into waste drums when a reaction occurred, releasing a yellow cloud into the air.

Ammonium persulfate is often used as a cleaner in products and is found in hair coloring products, food-grade bleach, grout, lab testing products, batteries, circuit board printers, and polymers, Dippolito said.

He said the chemical reaction caused evacuations at Univar Solutions and several nearby businesses due to concerns about exposure.

No serious injuries were reported.

Dippolito stated that the four Univar employees did not experience serious impacts from the chemical reaction, but were transported to nearby hospitals by medics for decontamination and examination.