Burnaugh, Ky.-Five workers who apparently inhaled sulfuric acid fumes just after midnight Nov. 16 at the Special Metals plant here were treated and released at a nearby medical facility. According to a Special Metals spokesman, all five were back to work that same day. Tom Dearing with King’s Daughters Medical Center, only 10 to 15 minutes away from the scene, said that those who were transported by Boyd County emergency responders were treated for mild-to-moderate injuries from inhalation of fumes. Special Metals’ Dwight Weber, located in Portland, Ore., told Green Markets that the incident was not an acid spill, as was initially reported. He said in the process of turning the vents on and off at the plant, some acid fumes got into the air. Weber did not explain exactly how that occurred, but said “there was a problem with the response to the water levels in one area of the plant.” He said plant officials will be looking into the way the exhaust fans are recycled. According to the company’s website, the Burnaugh facility provides support for Special Metal’s principal production site in Huntington, W.Va.
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