Slidell, Okla.-Emergency crews evacuated a Lowe’s home improvement store here July 19 because of fumes and smoke caused by liquid bleach spilling on a pallet of fertilizer during an unloading mishap. Ten individuals were treated by ambulance personnel for difficulty breathing, burning sensation of the skin, and watery eyes, but no one was hospitalized. A police spokesman reported that employees were using a forklift to unload the fertilizer and bleach on the same truck when one of the cases of bleach fell off the pallet and started leaking on the fertilizer. Two of the workers tried to use kitty litter to control the fumes while the manager was notified and 911 was called. The smoking pallet of fertilizer was moved outside the store before police and hazmat personnel arrived on the scene and had the store evacuated. Slidell Police Capt. Kevin Folz said the fire department had the store neutralized and ventilated after about 40 minutes, at which point store employees were allowed back in. Fire Chief Larry Hess told reporters that moving the fertilizer outside the store was the best thing to do. He said quick action by the workers, along with rescue personnel and police, kept it from becoming a serious incident.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain