1 hospitalized after chemical spill, possible explosion at Southwest Side factory
BY JAMES SCALZITTI Staff Reporter/jscalzitti@suntimes.com April 15, 2013 1:28PM
Updated: April 15, 2013 5:08PM
One person was hospitalized Monday afternoon following a chemical spill and possible explosion at a Southwest Side factory, according to the Chicago Fire Department.
One person was taken from the scene, in the 4800 block of South St. Louis Avenue, in fair to serious condition to Holy Cross Hospital, the fire department reported.
A Level I HazMat — or hazardous materials — response was called about 12:50 p.m. for the spill at the factory, located in an industrial area of the Archer Heights neighborhood. The scene was secured by 1:35 p.m.
The spilled chemical was sodium hypochloride, the fire department reported. The chemical is widely used for its bleaching, disinfecting and oxidizing properties.
According to unconfirmed fire dispatch reports, an explosion was caused when a couple of chemicals, one of them cyanide, were mixed.
