Feb. 12--FRANKLIN -- Employees of a Franklin pharmaceutical company were evacuated Tuesday because of a chemical spill.
Dispatchers made the call at 7:51 a.m. to respond to Pfizer, 1600 Industrial Drive, in response to an alarm relating to a leak of denatured alcohol -- a colorless, flammable form of ethanol commonly used in the manufacturing process, according to Pfizer spokesman Steve Danehy.
Responders on scene requested a hazardous materials unit be sent to contain and clean up the 41-gallon spill, which might have been an explosion hazard but occurred inside an explosion-proof room, according to Fire Captain Tony Abston.
"The meter went off, set the alarms off and they evacuated the building," he said. "Their system works like it's supposed to. They've got a very good system there."
About 20 Franklin firefighters aired out the facility, used squeegees to push the spill down a drain and sprayed water on the site of the spill to dilute and remove any remaining ethanol.
The clean up effort lasted until 8:35 a.m., when firefighters departed and employees were allowed to re-enter the site, Abston said.
"There was no release of alcohol outside of the room and at no time was the health or safety of Pfizer colleagues or the general public at risk," Danehy said.
Copyright 2013 - Middletown Journal, Ohio
