Bay de Verde fish plant evacuated after employees exposed to chemicals

CBC

June 14, 2024 at 7:54 p.m.·1 min read

The Quinlan Brothers processing plant in Bay de Verde has operated nonstop since May to make sure it can process as much of the snow crab quota as possible. (Todd O'Brien/CBC - image credit)

The Quinlan Brothers processing plant in Bay de Verde, seen in this photo, was evacuated Thursday morning after a malfunctioning sanitization machine caused employees to be exposed to chemicals. (Todd O'Brien/CBC)

The Quinlan Bros. seafood processing plant in Bay de Verde was evacuated Thursday morning after a malfunctioning sanitization system exposed workers to chemicals.

The system had been newly installed, according to a statement provided by Digital Government and Service N.L. spokesperson Gina MacArthur.

Multiple employees were transported by ambulance to the local hospital for medical treatment. The RCMP said in a statement Friday that they have since been released.

The evacuation happened just after 9 a.m, police said.

An occupational health and safety inspection resulted in a stop-work order to be issued, according to the inspection report provided to CBC News.

The statement said the plant is prohibited from using the sanitization system until it's validated by a qualified professional and approved by Service N.L. officials.

The plant reopened later Thursday after the entire processing area was hosed down to get rid of the chemicals and it was determined there was no further risk.

A full investigation into the incident is underway.

Quinlan Bros. employs 500 people at the Bay de Verde plant according to the inspection report.

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