ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

A US nursing and rehabilitation facility had to be evacuated after the cleaning crew mixed bleach with a drain-cleaning fluid in a bid to tackle a blockage.

The incident took place at a 45-bed centre in Colorado Springs. When a blockage occurred in the drains, cleaners concocted their own chemical cocktail in a bid to unclog it. And this produced a vapour cloud which led to firefighters having to be called out.

"The cleaning crew mixed bleach and Drano together to try to get a clog out," said Aaron McConnellogue from the Colorado Springs Fire Department. "Unfortunately, that created a chlorine gas. We had a vapour cloud, an orange cloud, and staff immediately felt symptoms."

The Gardens Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation specialises in post-acute care and prepares patients for their return to daily life after hospital treatment. Three people - all non-residents - suffered from respiratory issues and two of them had to be hospitalised with minor injuries.

Twenty-three of the facility's 43 residents were evacuated for about an hour, but none of them was injured.

"Our big takeaway from this is that while these chemicals are completely safe to use in your residence, you never want to mix chemicals and combine them together individually," said McConnellogue.