Mixing Household Cleaning Products Can Be Deadly
HAMILTON, ON – August 9, 2016 – The Hamilton Fire Department responded to a medical call at 2 Oriole Cr. at 1:11 pm this afternoon.
Crews arriving on scene found an adult woman suffering a medical emergency outside of her townhouse unit. Firefighters investigated and found that the woman had followed a home recipe to make a pesticide by mixing several household cleaners. The woman was placed in the care of paramedics and transported to hospital.
This call was upgraded to bring the Hamilton Fire Department Hazardous Material Team to the scene so that they could properly assess the product produced and determine how to safely remove the containers. The HazMat team determined that by mixing the products it produced toxic gases called chloramines. Exposure to chloramine gases can cause:
- coughing
- shortness of breath
- chest pain
- wheezing
- nausea
- watery eyes
- irritation to the throat, nose and eyes
- pneumonia and fluid in the lung
Firefighters entered the building wearing self-contained breathing apparatus and removed the containers of the product and placed them into an approved container for transport.
The Hamilton Fire Department would like to remind all citizens that mixing common household cleaning products can cause serious injuries.