Posted on 06/25/2004 7:51:09 AM PDT by martin_fierro
Here's Something That Doesn't Happen Every Day...
HOUSTON (Reuters) - An exploding vending machine turned the coolant freon into phosgene, a poisonous gas used as a chemical weapon in World War One, and forced the evacuation of 10 people from a Texas hospital, officials said on Thursday.
A food service employee was working on the refrigerated soft drink machine at the Park Place Medical Center in Port Arthur, Texas, when a small explosion and fire occurred inside it on Wednesday morning, Port Arthur Fire Marshal Mark Mulliner said.
"When freon gas from the cooling system came into contact with the heat from the fire, it changed composition to a phosgene gas," Mulliner said.
Phosgene irritates the lungs, eyes, mouth and nose and, in strong enough concentrations, causes fatal amounts of fluid to build up in the lungs.
Ten people on the third floor of the hospital were evacuated for several hours while the area was ventilated, said Heather Ross of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Two firefighters were kept in the hospital overnight for observation, Ross said.
"We were fortunate one of our officers who was first on the scene had some familiarity with phosgene and quickly evacuated the area," Mulliner said.
Ross said state Homeland Security officials had to be notified of the incident because of phosphene's possible use as a chemical weapon.
Mulliner said the incident appeared to be a "freak accident."
"I've been here 27 years and I've never seen anything like this," he said.
Been to Houston lately?
No.
I deny any knowledge of Houston or the Hooters place out there..
...umm..
Isn't phosgene what you get when you mix ammonia with bleach? The housewife's suicide, IIRC.
When you mix ammonia and bleach you get chloramine. Usually not lethal unless you are confined and can't escape.
It is a mucus membrane irritant and usually causes a heck of a cough and causes a stinging sensation in the lungs.
Its dangerous to housewives scrubbing out tubs, if they don't know what they're dealing with.
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