More than 30 people were hospitalized Wednesday night because of an ammonia gas leak at a commercial food plant in Sterling, Virginia.
All of the workers at Cuisine Solutions were able to get out of the building, which is on Sous Vide Lane near Route 28, the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System said.
One employee was unconscious and five people were in serious condition, the fire department said.
Four out of the 33 employees remained in the hospital Thursday morning, according to a statement from Cuisine Solutions. Medics evaluated 254 employees for ammonia inhalation symptoms after the leak. They didn't have to go to hospitals.
Fire officials said Thursday a "failed valve" was to blame for the leak.
Cuisine Solutions, which processes food for coffee shops and restaurants, said in its statement the leak was outside the building. However, the fire department said its hazardous materials team went inside the building to isolate and control the leaking valve.
During the chaos of the incident, some employees left so quickly that they left without their phones, and were unable to tell their families what happened.
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News4 spoke to a young woman who was desperately trying to find her mom who only had a moment to call her and said, “I'm leaving. I can't breathe,” before the phone disconnected.
Ammonia is an inhalation hazard. It will affect the nose, eyes and lungs and is so cold it can freeze on the skin.
First responders worked to ventilate the building, and the leak was closed by engineers who work at the facility.
There is no danger to any neighbors nearby, as the leak was contained within the facility, fire officials said.
Cuisine Solutions said in an email to News4 that the building was closed Thursday "out of respect for employees" and the company would provide an update as soon as possible.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, since 2015, Cuisine Solutions has been cited for 22 OSHA violations – 14 of them serious. In that time, OSHA records show the company has been fined $164,966.
The News4 I-Team took a look at those reports. OSHA inspectors found blocked exits and exit signs not up to standard, machines didn’t have proper guards to keep employees safe and some electric repairs were improperly made.
News4 reached out to Cuisine Solutions about the OSHA violations, but have not heard back.
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