Cleaning Chemical Mixture Leads to Nursing Home Evacuation

Improper use of cleaning products led to a hazmat situation at an assisted living facility in Franklin, Tennessee on Monday, WSMV-TV reports.

A facility employee at The Lantern at Morning Pointe mixed chlorine bleach and ammonia to clean fecal matter in a resident’s room. The combination caused hazardous gas and haze in the room, triggering a smoke detector.  

When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found staff had evacuated facility residents to a safe area of the building.  Two employees went to the hospital for medical evaluation but were released after being found symptom-free.

“Mixing cleaning materials together is dangerous because it can create toxic fumes that can be hazardous to your health and even deadly,” said Franklin Fire Battalion Chief Joe Polenzani. “Always read labels and spend some time doing research before mixing cleaning products together.”

Follow best practices when using cleaning products to prevent cleaning chemical mistakes.