Ballico workers affected by ammonia spill can return to work

Two dozen employees of a Ballico strawberry processing plant who were medically examined after an ammonia spill have been cleared to return to work, a company spokesman confirmed Friday.

Several employees remained under observation for more than six hours after the spill, but ultimately all the workers were released from hospitals without being admitted, authorities confirmed.

“They’re all OK, which is the best news,” said Steve Fortin, president and chief of operations of Sierra Cascade Nursery, the company affected during Thursday’s incident.

Twenty-four employees were taken to area hospitals after the spill was discovered just after 8 a.m. Thursday at the plant at 10230 Santa Fe Drive in Ballico. About a gallon of ammonia leaked from a refrigeration unit at the site, which is operated by Driscoll Strawberry Processing Inc., the company that owns the building and leases a portion of the property to Sierra Cascade.

Workers complained of minor chest pain and difficultly breathing and were taken to hospitals in Merced, Turlock and Modesto, according to Battalion Chief Jeremy Rahn of Cal Fire Merced County. “None of them had any direct exposure,” Rahn said. “There were signs and symptoms of possible inhalation or ventilation exposure.”

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health has started an investigation. Inspectors have up to six months to complete their review, an agency official has confirmed.

Firefighters described Thursday’s incident as “chaotic.” Rahn said cooperation was critical in coordinating the response between county firefighters, Riggs Ambulance Service, and the county’s environmental health and sheriff’s departments.

Rahn on Friday continued to praise both companies’ quick response in getting all 475 employees out of the building and shutting down the leak. “They really did a great job keeping the leak to 1 gallon and evacuating the building,” Rahn said.

Fortin said the company would examine the ammonia scare and look for areas of possible improvement, but that overall, he was “extremely pleased” with how the incident was handled.

“We train for (emergencies) and we’ve trained for an ammonia problem and I’m really glad we do,” Fortin said. “There were no injuries; nobody got sick.”

This story was originally published February 6, 2015 at 12:01 PM with the headline "Ballico workers affected by ammonia spill can return to work."