HEMET: 30, including 5 City Fire officials, hospitalized after haz-mat emergency
HEMET — Twenty five employees, three City of Hemet firefighters and two paramedics were hospitalized after being exposed to a hazardous material after an industrial accident, Friday morning, Sept. 29. The incident happened at McCrometer Inc. on the 3000 block of W. Stetson Avenue, east of S. Sanderson Avenue, in Hemet.
The hazardous material emergency forced the evacuation of McCrometer’s nearly 9,100 sq. ft. Hemet facility, which serves as the company’s headquarters and has more than 200 employees.
The incident happened when workers cut into what they believed was an empty pipe that actually contained a substance known as “black liquor.”
Black liquor is a thick, dark, liquid waste product that is a byproduct of the process that transforms wood into pulp, which can then be dried to make paper.
The hazardous liquid can cause serious, thermal-corrosive burns to the eyes and skin, damage to the respiratory system and upper gastrointestinal tract and allergic skin reactions, according to the manufacturer’s Safety Data Sheet information.
The victims who were exposed to the caustic liquid were treated and decontaminated after being taken to area hospitals. None of the injuries were reported to be serious and consisted primarily of irritated eyes and skin as well as breathing difficulties.
Created in 1955, McCrometer Inc., a subsidiary of Danaher Corporation, is estimated to generate $31.8 million in annual revenue. The company develops liquid, steam and gas flow meters for agricultural irrigation, municipal/industrial water & wastewater, oil and gas, process control, electric power generation and institutional facilities. According to the company’s website its products and systems are used in installations worldwide.
A request for further information from McCrometer Inc. has not yet been responded to.
Officials are still investigating the incident.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 27 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 14 grandchildren.