Crews Called To Check On Lab Chemical Spill

An employee at Meriter Health Services reported a spill in a storage area early Thursday morning and asked the Madison Fire Department to check it out.

The employee believed the chemical was most likely xylene due to its smell. Xylene is typically used in tissue processing, staining, and cover slipping in histology labs (More info: National Institutes of Health). Though there were other hazardous materials stored in the area, those items were contained to the right of the area where the spill took place and were not believed to be a direct threat.

Ladder 2 and other units responded to the scene and consulted with the Madison Fire Department’s Hazmat Team over the radio. Hazmat advised the crews to investigate the area wearing their full protective gear, including their Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus. Flammability was believed to be the primary threat to on-scene responders and lab staff.

Using a Sensit meter, firefighters monitored the atmosphere for changes in condition. Firefighters gained entry to the storage area and found normal oxygen levels. Additionally, there were no indications of explosive gases in the air. Medic 7 personnel checked the pH of the unidentified liquid. Firefighters also discovered a plastic cart similar to a wheeled garbage cart that was leaking liquid.

Upon determining that the spill had been confined and that atmospheric conditions were stable, crews advised the best course of action was to secure the storage area and have the lab contact its contracted provider to safely remove the product and materials.

It was still unclear what the spill actually contained, but crews proceeded as though it was Xylene as a "worst case scenario."