HazMat team responds to odor at business

An odor at Inertial Aerospace in Highland Heights required a response from the fire department and local HazMat team, but no hazardous materials were found in the air and none of the staff needed further medical attention.

According to a department news release, at 12:51 p.m., the Highland Heights Communications Center received a call from Inertial Aerospace stating they had an odor in their clean room area that had caused employees to have eye, nose and throat burning feelings. Highland Heights Fire Department was notified and responded.

According to the release, upon arrival, the department met with company representatives and determined that the odor was confined to the clean room within their business and the rest of the business was safe to occupy.

Department EMS crews determined there were no life-threatening injuries to the three staff who had reported issues. Crews made entry into the area with full personal protective gear, self-contained breathing apparatus and multi-gas detector to determine initial air quality. All readings were found within normal levels, and the entry crew came out.

The three employees were further assessed and refused any further care or transport to the hospital.

According to the release, the department worked with company representatives to determine the chemicals in use in the room. Once the chemicals were determined, the HazMat Command Officer from Southeast-Chagrin HazMat team was contacted via Chagrin Valley Dispatch.

It was determined that a limited team response was warranted from the HazMat team.

When initial HazMat team members arrived, they equipped Highland Heights Fire Department crews with more air monitoring meters. Crews made entry again in full protective gear and SCBA to monitor the air. No abnormal readings were found at that time.

No hazardous or flammable materials were found in the air, and the determination was made to allow the filtration system in the clean room to process the air to remove any residual odor.