HazMat team plugs leak at commercial building after toxic vapour spread

A commercial building in Tunney’s Pasture was evacuated after a refrigerant was leaking from a cooling system.

Ottawa fire’s hazardous materials team responded at 3:17 p.m. to the large structure after getting a 911 call. Once at the 0-100 block of Chardon Driveway, the team found a 7,000 litre tank full of coolant had cracked close to a pipe fitting at the bottom of the container.

All employees had evacuated at this point and were accounted for. Firefighters said that when refrigerant is exposed to temperatures higher than 19 C — which it was on Tuesday — the chemical turns into a toxic vapour, which was spreading throughout the building.

The HazMat team put on their personal protective equipment and breathing apparatus and located the crack, where the tank was now half full after the spreading quickly.

Officials used a chain hoist to raise the tank, allowing firefighters to plug the crack and absorb the remaining liquid that had spilled over.

A few hours later, after extensive ventilation of the building, the air quality was deemed safe.

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