A New Jersey Costco was evacuated Wednesday after a Freon leak inside the store that sickened about 20 staff members, police say.
The Hazlet Township Police Department received a report from the store around 6:45 a.m. Wednesday about a Freon leak, a gas used as a refrigerant in air conditioning, the department said in a news release.
Exposure to refrigerants including Freon can cause dizziness and tremors, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
The store’s opening was delayed and staffers tried to ventilate the store.
Another call came into police from the store at 9:30 a.m. about “an estimated 20 employees complaining of headaches and nausea.”
Officers arrived to the scene and evacuated all staff.
Several agencies were called in to aid at the scene, including the Monmouth County Hazmat team as well as the Monmouth County EMS Task Force.
The Monmouth County Sheriff’s office said four people were sent to a hospital and treated.
The store will be closed until further notice.
“We thank all of our public safety partners for their quick response to this situation and wish all staff that was affected a quick recovery,” Hazlet Township Police said.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
