At least five workers at a construction site in East Brainerd, Tennesee, were rushed to a nearby hospital Jan. 27 for carbon monoxide levels that were “extremely high,” reports WTVC.
According to the Chattanooga Fire Department (CFD), firefighters rushed to the site at 6698 Palms Ct. a little after 10 a.m. following a report of two workers who were overcome by carbon monoxide. A total of 40 people were evaluated, says CFD Chief Phil Hyman.
Workers had reportedly set up heaters inside and outside the building being worked on to deal with sub-zero temperatures, but several of the heaters malfunctioned and pumped carbon monoxide into the structure.
Firefighters immediately treated two workers with oxygen and went to work alerting everyone inside. They found a number of construction workers still on the job, unaware of what was happening.
According to fire officials on the scene, they detected levels at 540 parts per million on gas monitors. The safe amount of CO is zero.
EMT workers checked everyone on the site and determined five people needed treatment. Meanwhile, four workers were sent to the hospital, and one was treated at the scene.
CFD says the Tennessee Occupational Health and Safety Administration (TOSHA) is now investigating the incident.