A hazardous material spill was reported in a Ventura County hospital's operating room on Tuesday morning. According to a public information officer for the Ventura County Fire Department, approximately half a gallon of formaldehyde was spilled at St. John's Pleasant Valley Hospital, as KTLA reported. The incident occurred around 8 a.m. at the hospital located at 2309 Antonio Avenue.
The Fire Department was quick to respond, sending a hazmat-trained team to safely to manage the spill. "Hazmat-trained firefighters are preparing to enter the affected area," stated the Department's post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Initial reports indicated that no injuries occurred as a result of the spill.
#AntonioIncident - A hazardous materials spill involving approximately half a gallon of formaldehyde has occurred in an operating room at St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital. Hazmat-trained firefighters are preparing to enter the affected area. The operating room’s ventilation… pic.twitter.com/jXKRWjDsmA
— VCFD PIO (@VCFD_PIO) September 17, 2024
Further details on the spill's origins were not immediately clear. However, the hospital has ensured that the operating room's ventilation system operates independently from the rest of the facility, mitigating the risk of exposure to patients and staff throughout the rest of the hospital.
Officials have undertaken clean-up operations and the site has been declared safe since. "The spill had been cleaned up," the Fire Department later announced, and they have turned the case over to the Environmental Health Department for further investigation. The Pleasant Valley School District was duly notified about the incident by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, ensuring that to keep the community aware and safe. No further information has been released concerning potential impacts to the school district or its operations.
