UPDATE: Dalton workers decontaminated after chemical spill

Monday, May 21, 2012

photo Emergency vehicles gather outside of MFG Chemical in Dalton, Ga. after a chemical fire today.
photo MFG Chemical on Callahan Road

The Dalton Fire Department reported this morning it had responded to a chemical explosion call at MFG Chemical on Callahan Road.

Officials said there were no reports of serious injuries, but 43 people that worked in the area were transported to Hamilton Medical Center and treated for symptoms. Forty have been released from the hospital by this afternoon.

Decontamination also was being carried out on others at the site, fire officials said.

Although "there is no evacuation or danger to the public in the area," a release said, "residents within a half mile of the site have been advised to stay in their homes at this time."

Bruce Frazier, a spokesman for the fire department, said the accident occurred during manufacturing on Coagulant 129, a product used in water treatment that can cause skin or respiratory irritation.

The department will be sending firefighters to Beaulieu to check for damage and check air quality, Frazier said in a news release.