NORTH BALTIMORE, Ohio -- A chemical reaction released irritating fumes inside a plastics plant Thursday, sending 89 workers to hospitals for treatment, officials said.
The fumes at the Budd Co. plant were caused by a chemical reaction between adhesives and structural foam inside five-gallon containers that had been placed in a waste bin, company spokesman Kelly O'Toole said.
The plant was closed for three hours while the air was ventilated, officials said.
Three hospitals treated 89 workers for respiratory problems, dizziness and nausea, officials said.
The plant, 40 miles south of Toledo, employs 600 people to manufacture water skis and automotive body parts, O'Toole said. Materials involved in the reaction are used to bind water ski components together and provide buoyancy.
