TAMPA, Fla. – Five Florida children were taken to a hospital Monday night after a cloud of chlorine gas was released at an indoor pool, authorities said.
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue responded about 7 p.m. to a swimming and scuba diving instruction business in Tampa.
Fire investigators said the children suffered from chlorine gas poisoning -- causing stomach pain and nausea.
A cloud of chlorine gas can form over indoor pools when the pumps that circulate the water stop working and chemicals build up in the pipes. When the pumps start working again, those chemicals are released at once in a small cloud of gas.
That's what happened in Tampa, according to Fire Rescue.
The only way to make the area safe is to bring in hazmat teams to ventilate and test the building.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of chlorine gas poisoning include nausea, vomiting, blurred vision and sometimes fluid in the lungs.
The CDC advises people to take the following steps if they are exposed to chlorine:
- Leave the area where the chlorine was released and get to fresh air. Quickly moving to an area where fresh air is available is highly effective in reducing exposure to chlorine.
- If the chlorine release was outdoors, move away from the area where the chlorine was released. Go to the highest ground possible, because chlorine is heavier than air and will sink to low-lying areas.
- If the chlorine release was indoors, get out of the building.
- If you think you may have been exposed, remove your clothing, rapidly wash your entire body with soap and water, and get medical care as quickly as possible.
- If you have swallowed chlorine, do not induce vomiting or drink fluids. Get medical attention right away. Consider dialing 911 and explaining what has happened.