A 35-year-old worker from a chemical plant was diagnosed with chlorine gas poisoning on Wednesday, the Health Bureau (SSM) said in a statement yesterday, adding that the victim was in a stable condition.
According to the statement, the male non-resident worker (NRW) tasked with water purification developed symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath and mild chest pain after mistakenly pouring hydrochloric acid into bleach at noon on Wednesday, when he was working alone in the spa room of a local hotel. The statement said that the victim sought treatment at the private Kiang Wu Hospital after coming down with the symptoms.
The statement noted that the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) has been notified of the incident.
The statement reminded the public that exposure to low concentrations of chlorine can cause irritation of the nose, throat, and eyes, while inhalation of higher concentrations of chlorine can result in severe symptoms such as dyspnoea (shortness of breath), cyanosis (blue discolouration of the skin due to the circulation of blood low in oxygen), heart failure, and even death due to paralysis of the respiratory centre.
