Riverboat workers injured by fire extinguisher discharge

Friday, Aug. 10, 2001 | 11:04 a.m.

BRIDGEPORT, Ind. -- An apparent accidental discharge of a fire extinguisher at the Caesars Indiana hotel sent 13 workers to a hospital for treatment of chemical inhalation.

All the workers were in good condition Thursday afternoon and were expected to be treated and released, said Darlene O'Bryan, a spokeswoman for Floyd Memorial Hospital in New Albany.

Caesars housekeeping employees were moving a cartload of linen off an elevator in a service corridor in the unopened hotel when they accidentally hit a chemical fire extinguisher, causing it to discharge, riverboat casino spokeswoman Judy Hess said.

Security personnel sent the casino's private emergency medical technicians to the scene and called 911 and 13 people were taken to the hospital by ambulance or private vehicle, she said.

No casino patrons were affected when the incident occurred about 4:30 p.m. EDT, Hess said.

The fire extinguisher contained ammonium phosphate, ammonium sulfate and Muscovite mica. Physicians said the chemicals could irritate mucous membranes and could cause nausea, O'Bryan said.