Two workers at a manufacturing plant in Cedar Rapids were injured in an accident this morning. Cedar Rapids public safety spokesman Greg Buelow says it happened at DuPont Industrial Biosciences on the city’s southwest side.
“They were apparently unloading a tanker when a hose came lose and sprayed both employees with liquid ammonia,” Buelow said. The two men are 36 and 45-years-old. They were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Both were wearing protective gear at the time of the incident. “That really minimized their injuries,” Buelow said. “(They) could have severe burns, potentially life-threatening inhalation, other injuries or medical conditions if they would have been exposed any more to the ammonia.”
The tanker was capped off and there was no additional exposure to other employees, Buelow added.