BURRILLVILLE – A hazmat incident at the factory of Burrillville-based meat producer Daniele International resulted in transport of ten employees to area hospitals on Monday, Dec. 28, all with minor symptoms of exposure to a contaminant.
According to Oakland Mapleville Fire District Capt. Colin Fenner, rescue personnel were first called to the plant at around 10:30 a.m. for a normal medical call. Around 11:30 a.m., a second call came in for an individual with the same symptoms.
“That second rescue recognized there may be some sort of hazmat situation going on here,” Fenner said.
Fenner said that several employees reported symptoms including sore throats, coughs and runny noses, “consistent with some sort of irritant in the air.”
The Woonsocket Regional Hazmat Team, Burrillville Police and other area rescue personnel were then alerted of the situation.
Ten people were transported to area hospitals including Landmark Medical Center and Fatima, all with minor respiratory symptoms, and the building was evacuated.
Fenner said responders did locate the source of the contaminant, although he did not identify the type of chemical leak, and said the cause of the incident is still under investigation.
“This is a very large building,” the captain said. “It’s definitely the largest in Burrillville.”
Fenner noted that the factory, which produces specialty Italian charcuterie and deli meats sold to retailers such as Costco and Trader Joe’s, typically has between 150-200 people in it, depending on time of day.
