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Recycling-truck workers affected by fumes while loading plastics from VGH

View Royal Fire Department Chief Paul Hurst says a substance was released when the material was being compacted
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The problem appears to have been a cleaning product that was still in a bottle, the fire chief said. DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST

Two people in a recycling truck were treated in the Victoria General Hospital emergency department Wednesday morning after being affected by fumes while loading bins of plastic recyclables from the hospital.

View Royal Fire Department Chief Paul Hurst said a substance was released when the material was being compacted.

He said the Capital Regional District hazardous-materials team attended to try to determine what materials were involved, and the problem appears to have been a cleaning product.

The container wasn’t empty and broke open, he said.

The call about the incident came in about 11 a.m. Hurst said the entire front area of the hospital was contained during the response, although activity inside the building continued as normal.

Both people from the truck were checked out and released.

jbell@timescolonist.com