A chemical spill at a cheese plant near Clovis, N.M., last week injured 20 employees, two of them critically, after an equipment malfunction caused acid to mix with chlorine, releasing a toxic gas that the injured employees breathed in, according to local news reports.
The spill was resolved and toxic gas contained by local authorities, but 11 employees of Southwest Cheese Factory were transported to local hospitals. According to one local news report, the plant opened in 2005 and processes more than 588 million pounds of block cheese annually.
That news outlet received a statement from Southwest Cheese (SWC) that confirmed the event occurred in its CIP (clean-in-place) room in the plant. The cause was “a chemical overflow,” and the workers reacted quickly and followed the incident response action plan, the company noted.
A release from the Curry County (N.M.) Sheriff’s Office added that 8.67 gallons of acid spilled and mixed with 0.61 gallons of chlorine, creating the toxic gas that sickened the employees.
Production resumed later in the day at the facility once the area was cleared to return to work, the statement said.
