Local News in Brief : Irvine : Firm Evacuated Due to Chemical Spillage

Ten employees at a firm that manufactures contact lens products were treated for eye, nose and throat irritation Thursday after an employee spilled a gallon jar of cleaning solvent, fire officials said.

About 200 employees at the company, Coopervision Systems, were evacuated after an unrelated power failure caused the building’s ventilation system to shut down, according to county Fire Department spokeswoman Kathleen Cha.

An employee dropped a glass jar of a solvent containing cyclohexanon, a chemical which is toxic if it is inhaled or comes in contact with skin, Cha said. The lack of ventilation created a potential hazard as fumes spread throughout the building in the 1900 block of McGaw Road, according to Cha.

The 10 employees were treated at local hospitals and released. Other employees were sent home, although management employees were able to return to the building by noon, Cha said.