7 Sent to Hospitals, Released : Lockheed Gas Leak a False Alarm

Investigators inspecting a Lockheed Corp. research facility near Santa Clarita found no evidence that it was an escape of toxic materials that caused seven workers to be taken to hospitals Thursday night, despite reports of a cloud of odorous, blue-colored gas in the building, officials said Friday.

Hazardous materials specialists from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the county Department of Health Services and Lockheed checked the three-story building at 25100 Rye Canyon Road at about 11 p.m. Thursday but were unable to detect the source of a reported vapor cloud inside, officials from the county and Lockheed said.

The building, which was evacuated, was reopened at midnight, said James W. Ragsdale, spokesman for Lockheed.

“The bottom line is that, as far as we can determine, it was a false alarm,” Ragsdale said.

“I think that because of all the attention that’s been given in recent months to health and safety matters at Lockheed, there’s a high degree of sensitivity to that whole subject on the part of virtually everybody who works there.”

More than 200 Lockheed employees have alleged in lawsuits and workers’ compensation claims that they were made ill by materials used by the company. Lockheed agreed in June to pay $1.49 million in penalties for 440 violations of federal workplace safety rules.

Guards Smelled Odor

Two security guards who entered the building shortly before 9 p.m. Thursday complained of skin and throat irritation after noticing an unusual odor and what they described as a blue-colored cloud inside, Ragsdale said.

“What the employees may have seen was simply water moisture in the air as seen through the light of some mercury vapor lights used in that building,” Ragsdale said.

The guards and another worker were taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in Valencia for observation, and four others were transported to Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, authorities said. All were released a short time later, a hospital spokeswomen said Friday.

About 30 employees working in nearby buildings also were evacuated.

It was unclear how many of the patients actually reported ailments.

Sharon Wanglin, a spokeswoman for the county Health Services Department, said all seven workers complained of sore throats. One also experienced itching and another reported nasal irritation, she said.

Anne Ingram, a spokeswoman for Henry Mayo hospital, said two of the patients taken there reported no symptoms and the third complained of skin irritation, but said it cleared up before arrival at the hospital.

Officials at Holy Cross hospital would not release information about the patients taken there.