St. Catharines company gets the all-clear from Ministry of Labour after hazardous acid spill Tuesday

A car parts manufacturer in St. Catharines has received the all-clear from the Ministry of Labour after they investigated a hazardous spill that sent 23 employees to the hospital on September 27.

In the end, there were no charges or special orders from the ministry issued to THK Rhythm Automotive Canada on Louth St when the investigation was finished.

On Tuesday, five litres of hydrochloric acid were spilled at the plant while an outside contractor was doing some scheduled maintenance work to a paint line system.

All of the 23 THK employees were taken to the St. Catharines hospital as a precaution for potential inhalation of the fumes and were released the same day.

The ministry took air sampling to ensure the plant was safe for the employees.

The director of operations for the plant said the internal emergency response team’s quick evacuation of the plant was a key factor in the employees’ safety after the spill.