Chemical Spill At Solano Community College Ate Through Floor of Building

A sodium hydroxide spill at the Solano Community College campus in Vallejo happened while a lab technician was moving 5-gallon buckets of the liquid chemical on a cart, the president of the college said Tuesday afternoon.

One of the buckets fell and overturned when the cart broke, spilling the chemical, which then ate through the second floor of the building and leaked onto the first floor below, President Jowel Laguerre said.

The female chemistry lab technician suffered a burn from the chemical on her hand and went to the hospital as a precaution, Laguerre said. The incident happened around 11 a.m., Laguerre said.

The Vallejo Fire Department responded to the spill at the campus at 545 Columbus Parkway around 1 p.m., Fire Chief Jack McArthur said.

The building where the spill occurred was evacuated and the first and second floors were closed until the spill was cleaned, McArthur said.

Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is a strong chemical found in industrial solvents and cleaners including floor stripping cleaners and drain cleaners. It can cause breathing difficulties and burns.

--Bay City News