10 People Treated After Chemical Spill At Manchester MRI Office

Ten people were taken to the hospital Friday morning for treatment after a chemical spill at an MRI facility in Whiting, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said.

The Ocean County Sheriff’s Department was called about 9:40 a.m. about what was initially reported as a chemical explosion at Shore Imaging, 1100 Route 70 West in Manchester, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor’s office.

Investigation by Detective Mitchell Remig of the prosecutor’s office determined the explosion -- first reported as a machine having exploded -- was actually a spill caused when a container that is used to test the MRI machine had cracked, Della Fave said.

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The container contained about a gallon of the chemical nickel chloride hexahydrate, which is toxic if absorbed into the skin, he said. The spill was quickly contained by the Berkeley Hazardous Materials Response Unit, Station 85, he said.

As a result of the incident, the building was closed for several hours and was later re-opened after it was determined to be safe by the Berkeley Hazmat Team and the Ocean County Health Department, Manchester Lt. Vincent Manco said.

Della Fave said it was determined through interviews that the container, also known as a “phantom,” is used to test the MRI machine monthly. It is generally stored at room temperature where the MRI is located, Della Fave said. He said Remig was told that phantom was placed inside a freezer in the facility, thinking it may produce a better image on the scan.

The 10 adults who were exposed to the chemical, including some responders and two pregnant women, were taken to Community Medical Center, Toms River, for decontamination, he said. Manchester Township police and firefighters were the first ones on the scene, he said. Manco said one person treated, an employee of Shore Imaging, came into direct contact with the chemical.

Patients at the hospital were expected to be released soon, with some being held for further observation.

Stafford Township Fire Department DeCon Unit, Station 47 responded to the scene and Point Pleasant Fire Department, Station 75, responded to Community Medical Center to assist in decontaminating the responders and patients exposed to the chemical, Della Fave said.

Also assisting at the scene were: Manchester Township Emergency Management, Manchester Township Police Investigations Bureau, Ocean County Fire Coordinator, Ocean County Fire Marshall, Whiting Fire Company, the state Department of Environmental Protection and the county health department.

(Photo credit: Manchester Township Police)