Fire department responds to hazmat incident

State and local fire officials responded to an incident involving a hazardous chemical on Aug. 20.

At 10:53 a.m. the Waltham Fire Department was alerted to a pulled fire alarm at Adden Energy at 1432 Main St., according to Lt. Michael Murphy, the department’s public information officer.

Upon arrival at 10:59 a.m., firefighters learned that traces of lithium phosphorus chloride powder had leaked while an employee at Adden Energy was handling the chemical.

According to a safety data sheet from Sigma-Aldrich, a supplier of the chemical, the substance is considered harmful when swallowed or inhaled.

A vial full of the powder broke while the employee was handling the chemical in a glove box, an enclosed container with rubber glove inserts used to safely manipulate sensitive or hazardous materials.

As the employee attempted to dispose of the chemical and put it into a separate container, some of the powder leaked, causing employees on a floor below to experience headaches and pull the fire alarm.

Only a small amount of the chemical had leaked, but local fire officials contacted the Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Division of the state’s Department of Fire Services to assist.

State officials helped ventilate the building while it was evacuated. According to Murphy, William Fitzhugh, CEO of the company, was on the scene providing firefighters with information on the chemical.

No one requested medical assistance and the incident was handled by 1:37 p.m.

The Waltham Times reached out to Adden Energy for comments, but did not receive a response prior to publication.