Chemical spill leads to brief closure at hospital

A professional cleaning company quickly contained a small chemical spill inside Moab Regional Hospital’s laundry department last week that led to the brief closure of the affected and surrounding areas.

No one was injured during the incident, which was reported at about 3 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8.

The spill – which involved common cleaning products, including chlorine bleach and an industrial laundry cleaner – occurred as an outside contractor performed routine maintenance on the laundry department’s machines.

The hospital immediately closed off the affected and surrounding areas upon discovery of the spill, MRH officials said in a news release about the incident.

“All Moab Regional Hospital staff and patients, as well as residents and staff at the Canyonlands Care Center and Mountainland Physical Therapy, remained safe and secure during the spill and clean-up procedures,” the hospital said.

Hospital officials praised the Moab Valley Fire Department, the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, Grand County Emergency Medical Services, Utah Highway Patrol and the Moab City Police Department for their response to the incident. They also extended a “special thank-you” to the Moab Brewery, which donated meals for patients, emergency responders and residents of the Canyonlands Care Center, while the hospital’s kitchen remained shut down during the spill.

No one injured in June 8 incident involving common cleaning products