Personal Injury Law

What's in your fridge? Smell from leftover food in unplugged fridge sends 7 to hospital, sickens 28

By Dr. Doug Powell

Ever had leftover food loitering in your fridge for so long it made you yack?

Anyone who has worked or lived in an area with a communal fridge has a tale of grossness. Amy's mom recalled yesterday about a fridge in one of their rental units that had been left full of food and unplugged – apparently for some time. The chicken was particularly interesting.

Amy and I found some grossness when we moved into our current house which previously was a fraternity drinking house – although the turkey carcass in the driveway was the grossest.

In San Jose, California, an enterprising office worker discovered an unplugged fridge full of rotting food, so decided to move the food into a conference room while using two cleaning chemicals to scrub down the mess.

The mixture of old lunches and disinfectant caused 28 people to need treatment for vomiting and nausea.

Firefighters had to evacuate the AT&T building in downtown San Jose on Tuesday after the fumes led someone to call emergency services. A hazardous materials team was called in.

Authorities say the worker who cleaned the fridge didn't need treatment — she can't smell because of allergies.
 

Full post as published by BarfBlog on May 13, 2009 (boomark / email).