Maintenance, operations and engineering activities in institutional and commercial facilities comes with a host of hazards. From arc flash training and fall protection to ladders and personal protection equipment, front-line workers must constantly pay attention to threats to their health and safety. It a lesson facilities staff in one Vermont building were reminded of recently.
An ammonia leak caused maintenance staff at Leddy Arena to be cleared from the building recently, according to WCAX. The Burlington, Vermont, fire department responded to the arena just after midnight. When they got there, crews found that a strong smell of ammonia was present. The building was then cleared.
The state hazardous materials team arrived on scene at around 2 a.m. and was able to find the source of the leak and isolate it by closing a valve in the pump room. Responders say that by 6:30 a.m., the ammonia levels in the building were back to zero.
The Leddy Park Arena, also known as the Gordon H. Paquette Ice Arena, is a arena with a full-size Olympic ice surface, as well as a smaller Studio rink.
Dan Hounsell is senior editor of the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.
