Above: Emergency services workers arrive at Springvale Coles to assess the situation.By Sarah Schwager
FUMES at the Springvale Coles supermarket last week were most likely the result of discarded drums from a road marking paint job, according to Worksafe officials.
Two incidents on Friday evening and Saturday morning in which 19 people were taken to hospital are being investigated by Worksafe officials, who are trying to eliminate all possible causes.
Springvale, Noble Park and Frankston fire brigades and the Hallam Hazardous Materials unit were called to the Springvale supermarket, on the corner of the Princes Highway and Springvale Road, at 5.37pm on Friday after people complained of eye and throat irritations.
Police said the cause of fumes was at first attributed to epoxy resin left in the containers and in a dumpster at the rear of the building.
The two discarded containers were from an earlier line painting job in the store car park.
Hallam Country Fire Authority operations officer Don Tomkins said six people were taken to Dandenong Hospital and six to Monash Hospital with nausea, headaches and chest pain.
A second incident, at 2.35am on Saturday, brought the Springvale Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) and Dandenong Rescue unit to the site, and seven people were taken to hospital for observation.
Mr Tomkins said MFB specialists were brought in during the second incident because they did not want to eliminate any other possible sources.
Worksafe spokesperson Michael Burt said officials originally believed those affected in the second incident may have breathed in fumes that entered the building and settled at a low point when a door was opened after the first incident.
However, Worksafe was unable to confirm the cause of the fumes in the second incident and was unable to find traces of fumes in the store’s airconditioning unit.
Mr Tomkins said MFB specialists used detectors to look for chemical, biological and radioactive threats, but did not find anything.
Worksafe is continuing its investigation.
