Mix of urine and bleach at animal shelter sends man to hospital

A man was sent to the hospital after an incident at Grand Strand Humane Society sickened him and prompted authorities to send a hazardous materials team to the scene.

Myrtle Beach Fire Department spokesman Jonathan Evans said a team had received a phone call around 11:20 a.m., and that early reports indicated “someone was doing something in the laundry room” at the animal shelter and may have improperly mixed chemicals.

“Crews were told that a mix of urine based ammonia and bleach were mixed in a washing machine and it off-gassed, which affected the person who was doing the laundry,” Evans wrote in a press release later Thursday.

The mixture of chlorine, a component of bleach, and ammonia creates a gas that can be toxic and even deadly. The ammonia came from animal urine-soaked laundry, said Evans.

Evans said the man is in stable condition.

While no animals were hurt in the incident, now the shelter needs your help providing blankets during the next several days.

According a post on the humane society’s Facebook page, the shelter is “… in immediate need of additional supplies before the colder weather expected in the next few days. Anyone that might have some to spare, please consider dropping them off during shelter hours which are 12-5 p.m. today and tomorrow.”

The humane society is also asking for volunteers to help take laundry to local laundromats while staff determines whether the washing machines are still usable.

This story was originally published March 13, 2017 at 10:29 PM with the headline "Mix of urine and bleach at animal shelter sends man to hospital."