JOHOR BARU: A formaldehyde solution spill at Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HSA) on Tuesday (Nov 7) saw firemen rushing to contain the potentially hazardous chemical.
Johor unity and health committee chairman Ling Tiang Soon said the spill involving a 20-litre container of formalin occurred just before 6pm.
He said hospital staff were rearranging containers in a storage room when the container tipped over.
He said firemen used gauze to clean up the spill and removed it in hazmat (hazardous materials) bags for disposal.
"Six firemen from the Larkin station were involved in the operation (which) ended at 7.05pm," he added on Wednesday (Nov 7).
The solution – known as formalin – is used as a disinfectant because it destroys most bacteria and is also used as a fungicide.
It cause irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, and lung damage through severe exposure.
The US Health Department's National Toxicology Program described formaldehyde in 2011 as carcinogenic, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers it a systemic poison that can endanger the nervous system.
