MONTVILLE TWP. — Five employees of Fox Meadow Country Club, 4260 Fox Meadow Drive, were injured when a pipe on a chlorinator exploded inside a pool house just before 8:45 a.m. Monday, a fire official said.

The blast sent all five to Medina Hospital for precautionary reasons, and four were treated and released Monday afternoon, according to Greg Smith, director of EMS Outreach and Emergency Management at the hospital. The fifth patient was expected to be released later Monday, he said.

Five Fox Meadow Country Club employees were injured when a pipe on a chlorinator inside this pool house exploded just before 8:45 a.m. Monday in Montville Township, Second Medina Assistant Fire Chief Mark Crumley. (GAZETTE PHOTO BY DANI ORR)

Second Medina Assistant Fire Chief Mark Crumley said the pipe exploded in the pool house, located directly off the pool, while two employees were working “in the area” of the chlorinator, which dispenses chlorine into the pool.

He said the explosion was the result of a suspected chlorine buildup.

The pool was not open at the time of the explosion, said Crumley, who’s also the department’s fire marshal.

A Fox Meadow manager declined to comment.

Smith said all victims were treated for minor burns and punctures, as well as complaints of ringing ears. They ranged in age from 17 to 57, he said.

“After being exposed to any chlorine product, the hospital had to make sure the patients were washed off properly,” Smith said. “They were able to do it themselves for the most part, as they were rinsed, scrubbed and rinsed again before being admitted into the emergency room. Their clothes were also removed and left outside the hospital to be destroyed to remove the danger for those inside the hospital.

“Our first rule is patient safety, both for patients being admitted, and for our patients already admitted in the hospital,” Smith said. “We have plans in place and those were executed Monday morning as code orange was administered, which is decontamination.”

Smith said the hospital also set up a command post to notify everybody inside to avoid confusion.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration spokesman Scott Allen said the agency was investigating the incident.

“OSHA is specifically investigating the workers’ safety,” Allen said. “We do have personnel investigating the entire scene. We will try to figure out exactly what happened and possible ways to avoid another incident in the future.”

Allen also said OSHA can take up to six months to complete the investigation.

Crumley said the Fire Department also is investigating.

Contact Dani Orr at (330) 721-4049 or dorr@medina-gazette.com.

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