Kaiser Permanente’s Honolulu clinic was evacuated Friday morning after a chemical odor got into the air conditioning system.
Spokesperson Laura Lott said the odor originated next door when First Chinese Church applied sealant on its driveway.
Staff complained of nausea and fumes so, as a precaution, the entire system was shut off and those in the affected areas were moved outdoors.
“We were very pleased with staff reaction. They want to take care of their patients. That’s their first priority and they followed their plan,” Lott said. “We know an emergency is nothing anybody ever wants, but it’s good to know that when it does happen, we have people who can respond accordingly.”
The clinic will remain closed for the rest of the day.
Patients are currently being rescheduled for a different day or directed to a different facility, Lott said. Staff was also redeployed to other clinics.
“If folks did have an appointment that they missed today, they should call to have it rescheduled,” Lott said. “We want to make sure people are inconvenienced as little as possible.”
A pharmacist and pharmacist tech are stationed in the lobby, which was not affected by the odor, to fill urgent prescriptions, Lott said.
Date: May 23, 2014