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Foothills Hospital ER shut down following biohazard spill

The emergency bay at the Foothills Hospital was locked down and ambulances diverted for a short period on Wednesday, after a hazardous spill.

A worker accidentally doused himself with bio-hazardous material, near a loading dock close to the emergency bay.

Officials were concerned the spill may have contained radioactive material.

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As a result, The Calgary Fire Department Hazardous Materials Response Team sealed off area.

The man and a healthcare professional were both given a so-called ‘decontamination shower’ – high pressure water used to scrub off the material.

Health officials say other than a healthcare worker who helped the man into the decontamination shower, no one else was exposed.

It’s the second time in a week that Foothills hospital has been under lockdown; an investigation continues after a gun threat January 1st.

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In both cases operations were able to resume shortly after, and EMS say all safety precautions worked well.
 

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