Officials say there’s no immediate danger to the community
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- Seven workers evaluated after chemical exposure at Cleveland, Tenn., M&M Mars plant
- Six were transported to hospitals; officials say incident was contained with no public risk
- Operations paused in affected area as Mars Wrigley and first responders assessed the site
Seven employees were evaluated by emergency crews Friday morning after a chemical exposure at the M&M Mars manufacturing plant in Cleveland, Tenn., authorities said.
The incident occurred shortly after 9 a.m. inside the facility on Peerless Road, prompting a multi-agency response from Bradley County EMS and the Cleveland Fire Department (CFD).
According to a release from the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office obtained by PEOPLE, one person was taken to Erlanger Medical Center and five others were transported to Bradley Medical Center for further evaluation. A seventh individual was treated at the scene and released shortly after.
PEOPLE spoke to Deputy Chief Pete Van Dusen of the CFD, who confirmed the workers were exposed to chlorine gas that was contained to a single area of the plant. Operations in the affected section were temporarily halted as a precaution while crews assessed the situation…