Brief report: exposure to tear gas from a theft-deterrent device on a safe--Wisconsin, December 2003

On December 4, 2003, a hazardous materials (HazMat) release occurred at a jewelry store in Beloit, Wisconsin, when the store owner tightened a screw on the door of an old safe outfitted with a chemical theft-deterrent device. The device included a metal housing containing a glass vial of liquid, which cracked as the screw tightened, releasing approximately 4 ounces of tear gas. The store owner sustained eye and skin irritation and was treated at a hospital and released. Twelve persons in the building and persons in adjacent businesses were evacuated for 3 hours while a certified Level A HazMat team*, city firefighters, and emergency medical technicians responded to the release. This report summarizes the response to this event and underscores the need for persons who use old safes and vaults to know how to identify these devices and avoid tampering with them.