REMA evacuates Sims Recycling in LaVergne

July 31, 2008

Shortly after 9:00 o’clock Thursday morning (7/31/08) several persons at Sims Recycling Solutions in LaVergne complained of a nauseous smell in the air. Units from the LaVergne Fire Department were on the scene within minutes at 417 Sanford Road. Rutherford County Emergency Management Agency’s Tim Hooker told WGNS News, "both the LaVergne and Rutherford County’s HAZMAT teams made several entries, and the cause of the problem appears to have been an aerosol solution used in the forklift." Two persons were initially transported to the hospital. Hooker noted they were in very close proximity to the lift truck. An hour into the investigation, another employee was transported, however they showed different signs. It is not known whether that could have been because of heat exhaustion or stress. All three persons were treated and released. HAZMAT teams went over the facility for approximately two and a half hours. The LaVergne facility mainly recycles computer parts. Sims is headquartered in Australia and earn 70 per cent of its revenue from operations in North America, the United Kingdom and Europe.

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