2 taken to hospital following carbon monoxide incident at Lexington grocery store

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - A carbon monoxide incident temporarily closed a Lexington grocery store Monday. It happened at the Save A Lot on Versailles Road. Two employees were taken to the hospital, and the store has since reopened.

Employees taken to hospital

Many customers were turned away from the store after two employees were taken to the hospital due to a carbon monoxide incident.

Lexington Fire District Chief Seth Lockard said crews initially got the call at about 3:10 for subjects having difficulty breathing. When crews arrived, they found it was a carbon monoxide situation.

Lockard said the two people were taken to the hospital out of an abundance of caution. He said before they left for the hospital, they were alert and talking to crews.

Source of the carbon monoxide

Lockard said the employees were trying to do some cleaning and some work, and it created carbon monoxide. He said the carbon monoxide came from a gas-powered piece of equipment that the employees were using inside the store.

Lockard said after crews arrived on scene, they decided to evacuate the store and begin the ventilation process.

He said this is a reminder for people at home to make sure they are using gas-powered machinery in the proper setting.

“We always recommend not using gas powered equipment inside a structure,” Lockard said. “We don’t want to use generators inside garages if the power goes out. We don’t want to use any type of gas powered equipment inside an enclosed structure.”

Store reopens after ventilation

Lockard said before the store could reopen, the carbon monoxide needed to drop to a safe level. He said this process was made easier by the large fans the fire department had on scene.

“It all depends on the size of the structure,” Lockard said. “We’re looking at a store that’s 15,000 square feet with a high ceiling. It takes a little longer to ventilate the structure with the fans that we have.”

Lexington fire crews were on scene for nearly two hours ventilating the building before giving the store the all clear to reopen.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, carbon monoxide poisoning can cause flu-like symptoms. A headache is often the first and most notable sign. It can also cause dizziness, weakness, nausea and confusion.