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YORKTOWN, N.Y. -- One IBM employee was taken to the hospital after being exposed to cyanide Wednesday morning, according to Lt. Kevin Soravilla of the Yorktown police.
Soravilla said there was no explosion at the Thomas J. Watson Research Center at 1101 Kitchawan Lake Road in Yorktown, but that the employee was exposed.
Upon arrival, the Yorktown Heights Fire Department established a staging area and were advised by IBM's Emergency Response Team, according to the fire department.
The fire department determined that IBM's Hazmat Team would be the initial entry team to meter the exposed room, according to the fire department. The cyanide was found to be in the form of gas, not liquid, according to Kempter's Fire Wire.
The area was soon determined to be safe and the fire department secured the scene, according to the department.
IBM spokesman Christopher Andrews released a statement about the incident.
"A technician working at IBM's TJ Watson Research Center in Yorktown reported smelling an unidentified chemical while performing a routine semiconductor process step," Andrews said. "The technician was working in full protective gear, following all IBM safety procedures, and all engineering safety controls were in place."
Andrews said the person returned to work following a medical evaluation.
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