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Subscribe to RSSMore than 100 FedEx employees at the company's Memphis, Tenn., parcel hub were treated for exposure after a forklift punctured a barrel of concentrated chili peppers used to make pepper spray.
Memphis Fire Department spokesman Lt. Wayne Cooke told NBC News the five-gallon container was damaged by a FedEx employee outside the building early Thursday, and 117 employees were evaluated and decontaminated by fire rescue personnel.
Cooke said the fire department initially responded to a hazmat alert, but the situation was not that dire.
Most of those affected were treated at the scene, but a 53-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman were taken to the hospital, complaining of chest pains.
The peppers in the container are used to make pepper spray. The exposed material, capsaicin, is an irritant that is not fatal, authorities said.
The substance has been contained and is no longer a threat.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Red Hot Chili Peppers, what a great band.
Soft walk
to horizon,
one
big
crash
that no one dies in
Exactly my thoughts. From reading the headline, i thought it had to do with a urine test by one of the band members.
It looks like the Red Hot Chili Peppers took a leak, though.
Those people had better be glad it was not ghost chili extract!
I got excited and thought a new song leaked myself. One Hot Minute is extremely underrated, love that album even though I'm a huge Fursciante fan
I am sure the guy that damaged the container is going to be hearing about it from his coworkers for a long time. While no permanent harm as done, this certainly was not a pleasant experience for those involved.
When they punctured that barrel of "red hot chili peppers" the workers began to sing in unison "Get it away, get it away, get it away, get it away, NOW"
Ugh - that would be pretty potent! Thank goodness it didn't happen in a plane or ship cargohold.
Not many forklists on planes these days.
"Well Seasoned Employees Become Ill"
I'm not surprised at all that this happened, the way FedEx and UPS treat the packages from pickup to delivery. I regularly have boxes shipped to me that are crushed or mangled beyond belief. One can only assume that a lot of careless people are employed at those places.
So both together they are FEDUP
LMAO!!!!!
When they punctured that barrel of "red hot chili peppers" the workers began to sing in unison "Get it away, get it away, get it away, get it away, NOW"
I can understand, chili pepper music can be harsh to some people.
We are the Red Hots
And we're loving lots the love me nots
The flowers in your flower pot
Are dancing on the table tops
Cabron cabron...
Cabron cabron..
When they punctured that barrel of "red hot chili peppers" the workers began to sing in unison "Get it away, get it away, get it away, get it away, NOW"
branxoz, I saw this the first 4 times you posted it.
When they punctured that barrel of "red hot chili peppers" the workers began to sing in unison "Get it away, get it away, get it away, get it away, NOW"...do you see it this time as well?
First, its "give it away". second, its not all that funny. Its almost like listening to Bob Saget on Americas funniest videos. You need the fake laugh and applause behind the joke.
Today at least one forklift driver will join the ranks of the unemployed.
stick a fork in him, he's done.
Good chance. Probably feeling the burn right now. Sure he was red in the face when this happened.
Though maybe it was an accident and he won't get fired, just made the boss a little hot.
It is time
That guy is one hot...nevermind "It is time" pretty much covered it.
dumb ass FED-EX driver.
Naw, industrial accidents and @!$%# happen all the time and this isn't a serious one really. Unless he's a chronic @!$%#up he should be ok. I wouldn't fire him. Plus FedEx got some free publicity. :)
No use crying over puncture hot chili peppers!!!
Good one
"situation was not that dire."
"an irritant that is not fatal"
Followed by "is no longer a threat. ". When was it a threat? Any this happened outside, how were 117 FedEx employees close enough to this 5 gallon container to be exposed?
They had to be on break, smoking I bet!!!!
Apparently you have never been around concentrated chili peppers. They are an eye and lung irritant and as soon as they are exposed to the air they reek. This would have been like opening a vent on a tank full of pepper spray. Airborne spray would be around for some time.
Apparently you've never been inside the FedEx hub either. There are thousands of employees outside as well as in and the main hub is outside. That's also where most of the employees are.
They were all on a Smoke break, at the same damn time.
They were all standing next to the lawyers signup tent that was set up outside the building 30 seconds after the Forklift punctured the barrel. They were giving out free chile pepper pins.
Won"t kill you, but you"ll wish you were dead.
Ow. Crap. Hahahahahahahahahahah
Nothing like taking a load of Capsicum to the face.
No dout. I've had it three times already. Each time was worse than the time before.
Back when they were developing a topical capsicum product a professor friend of mine dropped a full box of the power on the floor. The ensuing cloud shot right up under the protective hood he was wearing.
When he finally recovered, he said his sinuses had never been so clear.
get a really big pot, a lot of hamburger, tomato sauce, and start cooking for the company picnic.
Andy,
FedEx must not have had any Thais working for the company there. Thais love spicy hot food; the hotter, the better. If they had had any Thais working for them, they would have been doing just what you suggest. They would have been out there with their spoons and forks, ready to eat.
I would have tried to collect some for use as a condiment!
117 FedEx employees all in one place, either it was a union meeting or they were all on a cig break..
@ the same damn time.
Just one note
could make me float
could make me float away
Great reporting....."punctured a barrel" .....it was a 5 gallon pail, big difference between a 5 gallon pail and a 55 gallon barrel or drum.
Sometimes I feel
Like I don't have a partner
Sometimes I feel
Like my only friend
Is the city I live in
The city of Angels
Lonely as I am
Together we cry
Ironically, this happened in Memphis -- the home town of Elvis Presley -- on the 35th anniversary of his death.
Thank you very much..
Hunka Hunka Burnin' Love...
"It's a food product, essentially." ~Megyn Kelly
Probably still usable, if you happen to have 1,000 burritos lying around.
they said it was for Pepper Spray, oh I guess you can "Spray" it on food.
Here we go with the over exaggerated employee claims.
This article was written by a seasoned reporter.
LOL! Very clever TFNJ!
I was waiting for an opening to use the word seasoned. lol
I guess it wasn't in a Samsonite case!
Oh Boy, get ready for this one. Fed Ex, the Forklift driver and the person who shipped it had better watch out. Someone is going to you sue you. Even though anyone working for FedEx knows they are around Haz Met. You know that someone wants that cheap buck.
Capsicum! It's prescribed for Arthritis rubs and Pruritus skin conditions. Not great for lungs or eyes.
Argh. Used a capiscum rub once on my knee before I went to bed. Woke up an hour later in searing pain, felt like my skin was going to peel off. I threw the rub away and went back to ice instead.....
But a spoon full of pepper makes the medicine go down.. in it's own special wayyyy.
Dems have to get involved.pass another handful of laws...Oh!If it just saves one child....wanks!...:o)
Here's pepper in your eye.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm a new horror movie "Attack of the Chili Peppers"
Coming prematurely to a theater near you!
watch out for the crazies tho, you'll get one that will come in, guns blazing.
Talk about a story that will really bring a tear to your eye!
This can cause a rare condition called a Sneclafarp. That would be a sneeze, cough, burp, and fart.. AT THE SAME TIME! Very dangerous. Seen here is this dramatic capture.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChfFEQP8mLs
That sounds sooo gross I would never click on that....... jeez I want to though.... no, no, I know it's going to make me sick so I'm not going to go there today..... ...... ...... Dammit, SIGH! (click).
LOL, its not disgusting. Its a guy suddenly suffering an attack of what I descibed (and only a joke).
Better him than me, but quite funny!
At first, I thought it said "Chili Pepper Steak"...but got a similar mental picture, just the same.
Oh, good God, Heaven Almighty, Heaven's to murder Troy
We've got a cataclysmic situation developing
Someone get down here now!!
"Beam me up, Scotty."
That's Murgatroyd Carl.
Exit stage left
Flea did it.