Lincoln Tech Nashville

Mixed Cleaning Chemicals Send at Least Eight People to the Hospital at a Nashville Trade School

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Thursday, October 10, 2019TNchemical spillemergency notificationmedium confidence

Confirmed Threat

On the morning of October 10, 2019, cleaning chemicals -- reportedly chlorine and ammonia -- were accidentally mixed inside a building at Lincoln College of Technology's Nashville campus, producing toxic fumes that sickened students and staff. The Nashville Fire Department's HAZMAT unit evacuated the building, and at least eight people were transported to area hospitals with nausea and difficulty breathing; several others were treated on scene.

Alerts: 2
Response: —
Killed: 0
Injured: 8

Institution

Lincoln College of Technology - Nashville

For Profit · TN

~800 students

Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTUnknownLate morning, October 10, 2019, around 10:30 AM CDT, after the chemical fumes were detected

Approximate reconstruction222 chars

A chemical spill has been reported in the building following the accidental mixing of cleaning chemicals. Evacuate the affected area immediately and move to fresh air. Nashville Fire Department HAZMAT crews are responding.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The fumes were the result of an accidental mixture of cleaning chemicals, reported by multiple Nashville TV stations as chlorine and ammonia, a combination that produces toxic chloramine gas

At least two classrooms were directly affected by the fumes, according to local reporting, and the building was evacuated as Nashville Fire Department HAZMAT units responded

Eight or more people were transported to three separate area hospitals -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, TriStar Skyline Medical Center, and Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital -- with nausea and difficulty breathing, while several others were treated at the scene

ALL CLEARUnknownMidday, October 10, 2019, CDT, after Nashville Fire Department HAZMAT crews cleared the building

Approximate reconstruction171 chars

The building has been cleared by Nashville Fire Department HAZMAT crews. The chemical hazard has been addressed and it is safe to return to unaffected areas of the campus.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Lincoln College of Technology's Nashville campus operates under the brand formerly known as Nashville Auto-Diesel College, a for-profit trade school owned by publicly traded Lincoln Educational Services Corporation

The incident is a reminder that hazmat events on for-profit trade-school campuses, which often house working automotive and diesel shops alongside classrooms, carry distinct chemical-exposure risks compared with a typical liberal-arts campus

Context

Background

Lincoln College of Technology's Nashville, Tennessee campus -- operating on the site of the former Nashville Auto-Diesel College -- is a for-profit trade school owned by Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (Nasdaq: LINC), a publicly traded career-education company. On the morning of October 10, 2019, a routine cleaning task turned into a hazmat emergency when chlorine and ammonia-based cleaning chemicals were accidentally mixed inside a campus building, according to WKRN. The resulting fumes sickened students and staff in at least two classrooms. Fox17 reported that Nashville Fire Department HAZMAT crews evacuated the affected building while at least eight people were transported to three different area hospitals -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, TriStar Skyline Medical Center, and Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital -- with nausea and difficulty breathing, and several others were treated on scene. NewsChannel5's coverage confirmed the building evacuation and HAZMAT response. No fatalities resulted. The case broadens the archive's coverage of for-profit trade schools beyond bomb threats and shootings into the distinctive hazmat risks that come with hands-on technical training environments, which routinely stock cleaning solvents, automotive fluids, and other chemicals alongside classroom space.

Analysis

Key Findings

The accidental mixing of chlorine and ammonia-based cleaning chemicals produced toxic fumes that sickened occupants in at least two classrooms

At least eight people were transported to three separate Nashville-area hospitals with nausea and breathing difficulty; no fatalities were reported

The incident illustrates a hazmat risk profile distinctive to for-profit trade schools, where cleaning solvents and shop chemicals are stored and used alongside classroom space

Outcome

At least eight people were transported to area hospitals (Vanderbilt University Medical Center, TriStar Skyline Medical Center, and Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital) with nausea and breathing difficulty; several others were treated on scene. No fatalities were reported.

Provenance

Sources

Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "Lincoln College of Technology - Nashville: Mixed Cleaning Chemicals Send at Least Eight People to the Hospital at a Nashville Trade School." Incident of October 10, 2019. Added July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/lincoln-college-of-technology-nashville-chemical-spill-2019-10-10/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

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Background

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