Acid Spill Hospitalizes Worker

An industrial worker was hospitalized today when he dropped sulfuric acid on himself.

The incident was reported at 10:23 a.m. at an industrial building in the 42000 block of Winchester Road in western Temecula.

An employee at an unnamed business was carrying two glass jars of acid when he dropped them on the floor, then slipped and fell into the corrosive liquid, according to Melody Hendrickson of the Riverside County Fire Department.

The acid gave him second-degree burns on 18 percent of his body, mostly on his back and shoulder. He was also badly burnt on his right hand by the shattered glass, Hendrickson said.

He was airlifted to a burn facility, and the Riverside County Fire Department's Hazardous Materials Team was cleaning up the mess this afternoon.

Three fire engines, a helicopter and 11 firefighters responded to the incident, according to the fire department.