Many workers use the term “toxic” to describe company fridges where abandoned sandwiches, vegetables and yogurt containers turn into laboratory experiments.

Most incidents are enough to make workers who discover these treasures feel nauseated, but an incident at an AT&T workplace in San Jose, CA, went well beyond that. After discovering rotting food in a company fridge, an employee removed it to a conference room table and set about using two cleaning chemicals to attack the mess.

The combined odor of disinfectant and rotting food was so revolting that someone called 911 and a hazardous materials team responded. Seven employees were taken to hospital and 28 other workers were treated for nausea and vomiting.

And what of the worker who tackled the rancid mess in the fridge? She experienced no symptoms because allergies have robbed her of her sense of smell.

Share this story with your workers if you have a problem with people forgetting that they have parked perishable foods in the fridge for days or weeks.

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