A liquid oxygen spill Monday prompted closure of the emergency room at Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital and the postponement of surgeries, but no injuries were reported.
Firefighters were sent to the facility at 4650 Lincoln Blvd. about 8:40 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
“The liquid oxygen spill originated from a sheared pipe on a 2,000-gallon tank,” said Margaret Stewart of the LAFD. “The majority of the tank contents spilled.”
Emergency room functions were reassigned to other area medical facilities while crews worked to assess the problem, determine the cause of the break and repair the damaged pipe.
Some patients were taken to other hospitals by LAFD ambulances, based on their medical needs, LAFD Capt. Erik Scott said.
A hospital spokeswoman announced about 2 p.m. that the emergency room had been reopened. Although surgeries scheduled for Monday were postponed out of an abundance of caution, the rest of the hospital was operating as usual.
When the leaking liquid oxygen in the outdoor tank mixed with air, it froze, and the area has to be thawed out before repairs could be made, Scott said.
Liquid oxygen is used for medical reasons that include assisting in treating respiratory problems.