UPDATE: OSHA investigates Amazon warehouse bear spray accident that left worker critical

A worker at an Amazon warehouse in New Jersey was in critical condition and another 54 required treatment after being exposed to bear repellent that discharged when a can was punctured by an automated machine Wednesday morning inside the building, officials said.

A total of 54 workers at the Robbinsville distribution center were exposed to the bear repellent experienced difficulty breathing and burning in the throat and eyes, officials said. They were triaged by first responders outside the building and required treatment, according to a Robbinsville spokesman John Nalbone.

Twenty-four of those workers were taken to five local hospitals, Nalbone said.

One worker was critical and was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton, but the employee’s condition improved as of 9:30 p.m. and they were expected to be released within 24 hours, according an Amazon spokeswoman.

“All of the impacted employees have been or are expected to be released from hospital within the next 24 hours," she said. "The safety of our employees is always our top priority and a full investigation is already underway. We’d like to thank all of the first responders who helped with today’s incident.”

Additional details on the other workers was not immediately available.

Around 8:45 a.m., an automated machine punctured a 9 oz. can of bear repellent containing a concentrated amount of capsaicin, an active component of chili peppers. It was confined to the third floor in the south end of the sprawling warehouse — which has hundreds of workers during a normal shift — and did not require a complete evacuation, Nalbone said.

Amazon confirmed the damaged can dispersed strong fumes in the contained area of the facility, and said there is an ongoing investigation.

“The safety of our employees is our top priority, and as such, all employees in that area have been relocated to a safe place and employees experiencing symptoms are being treated onsite,” the company spokeswoman said Tuesday morning. “As a precaution, some employees have been transported to local hospitals for evaluation and treatment.”

The warehouse was cleared for re-entry around 1 p.m. by the West Windsor Health Department, but an official will revisit the building before Thursday morning as a precaution.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect additional information on the number of workers requiring treatment and the severity of the injuries.

Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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