Parents of football players at a Montgomery County school are furious after the boys suffered first- and second-degree burns from a powerful cleaning agent.
Springbrook High School Principal Sam Rivera says 15 players reported getting burns or rashes during practice Sept. 16. One student spent three days in the hospital after his burns became infected.
A trainer ordered the locker room at the Silver Spring school be sprayed with a cleaning agent after coaches suspected one of their players had contracted a staph infection, The Washington Post reports. The staph infection turned out to be a false alarm.
The chemical also was used on football pads and helmets that the players wore during practice, causing the burns. Though several players complained of feeling a burning sensation during practice, it lasted the full three hours.
Rivera told The Post that the disinfectant used was Virex II 256, a product designed for use on floors and walls. The product's label warns that it is corrosive and can cause permanent damage to the skin and eyes.
