SynergEyes Reports Minor Interruption at Manufacturing Facility

CARLSBAD, Calif., Oct. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- SynergEyes, manufacturer and marketer of hybrid contact lenses, reported a minor interruption at its manufacturing facility in the 2200 block of Rutherford Road on Tuesday, October 22nd. The disruption occurred when a small amount of vapor was released inside the building due to a chemical reaction of an unknown cause. The facility was immediately evacuated and the Carlsbad Fire Department notified.

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The fire department quickly neutralized the source of the vapor and cleared the facility for re-entry. There was no chemical spill of any kind and no injuries to SynergEyes employees or anyone in adjoining buildings. The Carlsbad Fire Department believes there was no threat of environmental damage as a result of the incident.

"We have a safety system for dealing with hazardous waste and that system operated exactly as it was designed to do. It contained the chemicals, with no spills or leaks whatsoever, and vented the fumes to prevent any other danger," said Steve Ziemba, Vice President of Quality and Clinical Affairs. "We evacuated the building and contacted the Carlsbad Fire Department due to an abundance of caution when the incident was discovered and are pleased that there were no adverse events resulting from this."

The company resumed manufacturing operations today and will continue to investigate the cause of the event.

"We are committed to operating a safe work environment and take all practical precautions to ensure that hazards and accidents do not occur," says Dr. James K. Kirchner, President and CEO of SynergEyes. "Although this incident did not result in any personal injury or put the local community in jeopardy, we consider this to be a serious matter and pledge to take any and all corrective action necessary to prevent future mishaps."

Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, SynergEyes, Inc. was founded in 2001 to develop a contact lens that would combine the superior visual quality of a gas permeable lens with the comfort and ease of wear of a soft contact lens. The revolutionary SynergEyes hybrid contact lenses allow patients to enjoy the best of both worlds – consistently crisp vision and all-day comfort. SynergEyes holds numerous U.S. patents, along with FDA market clearances for the entire family of SynergEyes, Duette and UltraHealth contact lenses. The patented SynergEyes technology is currently available through more than 5,000 eye care practitioners worldwide.

SOURCE SynergEyes