A Chicago Cubs security worker had an allergic reaction to an unidentified substance on a piece of mail Tuesday, triggering a hazardous materials response from Chicago Fire Department officials.
Authorities later determined that there wasn’t a threat to public safety, Cubs spokesperson Julian Green said in an email. Chicago police sent a bomb and arson unit to the area and described the substance as a “skin irritant.”
The worker first encountered the unknown substance sent to the team’s front office in the 1100 block of West Waveland Avenue around 2:50 p.m., according to police. The guard found a “foreign substance contained in a small package as part of our mail screening process,” according to Green.
The unidentified worker was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center as a precaution and was treated and released, Green said.
“During the initial safety assessment and investigation, some areas of the building were not accessible,” Green said. “We were allowed to continue with normal operations as we were not asked to shelter in place or evacuate the building.”
Police cleared the scene as of 6:15 p.m.
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