Several people went through a detox process after being exposed to a white, powdery substance found at the Bimini Boatyard Bar & Grill Wednesday afternoon, according to Fort Lauderdale Police.
According to police, at 11:38 a.m., Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue responded to a report of white powder exposure at 1555 SE 17th Street. Mike Mountfood, who works at the restaurant, said a maintenance worker found the powder.
"About 20 minutes to 7, he saw two employees who got let go -- they got let go recently -- they walked in supposedly, and then they found a residue in the chef's office," he said.
When fire rescue arrived, workers had already cleaned up much of the substance.
Seven people complained of burning skin or respiratory problems. They rinsed off underneath a red tarp.
"Nobody could leave. They've all got to wash off. Guess it's kind of like quarantined," said Mountfood.
The Fort Lauderdale HazMat Team tested a sample of the powder and determined that it did not pose a serious public health risk, police said. They believed it was an insecticide.
As a precaution, all of them went through a detox process and were evaluated at the scene.
Police say the incident is under investigation, but no arrests were immediately pending.
No one was taken to the hospital, as had previously been reported.