Abstract: At approximately 7:38 a.m. on February 25, 2010, Employee #1 and Employee #2 were exposed to chlorine gas release when the excavator operator inadvertently punctured the 1-ton cylinder when he attempted to move the cylinder from a pile of metals. The cylinder was half-full. Employees #1 and #2 suffered acute respiratory distress syndrome due to chlorine inhalation and underwent in-patient hospitalization for a period of two days. The employer, US Metals Inc., in Indio, CA, is primarily engaged in metal recycling business and permitted under Riverside County Department of Environmental Health Hazardous Materials Management Division. The Riverside County Fire Department, not the employer, notified the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) San Bernardino District Office on February 25, 2010 at 2:52 p.m. of the employees' illness.