Employees were cleared to return to work shortly after noon yesterday following an incident that created a dust cloud in the storage room at Sandwich Isle Termite & Pest control at 96-1368 Waihona St. in Pearl City Industrial Park.

"It wasn't an explosion like people had first thought," Hono-lulu Fire Department Captain Terry Seelig said. "All it was was a loud noise and dust. They were disposing of a foil pouch the way they always do and were supposed to. They put it in a 5-gallon bucket of water, but it had a reaction that it's never had before."

Seelig said the dust cloud forced all six employees to evacuate.

One employee complained of headaches and another of shortness of breath. They were evaluated on the scene by an ambulance crew and released.

"Their symptoms rapidly dissipated and we gave the OK to return to the building at about 12:15," Seelig said. "There were no toxic chemicals involved."

Police and fire crews were called at about 11:15 a.m. As a precaution, police had cordoned off nearby roads.