Chemical leak leaves man hospitalised
Posted: 29th August 2014
Posted in: Workplace Injuries
A chemical leak has left a man in hospital. A delivery driver phoned firefighters yesterday morning with the fear that there was a chemical leak inside his vehicle. The van had been delivering a heavy duty acidic de-scaler to a house in Ashbury, near Faringdon, when the incident happened. It is believed that the dangerous chemical leaked out through the packaging and into the delivery van, affecting the driver.
Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service said that they received a phone call just before 9am with a delivery driver complaining of a chemical leak. Two fire engines from Wantage and Faringdon were sent to the scene, accompanied by a specialist hazardous materials unit from the Rewley Road Fire Station in Oxford.
Specifically designed equipment
The fire crews were quickly able to identify the hazardous chemicals and put them in a secure container. The driver was assessed on site, but was taken to hospital by ambulance.
The inhalation of dangerous chemicals can cause coughing and difficulty breathing. This can even lead to chronic breathing problems.
An Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “Our specialist unit has equipment specifically designed to enable staff to detect and identify dangerous substances which enables casualties to be treated quickly and appropriately by medical staff and for us to make the incident safe.”
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