Abattoir man fights for life after inhaling animal fumes.Byline: By Charlie Gall and James Moncur A SLAUGHTERMAN was fighting for his life last night after inhaling poisonous gas from rotting animal carcasses. Two other men and a female paramedic par·a·med·ic n. A person who is trained to give emergency medical treatment or assist medical professionals. paramedic were also in hospital after the incident at the Sacone Environmental abattoir and rendering plant in Brechin, Angus. It is thought that two employees were overcome by hydrogen sulphide hydrogen sulphide Noun a colourless poisonous gas with an odour of rotten eggs as they were tipping a load of animal waste into the plant at about 10am yesterday. Inspector Donald Thomson Donald Fergusson Thomson OBE (1901 – 1970) was an Australian anthropologist and ornithologist who was largely responsible for turning the Caledon Bay Crisis into a "decisive moment in the history of Aboriginal-European relations". , of Tayside Police Tayside Police is the police force covering the Scottish council areas of Angus, City of Dundee and Perth and Kinross (the former Tayside region). The total area covered by the force is 2,896 square miles with a population of 388,000. , said: "One is in a very serious condition in intensive care and the other one is in the short-stay ward. "Two others, a paramedic and a person on the payroll who came to their assistance, were also admitted to hospital, but I believe they will be released shortly. "We believe the gas was hydrogen sulphide, a by-product of rotting flesh. There seems to have been a build-up of gas but we're not sure how it occurred at this stage. "The rendering plant is still shut down and there is a safety zone about it but there is no danger to members of the public. It has been contained to the plant itself." The most serious casualty, a 53-year-old local man, is believed to have suffered severe lung damage. Last night, he was in the high-dependency unit at Dundee's Ninewells Hospital where his condition was described as serious. A 35-year-old plant worker from the Brechin area and a 53-year-old meat inspector from Perth were admitted to the short-stay ward with irritation to their lungs. The fourth casualty was a 41-year-old female paramedic from Brechin. Six other people were checked out at the scene but did not need treatment. All workers were immediately evacuated from the site. The abattoir remained sealed off by a police cordon last night as a health and safety probe got under way. The Sacone incinerator has drawn complaints from locals over unpleasant odours. The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency have served three enforcement notices on the plant in the past year. CAPTION(S): HORROR AT THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE: Emergency services emergency services Emergency care '…services …necessary to prevent death or serious impairment of health and, because of the danger to life or health, require the use of the most accessible hospital available and equipped to furnish those services' at the Sacone abattoir and rendering complex |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion