CHEMICAL SCARE.Byline: JANE WOODHEAD ECHO Reporter SEVEN people were rushed to hospital this morning after a fire sparked a chemical leak at a plastics factory. The four firefighters and three members of staff were contaminated contaminated, v 1. made radioactive by the addition of small quantities of radioactive material. 2. made contaminated by adding infective or radiographic materials. 3. an infective surface or object. after the blaze on the Knowsley Industrial Estate in Kirkby. Thirty firefighters and paramedics rushed to the plant just after 4.30am fearing the chemical leak would spread. They were also concerned for the safety of staff on site. The 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' were on standby to implement a full-scalechemicalprocedure. Work inside the 24-hour plant was immediately halted while staff put their own emergency procedures in place and began evacuating the building. Sixteen members of staff from Yardley Plastics were evacuated e·vac·u·ate v. e·vac·u·at·ed, e·vac·u·at·ing, e·vac·u·ates v.tr. 1. a. To empty or remove the contents of. b. To create a vacuum in. 2. by firefighters equipped with breathing apparatus. The fire is believed to have started in ducting duct·ing n. 1. A duct or system of ducts. 2. Material for making ducts. in one of the main production halls. A spokesman for Merseyside Fire Service said: ``The casualties were contaminated with nigrine,a chemical involved in the fire. Thankfully they were not seriously hurt but were taken to hospital as a precaution.'' A spokesman for the company said: ``A member of staff noticed the fire while working in the production hall. ``Our emergency procedure was immediately put into place. Staff were evacuated. Production stopped and the incident was contained.'' Yardley Plastics, which has been based on the industrial estate for four years,provides raw materials for the motor industry. The injured were taken to Fazakerley Hospital but were not seriously hurt. |
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