Ammonia leaks from hospital fridge
FIREFIGHTERS were called after ammonia began leaking from a fridge at South Molton Community Hospital.
The hazardous substance was found in a treatment room just after midnight in the early hours of Sunday morning.
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Firefighters from South Molton and Barnstaple attended the scene.
A gas detector from Ilfracombe and an incident response unit and support pump from Bovey Tracey were also on site.
The fridge was removed by crews, who were wearing gas tight suits and using breathing apparatus.
They also removed contaminated equipment from the treatment room and decontaminated the surrounding area.
The job was complete at 3.30am.
A spokesman for Northern Devon Healthcare Trust said there was no lasting effect from the leak.
2 Comments
by Fred Smith, Witheridge
Tuesday, July 27 2010, 10:14PM
“You didn't do science at school did you?”
by Taxman, North Devon UK
Tuesday, July 27 2010, 2:12PM
“Health and Safety gone mad. There really wasn't any need for this level of 'overkill'.
Ammonia, NH3, occurs naturally in the environment and is lighter than air. Thus, the problem could have been resolved without such high cost.
I would also like to know, "how did the items in the treatment room become contaminated by a gas that is lighter than air"?
The facts in this story seem to have gone a little haywire!”