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Toxic fumes drama at school
A SCHOOL swimming pool technician was taken to hospital after inhaling toxic fumes.
Emergency services were called to English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College, in Catcote Road, Hartlepool, after two solutions were mixed together that produced a dangerous chlorine gas that filled the pool building.
The school did not need to be evacuated and school chiefs say no pupils were in danger at any time.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus watered down the solution and called in a specialist chemical unit to clear away the liquid after being called to the school at 11.45am yesterday.
Headteacher Joe Hughes said: "The response to the incident was very good, which is very reassuring.
"He was the only person in the pool building at the time and no children were in danger at any point.
"We will now be looking into how this happened and we will be following it up with the Health and Safety Executive."
Around six gallons of the chemicals sodium hypochlorite and polyaluminium chloride were mixed together in the accident as the technician worked on cleaning the pool in an adjacent pump room.
He was said to have been "overcome" by the fumes and was taken to the University Hospital of Hartlepool, which was said to be only a precautionary measure.
Steve Patton, Stranton Fire Station manager, said: "A reaction had been caused and we were able to stabilise the chemicals with water and a specialist unit was called to clear the residue.
"We were also able to seek advice from chemistry teachers in the school who were very helpful in making us aware of what we were dealing with."
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Weather for Hartlepool
Monday 13 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 5 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: North west
