A hospital ward was evacuated after emergency services were called in to deal with a chemical spillage.
Fire crews and paramedics were called to Fairfield General Hospital in Bury at around 12.15pm on Wednesday afternoon after a potentially hazardous chemical was found to have leaked out from a plastic container into a store room.
The Endoscopy Unit was shut for more than four hours while firefighters wearing breathing apparatus evacuated staff and patients and worked to remove the peracetic acid – a strong disinfectant which is known to be highly corrosive when in contact with the skin.
It is understood to have reopened at around 5pm following a deep clean.
A spokesman for The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, said: “We can confirm that today a minor chemical spillage involving some cleaning fluid leaking from a plastic container was reported at Fairfield General Hospital in Bury on Ward 3, which is our Endoscopy Unit.
“The safety of our staff and patients are our utmost priority and therefore the fire service was informed and attended on scene in response to the incident due to the involvement of a potentially hazardous chemical.
“Despite no immediate risk to the public, as a matter of precaution a small number of staff and patients were evacuated from the unit.
The fire service has been working with our teams to ensure the area is safe and the unit has undergone a deep clean.
“We successfully implemented our emergency plan and this went to plan.”
All patients and staff were checked over by fire crews and doctors at the scene.
The spokesman said that one patient was about to undergo a procedure when the evacuation occurred, and that several others had been sitting in the waiting area.
They added: “We would like to apologise to those patients who were affected by the temporary closure of the unit and for the inconvenience this caused during their appointment.”
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue said four fire engines were sent to the hospital to deal with the incident.
They added: “Crews assisted in evacuating the ward and partially evacuating other parts of the floor.
“The chemical was then cleared up by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and placed into a drum and removed.”
It’s understood several people, including two female members of staff aged 39 and 49, were given precautionary check ups as a result of exposure to the chemical but there were no injuries.
