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Three 'contaminated by chemical' Chemical powder contaminates two
(about 2 hours later)
Three people have been contaminated by an unknown chemical in Oxfordshire, the ambulance service has said. Two men contaminated with chemical powder which leaked from a drum behind some Oxfordshire shops have been taken to hospital, the fire service said.
The three are vomiting, itching and suffering from blistering skin following the incident in Banbury. The cleaners began vomiting, itching and suffering from blistering skin following the incident in Banbury.
They came in contact with the substance at an address in the Malt House Walk area, an ambulance spokesman said. They came in contact with a 45 gallon barrel, which contains waste products from a manufacturer of lenses for spectacles, in Bridge Street.
They alerted the emergency services at about 0945 GMT. A 50-metre cordon has been put in place and people are being told to avoid the area. A cordon remains in place but there is no immediate danger to the public.
The emergency services were alerted at about 0915 GMT on Wednesday.
We had to ensure that the people of Banbury were as safe as they could be so we threw a cordon around the area Mike Smythe, deputy chief fire officer
Mike Smythe, deputy chief fire officer for Oxfordshire, told BBC News: "We just had two of our specialist officers in gas-tight suits enter the area, they've made tests of the substance.
"We are confident, at the moment, that the substance is in fact inert but we do need to finish off those tests results."
When the fire crews from Banbury arrived at the scene they discovered a small chemical spillage with the cleaning staff showing symptoms.
"One was violently ill - vomiting - and the other started to complain of itchy hands," he said.
Decontamination processDecontamination process
The three will remain in the area until they are de-contaminated, she said. "The barrel, as we understand it, contains waste products from the manufacturer of lenses for spectacles - basically as they shave the ends off the lenses so that they fit the frame, a quantity of white powder is produced.
The decontamination process will be carried out by the Chemical Biological Radioactive and Nuclear Decontamination unit and specialist staff from South Central Ambulance service. The powder is "common with all spectacle manufacturers across the country and that chemical is inert - plastic basically".
The three will be washed down with warm water - depending on what kind of chemical is involved - in a decontamination tent for anything from five minutes to an hour, the South Central Ambulance Service spokeswoman said. "We had to ensure that the people of Banbury were as safe as they could be so we threw a cordon around the area to stop people entering the zone and spreading the contamination further."
"Their clothing will then be removed and they will be put into sterile white paper suits before being sent to Horton Hospital. The decontamination process was carried out by the Chemical Biological Radioactive and Nuclear Decontamination unit and specialist staff from South Central Ambulance service.
"The clothing will then be taken away for forensic examination." The two men were washed down with warm water in a decontamination tent before their clothing was removed.
Eight South Central Ambulance Service personnel are at the scene, along with police and the fire service. They were then put into sterile white paper suits before being sent to Horton Hospital, a spokeswoman said.
The clothing will then be taken away for forensic examination, she added.